Sichuan Earthquake Flashcards
What was the date and time of the sichuan earthquake?
12th May 2008
14:28
What was the magnitude of the sichuan earthquake? How powerful were the largest aftershocks?
7.9 on the Richter Scale. Some aftershocks measured 6.
how deep was the focus of the sichuan earthquake
10km very shallow
How far was the epicentre of the sichuan earthquake from the nearest city?
92km for Chengdu
how many years had it been since the last earthquake in sichuan
75
Name the fault line along which the rupturing occurred, causing the earthquake. Sichuan
longmenshan
Describe the geology of the Sichuan Basin. How did this contribute to the impact of the earthquake?
unconsolidated so the ground was prone to liquefaction
What was the official death toll? What is the likely actual death toll? Sichuan
70k
87k
How many people were made homeless after the sichuan earthquake?
5 million
How many buildings collapsed in sichuan
21 million
how many people died in collapsed school buildings? Why? Sichuan
11,000
because it occurred in the earl afternoon when children were at school and school wasn’t earthquake proof
give at least one example of the impact on transport infrastructure in sichuan
5,000km of roads destroyed or damaged, several bridges damaged, railways destroyed by landslides, Chengdu Airport closed
give at least one example of public service buildings that were destroyed in sichuan
hospital
How many farm animals died in sichuan
32 million
What caused the release of toxic gas in Shifang?
two chemical factories
Why was flooding a problem after the sichuan earthquake
Rivers were damned by landslides creating 34 ‘quake lakes’- which threatened to break
How many rescue workers were killed in landslides in the aftermath of the sichuan earthquake
158
When had a seismic building design code been introduced? Why did many buildings not conform to the code? Sichuan
1976, many building were constructed before this
although the emergency response was rapid what hampered rescue efforts? Sichuan
mountainous terrain, damaged roads and bridges
how many troops were deployed to help in sichuan
240,000
how many residents were evacuated in sichuan
250,00
Give an example to show how quickly roads in the area were repaired in sichuan
By June roads to 248 out of 254 were back in use
Did China ask for help to cope with the impacts of the quake?
Yes (unusually), foreign governments (Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Russia) and NGOs (Red Cross) sent aid
Give at least one example of help given by the Chinese people.
100,000 people volunteered to help, they donated $1.5 billion, blood was also donated
