Seismic hazards : HAiti Earthquake 2010 Flashcards
where is Haiti?
Small island located in the Carribbean. SE of the USA and and to the E of Cuba. It is on the same Island as DR on western side. It’s latitude is 18.9N and 72.2W
which 2 plates does Haiti sit on?
The carribbean and the North American plate
what type of plate margin does Haiti sit on?
conservative plate margin, The N american plate and Carribean plate slide past eachother, at different speeds.
Where was the epicenter of the quake, what were the implications?
It was 16 miles W of Port au Prince –> PAP is capital city + v v densly populated and has alot of squatter settlements. Played a huge role in the destrcution and magnitude in the cap city.
exam q : what caused the earthquake.
it occured at a conservative plate boundary(1) where the North American plate slid past the Carribean plate, at different speeds(1). Gradually over time friction builds up and pressure builds up b/w the 2 plates. They move in jerky fashion until the pressure was released in a Earthquake, occuring on the 12/01/10 4:53 pm. The focus was shallow, 13 km below earths surface. It was a 7.1 mag and 2 after shocks were 5.5.
when did the earthquake occur?
12/1/10 at 4:53 pm
characteristics of hte quake itself
- lasted 30 secs
- shallow focus –> 13km
- Mag 7.1 –> v v destructive
- 2 after shocks , both mag 5.5
- lead to a cholera epidemic subsequent of the disaster.
Why is Haiti so vulnerable to the quake ? (damage costs)
Inter American Developement Bank est damage cost was $7.8bn-8.5bn and would increase to be $13.9bn over time.
Why is Haiti so vulnerable to the quake ?(wealth + poverty)
Before the quake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.
80% of pop live BELOW pov an d54% live in abject poverty –> bc 2/5 of pop are subsistance farmers.
Hatians that lvie abroad send rettimances back to families –> makes up 1/5th of GDP –> 5x MORE than value of the TOTAL exports of 2012
Why is Haiti so vulnerable to the quake ?(prediction, prep, and monitoring).
USGS was able to predict a vv large EQ would happen in Haiti, but knot the magnitude, where or when it would strike
there were ~10 seismic stations monitoring activity
Why is Haiti so vulnerable to the quake ?(geography and physical aspects)
staggering levels fo deforestation resulted in increased threat of floods and mudslides which further damaged the the town, devastating the ituation even more.
many ppl live in shanty towns whise flimsy hits cling to steep + exposed hillsides.
why is Haiti so vulnerable ? (political)
there was a high level of corruption in the govt which exacerbated poverty problem + conflict
ppl dont know where the money pledged went –> lost in transaction or by corrupt govt. there has been a long history of poverty, extreme debt and poor housing.
(primary social) how many ppl were killed ?
316k
(primary social) how many ppl made homeless ?
1 million
what is the impact of having 316k dead and 1 mill homeless?
reduced workforec –> reduced income and economy, les taxes paid.
decrease general mental health of population –> decline + deprivation
more ppl vulnerable w/o a home –> can lead to increase in shanty squater settlemnts.
(primary social) how many homes and buildings were destroyed ?
250,000 hom es, 30,000 buildings damaged incl presidents palace and 60% of the govt buildings.
(primary social) how did the damage to transport and communication affect Haiti’s curcumastance and aid effots.
the rubble that blocked roads meant it was vv hard to navigate where to go and how to reach vulnerable areas to provide AID. The rubble was v v thick + deep , making it difficult to pull and rescue ppl out at a time. Damaged lines and phone boxes made communicaiton with family v v difficult, it also made contact w/ media and other correspondants vv dificult.
(primary + secondary social) What happened to the main prison?
The main prison was destroyed and 4000 inmates escaped –> 2dary —> the rate o fcrime and looting increased. Seual violence also increased.
(primary + secpndary social) what occured as a result of the damage to buildings, regard to water quality.
The damage to buildings and chemical ssytems lead to contaminated water systems that became mixed w/ diff sewage etc resulting in increased rate of infection and cholera outbreak. 1000’s of deaths of survivors were as a result of cholera.
(secondary social) what happened to the dead bodies
large number of deaths meant that hospirals and morgues became full and so bodies piled onto the streets –> unsettling + traumatising for ppl to see and it was also risk factor for further spread of disease
primary economic impact : what was the effect of the businesses ad offices being destroyed?
the businesses and offices were destroyed and thus those that were employed where laid off as they had no where to work –> damage to the economy as taxes can’t be paid and thus money not collected.
secondary economic impact : how else did the damage to buildings and offices by shaking and lequifaction impact the economy ?
govt had to spend more money on repairing these buildings to get ppl back to work so they could in long term help icrease economy, however, this was v v expensive and it delays progress made to development as more is spent on reapirs than improving schools, hospitals etc
secondary economic impact : what was the impact of the industry and emplyment (example)
The factories for clothes making were destroyed and thus Haiti lost its biggest industry and emplyer , the clothing industry –> many ppl left in poverty bc they cannot afford to feed themselves. Bc ppl have no jobs and thus economy cant increase bc lack of income = lack of taxes –> had to rely on expensive imports of food, energy shelter etc.
