Paper 1 Case Studies Flashcards
What magnitude was the Haiti 2010 earthquake?
The Haiti 2010 earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0.
What is Haiti’s HDI and GDP per capita?
Haiti’s HDI is 0.54 and its GDP per capita is $1,200 per year.
Which tectonic plates is Haiti located between, and what type of plate margin do they form?
Haiti is located between the North American and Caribbean plates, which forms a destructive plate margin.
Give 3 examples of the primary effects of the Haiti 2010 earthquake
Primary effects of the earthquake include:
- 220,000 were killed initially
- 300,000 injured
- The main port (in Port-au-Prince) was badly damaged
- 8 collapsed hospitals
- 100,000 homes destroyed and 200,000 more to be damaged
- 1.3 million people homeless
- A prison in Port-au-Prince destroyed
Give 3 secondary effects of the Haiti 2010 earthquake
Secondary effects include:
- 2 million people left with food and water insecurity
- 1.3 million people left homeless
- Frequent power cuts
- Severe looting and crime problems within Port-au-Prince
- People forced to live in temporary shelters
- Outbreaks of cholera
Give 2 immediate responses to the Haiti 2010 earthquake
Immediate responses include:
- The USA sent rescue teams and 10,000 troops
- Bottled water and purification tablets provided
- Over 235,000 people were evacuated away from Port-au-Prince
- UK government donated £20 million in foreign aid
Give 2 long term effects/responses of the Haiti 2010 earthquake
Long-term effects/responses include:
- Buildings reinforced with earthquake-resistant materials, such as rubber tires
- Rebuilding cost over $11.5 billion
- Haiti left dependent on foreign aid
- World Bank waived the country’s debt repayments for 5 years.
What magnitude was the Japan 2011 earthquake?
The Japan 2011 earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1.
What is Japan’s HDI and GDP per capita?
Japan’s HDI is 0.93 and its GDP per capita is $39,300 per year.
Why is Japan prone to earthquakes?
The Philippine and Pacific plates are rapidly moving towards the larger Eurasian and North American plates - up to 8 cm a year, which causes a lot of frictional energy to build up over time.
Give 3 primary effects of the Japan 2011 earthquake
Primary effects include:
- 16,000 people died and 2,600 missing
- 6,000 injured and 130,000 displaced
- Coastal areas experienced subsidence and beaches were dropped by up to 50cm
- Over 325km of roads and railways were damaged and washed away
- Caused $235 billion worth of damage
Give 3 secondary effects of the Japan 2011 earthquake
Secondary effects include:
- Blackouts and power cuts suffered throughout the country
- A tsunami over 40m high hit the coast of Sendai shortly after the earthquake
- The tsunami caused the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor cores
- Landslides caused by the earthquake blocked roads
- 230,000 people were classed as homeless after the event
- 56 bridges washed away by the tsunamis
Give 2 immediate responses to the Japan 2011 earthquake
Immediate responses include:
- Rescue teams and Japanese soldiers were immediately sent in
- International aid was sent to Japan from across the world
- 100,000 Japanese people were found during search and rescue
- 140,000 people evacuated from the 20 km exclusion zone around the power plant
Give 2 long-term responses or precautions that were already in place for the Japan 2011 earthquake
Precautions/Long-term responses include:
- An earthquake warning system in place since 1952
- An automatic braking system in Japanese bullet trains
- 12m high tsunami barriers in place
- Buildings made from earthquake-proof materials
When and where did Typhoon Haiyan hit? How strong was it?
Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013, a category 5 at a wind speed of 314km/h, one of the most powerful tropical storms recorded.
Give 4 primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan.
Primary effects include:
- 6,000 people died
- 90% of Tacloban destroyed
- $12 billion worth of damage
- The Romauldez airport severely damaged
- 30,000 fishing boats and their corresponding equipment destroyed
- 1.1 million tonnes of crops destroyed
- 5m high storm surge
- 400mm worth of rainfall, causing flooding in many areas
- 600,000 people displaced and 40,000 homes destroyed
Give 4 secondary effects of Typhoon Haiyan.
Secondary effects included:
- Over 14 million people were affected
- Major shortages of food, water and medical supplies leading to large outbreaks of disease
- Floods and heavy rain caused landslides, blocking roads and slowing down relief efforts
- Morgues were overwhelmed and mass burials were prepared, holding thousands of unidentified individuals
- Flights and ferry services were disrupted for weeks
- 6 million people lost their source of income
- Power supplies were cut off in some areas for months
- Looting and violence outbreaks in Tacloban
- 800,000-litre oil leak caused by a oil tanker sinking
Give 3 immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan.
Immediate responses include:
- International aid organisations immediately declared a state of “national calamity” and provided food, water and medical supplies
- Emergency supplies prepositioned by the Philippines Red Cross, ready to be distributed after the storm
- The Red Cross supplied over 1.1 million people with clean water
- Canada and the USA deployed military aircraft such as the George Washington to assist with search and rescue
- France, Belgium and Israel set up field hospitals
- UK set up 1,200 evacuation centres and supplied people with “Shelter Kits”
- Evacuation of approximately 750,000 residents due to predictions made by the PAGASA
Give 3 long-term responses to Typhoon Haiyan.
Long-term responses include:
- The United Nations Development Program set up several “cash-for-work” programs to pay villagers to clear up debris
- Organisations such as UNICEF and WHO vaccinated thousands of children against Polio and Measles
- Government established a “build back better” scheme which pledged to build 205,000 homes to rehouse those at risk in coastal areas. However, in 2016, only 1% of the goal was reached
- Roads, homes, ports and airports were rebuilt
- Typhoon shelters were built inland
- Oxfam aided in the replacement of fishing boats
- Rice farming and fishing quickly re-established, but coconut farmers often struggled as coconut trees take years to grow
- Environmental organisations worked with locals to restore mangrove forests destroyed
Describe the region of the Somerset Levels.
The Somerset Levels are a region of low-lying coastal plains in the South-West of England in the county of Somerset.
What were the causes of the 2014 Somerset Levels Floods?
There was the highest record of annual rainfall since 1910 - 350mm, 100mm above average. High tides and storm surges pushed water upstream from the Bristol Channel, and the rivers had not been dredged for at least 20 years, leaving them clogged with sediment.
Give 3 impacts of the 2014 Somerset Levels Floods.
Impacts include:
- 600 homes flooded
- 16 farms evacuated
- Villages cut off
- £10 million worth of damage
- 1,000 livestock evacuated
- 14,000 ha of agricultural land cut off
- Floodwaters contaminated
- Stagnant waters had to be reoxygenated
Give 2 immediate responses to the 2014 Somerset Levels Floods.
Immediate responses include:
- Villagers used boats to get around
- Water was pumped out
- Volunteers offered to clear debris and rescue people
Give 2 long-term responses to the 2014 Somerset Levels Floods.
Long-term responses include:
- 8km of the River Tone was dredged
- Roads were raised
- River banks raised and strengthened
- Pumping stations built
- Consideration given to build a tidal barrage at Bridgewater
- £20 mil invested in a flood action plan
