Tectonics - Case Studies Flashcards
Magnitude of the Nepal earthquake
7.8
When was the Nepal earthquake?
25th April 2015
Which plate boundary did the Nepal earthquake occur on?
Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Where was the epicentre of the Nepal earthquake located?
80 km northwest of Kathmandu.
3 numerical facts about the Nepal earthquake
(deaths, injuries & homelessness)
Killed = 8633
Injured = 21000
Homeless = 3 million
What time of day did the N earthquake occur?
Why did this reduce the death toll?
Midday.
Most people were at work.
What was the impact of low population density on the N earthquake?
Although the earthquake did affect the densely populated capital, the worst damage was in rural areas.
Why is Nepal a vulnerable country?
(economically)
One of the world’s poorest - ranked 197th in the world ranking of GDP per capita.
Unprepared for the earthquake.
True or False
Most of Kathmandu’s buildings were not built to withstand earthquakes.
True
Weak infrastructure was severely damaged or destroyed.
What were the impacts on the large after shocks in Nepal?
Caused further destruction and death.
Made rescue work dangerous.
What happened in the Himalayas after the N earthquake?
Created landslides which devastated rural areas and cut them off. This made rescue and aid efforts difficult.
What happened to tourism after the N earthquake?
It fell significantly, leading to the loss of much needed income.
How much money was Nepal estimated to have lost after the earthquake?
US$5 billion - 25% of its GDP.
How much money was needed for rebuilding work after the N earthquake?
US$6.6 billion.
When was the Loma Prieta earthquake?
17th October 1989
Magnitude of the LP earthquake
6.9
Which area suffered the most damage after the LP earthquake?
Marina District
What factors caused damage and collapsing of buildings after the LP earthquake?
Built on man-made landfill - soft, sandy soil amplified the shaking.
Sandy soil liquefied.
What was the impact of the collapse of the Cyprus freeway?
Caused 42 deaths.
Drivers on the lower level were crushed by the upper level.
Why did the Cyprus freeway collapse?
It was built on soft mud.
What happened at the Eyjafjallajökull eruption?
Spreading cloud of ash threatened to clog aircraft engines and stop them from working.
How many commercial flights were cancelled after Eyjafjallajökull?
100,000
How many passengers were stranded after Eyjafjallajökull?
Over 10 million
How much airline revenue was lost after Eyjafjallajökull?
US$1.7 billion.
What percentage of global airline capacity was cut after Eyjafjallajökull?
30%
How much did the European economy lose as a result of Eyjafjallajökull?
US$5 billion.
What was the impact of Eyjafjallajökull on Kenya?
Businesses were forced to dump tonnes of fresh vegetables and flowers - costing US$1.3 million a day in lost revenue.
Describe Montserrat (location, size, geology).
Part of an island arc in the Caribbean Sea.
16 km long and 10 km wide.
Formed where the Atlantic Plate subducts beneath the Caribbean plate.
Consists almost entirely of volcanic rock.
When did the Montserrat eruption start and how long did it last?
18th July 1995
5 years
Which volcano in Montserrat erupted and where is it located?
Soufriere Hill volcano in the south of the island began to erupt huge clouds of ash.
True or False
Over 1/2 of the population of Montserrat moved away after the eruption.
True
7000 people (out of 11,000) left.
What was the impact of the destruction of Plymouth after the Montserrat eruption?
It is the capital city which meant that it contained all of the island’s main services.
What proportion of housing and infrastructure was destroyed in Montserrat?
Houses = 2/3
Infrastructure = 3/4
Why did unemployment rise in Montserrat after the eruption?
Tourist industry collapsed.
Farmland was destroyed or abandoned.
Why was a top-heavy population pyramid created in Montserrat?
Younger people no longer saw an economic future on the island so moved elsewhere.
What has been built in Montserrat to protect from future eruptions?
Volcano observatory to monitor the volcano.
New infrastructure built in the safer northern part of the island.
What caused the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia) with a magnitude between 9.0 and 9.3.
How high were the waves that struck the coast near Banda Ache during the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
17 m.
How many people were affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
5 million - including nearly 300,000 deaths and 1.7 million left homeless.
Why did people have no time to react to the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
Epicentre was close to densely populated coastal communities so it arrived within minutes.
What was the impact of a low lying coastline on the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
Waves could travel several km inland.
3 reasons why the impacts of the Indian Ocean Tsunami were so severe.
No early warning system in place.
Countries in the area were LICs - didn’t have the money to spend on tsunami protection.
Mangrove forests had been destroyed - less protection.
What was the percentage of villagers killed in some coastal areas during the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
70%
How many villages were completely destroyed in Sumatra after the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
15,000
What was the impact of the Indian Ocean Tsunami on Thailand?
Tourism industry lost US$25 million a month.
120,000 workers lost their jobs.
What were the environmental impacts of the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
Ecosystems were severely damaged.
