Tectonic Processes and Hazards - Case Studys Flashcards
Volcanic eruptions which caused most deaths since 1900
- 1902 Mt Peele which killed 32,000
- 1985 Nevado del Ruiz which killed 23,000
Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004
- 9.0 on the Richter scale
- 294,000 killed
- 5 million made homeless
- Devastating as rebound of the Eurasian plate was 20 metres
- Most areas affected were built on the coastline and many islands were densely populated
- Lack of education - People went down to beach to collect fish and hit by second wave
- In Kenya all beaches were closed immediately = good
Mount Nyiragongo
- May 2021
- VEI 2
- Lava flows toward Goma = home to 2 million
- Earthquake opens new fissures - lava cut off major roads
- 1700 structures destroyed and 288,000 affected
Tonga
- Jan 2022
- VEI 4
- 1 in a 1000 year event
- 60km plume of ash into atmosphere
- Explosion Heard in Alaska (9700km away )
- only 3 killed
PAR model - Nepal
– Root cause –
- 11th most earthquake prone country
- Estimated the earthquake only released 5% of stored energy
– Dynamic pressures –
- 300 aftershocks 6 weeks after event
- Langtang village had 3 km long avalanche which killed 300
– Unsafe conditions –
- 22 killed on Everest - deadliest day in mountains history
- 14 HEP stations damaged = 25% loss of electricity
– Hazard –
- 2015
- 23,000 inured and 1000 killed
- Developing nation
PAR model - Haiti
– Root cause –
- GNI of $660 annually
- 32% of GDP comes from remittance payments
– Dynamic pressures –
- only 2% of land is Forested
- Urbanisation meant many lived in slums - 70% of building’s collapsed
– Unsafe conditions –
- Area still damaged from tropical storm in 2004 and 4 hurricanes in 2008
- No emergency plan in place
– Hazard –
- Jan 2010
- Developing nation
- 230,000 killed
- Cholera outbreak shortly after
PAR model - Italy
– Root cause –
- 3 different plate movements at the same time
- Experienced 2 recent earthquakes
– Dynamic pressures –
- Uptake of earthquake insurance was only 1%
- No early warning systems in the area
– Unsafe conditions –
- Happened in early hours of morning = many crushed by falling buildings
- 70% of buildings not constructed to seismic standards
– Hazard –
- Developed nation
- 2016
- 298 killed
- 4000 made homeless
Mount Nyirangongo - DRC
- 2002 - Had been earthquake activity in months prior - Lava caused 400,000 to flee
– Poor Governance – - 120,000 made homeless
- unemployment rose to 95%
- Food supplies not stored effectively
– Good Governance – - 400,000 fled
– Uncontrollable factors – - 3 points of lava flow 2m deep
Mount Merapi - Indonesia
- Located on island of Java
– Poor Governance – - 353 killed
- 11,000 people lived on slopes
– Good Governance – - Money made available for farmers#
- Monitor showed signs of eruption months in advance
– Uncontrollable factors – - Pyroclastic flows reaching 800 degrees
Mount Etna - Italy
- Nov 2002
– Poor Governance – - Houses old and ill-equipped
– Good Governance – - State of emergency - 1000 fled
- £5.6 million in aid released and tax breaks given
– Uncontrollable factors – - 100 tremors
2010 Icelandic eruption
— Context —
- Iceland located on a hotspot on mantle - earths crust is thinner
- VEI 4
— Local impacts —
- Fresh fish industry affected
- localised flooding as glaciers melt
— Global impacts —
- all flights in Uk and Scandinavia cancelled
- Europe lost $2.6 billion
2011 Tohoku Tsunami
— Hazard context —
- 9 on the Richter scale
- tsunami 39 metres tall travelled 10km inland
— Local impacts —
- 15845 killed
- 209 companies forced into bankruptcy
- $300 billion in damages
— Global impacts —
Port only operating at 68% capacity l
2004 Asian Tsunami
— Context —
- Dec 26th 2004
- most land in Bangladesh is less than 4m above sea level = vulnerable
— Local impacts —
- 1000 made uninhabitable in Maldives - 74% of GDP is from the tourism industry
- buildings in stilts destroyed quickly
— Global impacts —
- Coral reefs of Indian Ocean destroyed by debris
Philippines as a multiple hazard zone
- Located in ring of fire
- On a tectonic boundary
- Have droughts, typhoons, earthquakes etc
– Why so vulnerable – - Low development
- some areas have 45% of the pop. in poverty
- Densely populated
Multiple Hazards Philippines = Bohol earthquake
- 7.2 magnitude earthquake - Oct 15th 2013
– Impacts – - 222 deaths
- 73,000 structures damaged
- 32 million affected
- $2.25 billion in damages
Multiple hazards Philippines - Typhoon Haiyan
- 4th strongest ever recorded = 230km/h - Cat 5
- Nov 2013
– Impacts – - 10,000 killed
- 90% of Tacloban was destroyed = a city
- $1.41 billion in damages
