Kathmandu Earthquake

Question 1

Describe the Nepal earthquake:
* When did it happen?
* What was its magnitude on the Richter Scale?
* What was its intensity on the Mercalli scale?
* Name 4 countries where it was felt.
* Where was its focus/hypocentre?
* How far below ground was its focus/hypocentre?

Answer 1

• The 25th of April 2015.
• 7.8.
• VIII (severe)
• Nepal, China, India and Bangladesh.
• The Gorkha district of Nepal.
• 15km.

Question 2

Describe Nepal:
* Where is it?
* What’s its population?
* Is it an AC, an EDC or an LIDC?
* What’s its GDP per capita?
* What type of plate boundary does it lie on?

Answer 2

• South Asia.
• 29,100,000 (27,000,000 in 2015)
• LIDC.
• $1155 ($902 in 2015)
• Collision boundary.

Question 3

Describe the Nepal Earthquake:
* How far forward did the Indian plate jump?
* Was the earthquake shallow or deep focus?
* How many deaths were there?
* How many casualties were there?
* How many structures were damaged or destroyed?
* What was the economic damage?

Answer 3

• 2m.
• Shallow focus.
• Over 8500.
• Around 23000.
• Over 600,000.
• $10,000,000,000.

Question 4

Fill in the blanks about the Nepal earthquake:
* Some small towns saw ___ or more of their buildings destroyed.
* Some villages were ________ ________.
* In one village, Burpak, ___ people were killed and just _ of its ____ homes were left standing.

Answer 4

• 70%.
• Entirely destroyed
• 700; 4; 1200.

Question 5

In Nepal’s only city, Kathmandu:
* What’s its population?
* What’s its population density?
* How many buildings were completely destroyed?
* What happened to the 19th-century Dharahara Tower?

Answer 5

• 1,420,000 (1,180,000 in 2015)
• 20,300 people/km²
• Over 180.
• It fell, killing 200 people.

Question 6

Describe the aftershocks and landslides:
* How many aftershocks were there?
* When was the worst aftershock, and what did it measure on the Richter scale?
* Give 2 ways in which the mountainous landscape caused issues.
* How many landslides were there (that were linked to the earthquake) and how many people did they kill?
* How many landslides were there within 6 weeks of the earthquake (including those caused by monsoons)?

Answer 6

• Over 300.
• The 12th of May 2015; 7.3.
• It caused landslides; and made it harder to get to survivors.
• 547; 12.
• Over 3000.

Question 7

Describe the responses to the earthquake:
* How much of the Nepalese army was deployed to help?
* What were needed to reach mountain areas cut off by landslides?
* How many people were displaced?
* How many children were displaced?
* What happened to the airport runway?

Answer 7

• Almost 90%
• Helicopters.
• Over 2,800,000
• Over 1,400,000
• It became cracked, toughening the rescue effort.

Question 8

Describe the responses to the earthquake:
* What 5 things did India provide?
* What kind of scheme was set up?
* According to the Nepalese finance minister, how much of the money spent on relief had come from overseas?
* How much money did the UK government pledge to help?

Answer 8

• 10 tonnes of blankets; 50 tonnes of water; 22 tonnes of food; 2 tonnes of medical supplies (and doctors); and an engineering task force.
• Cash-for-work scheme.
• Less than 10%.
• £33,000,000.

Question 9

Give 3 ways how earthquakes can be prepared for.

Answer 9

Constructing “earthquake-proof” buildings; educating people about them; and monitoring seismic activity.