Most vegetation and top soil was removed up to 800 m inland.
Freshwater supplies and agricultural soil was contaminated by salt water.
What was the overall economic cost of the Indian Ocean Tsunami?
US$10 billion
When was the Haiti earthquake?
12th January 2010
Was the focus of the Haiti earthquake deep or shallow?
Shallow (13 km)
What was the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake?
7.0
Where was the epicentre of the Haiti earthquake?
24 km from Port-au-Prince
What impact did high government corruption have on Haiti?
Lack of resources and commitment to improve infrastructure and living standards.
What impact did the lack of building controls and regulations have on Haiti?
Poorly built slum housing collapsed.
Dense urban environment made rescue difficult.
What was the impact of damage to the airport and few ports and main roads on Haiti?
Prevented arrival and spread of crucial aid supplies.
Slowed down rescue efforts.
More deaths.
Why was it difficult to organise recovery and relief in Haiti?
Over 1/4 of government officials were killed.
Government buildings were destroyed.
How many people were affected by the outbreak of cholera in Haiti?
720,000 - including 9,000 deaths.
How much aid was donated to Haiti?
US$13 billion
Why were organisations unwilling to channel aid money through the Haiti government directly?
Political corruption and mismanagement.
How many people were still living in temporary housing 5 years after the Haiti earthquake?
80,000
When was the Sichuan earthquake?
12th May 2008
What was the magnitude of the Sichuan earthquake?
7.9
How many people were affected by the Sichuan earthquake?
Over 45.5 million
What proportion of death was caused by landslides triggered by the Sichuan earthquake?
1/4
Why where building poorly constructed in Sichuan?
Corrupt government officials ignored building codes and accepted bribes to allow builders to take shortcuts.
How many schools fell during the Sichuan earthquake?
How many children were killed?
1) 1000s
2) 5335
What was the benefit of China being a large country with a growing economy?
There was money available to pay for rescue and aid efforts.
What happened within hours of the Sichuan earthquake? (response)
Over 13,000 soldiers and relief workers were sent to affected areas.
How much did the Chinese government pledge for rebuilding works after the Sichuan earthquake?
US$10 billion
What did Chinese banks do after the Sichuan earthquake?
Wrote off the debts of any survivor who didn’t have insurance.
How long did it take to build temporary homes, roads and bridges after the Sichuan earthquake?
2 weeks
What were reconstruction projects like 2 years after the Sichuan earthquake?
97% of the planned 29,740 reconstruction projects in the region had started.
What were farmhouses like 2 years after the Sichuan earthquake?
99% of the 196,000 farmhouses had been rebuilt.
What were transport projects like 2 years after the Sichuan earthquake?
A total of 216 transport projects were under construction or completed.
When was the Japan earthquake?
11th March 2011
What was the magnitude of the Japan earthquake?
9.0
Where did the Japan earthquake start?
100 km east Sendai on the eastern coast of the Japanese island of Honshu.
What caused the Japan tsunami?
Seawater displacement.
How high and far did the Japan tsunami reach?
Waves reached 100 m high and surged up to 10 km inland.
What happened to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during the Japan tsunami?
It was severely damaged and released dangerous levels of radiation into the air - forcing 47,000 people to evacuate.
True or False
Japan had fewer deaths and injuries than Haiti.
True
Why did less buildings collapse in Japan?
Strict building regulations - 75% of buildings built to withstand earthquakes.
Low level of corruption meant that regulations were strictly enforced.
What preparation did vulnerable areas in Japan already have in place?
10 m high walls, evacuation routes and shelters.
How much notice did the early warning system in Japan give?
1 minute
2 ways the Japanese government prepared local people for natural disasters.
Offices and homes were equipped with earthquake emergency kits.
Emergency drills regularly practiced in schools and businesses.
How quickly were defence troops mobilised in Japan?
110,000 troops within 24 hours.
What did radio and TV stations do after the Japan tsunami?
Immediately switched to official earthquake coverage - told people what was happening and what to do.
What did the Bank of Japan do after the Japan tsunami?
Offered US$183 billion to Japanese banks so they could keep operating.
How many countries did Japan accept rescue and recovery teams from?
Over 20
What % of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear energy before the tsunami?
27%
What was shut down after the Japan tsunami?
Nuclear power stations closest to the epicentre.
What % of Japan’s electricity came from nuclear energy after the tsunami?
1%
How much did the price of energy increase by after the Japan tsunami?
20%
Why did government debt rise after the Japan tsunami?
It had to buy more fossil fuels.
Why is the Philippines at risk from both earthquakes and volcanoes?
It sits across a major convergent plate boundary.
Why is the Philippines prone to tsunamis?
Northern and eastern coasts face the the Pacific Ocean.
How many typhoons is the Philippines affected by each year?
15
(actually struck by 6-9)
Why does the Philippines have heavy annual rains?
Tropical monsoon climate.
How many volcanoes are in the Philippines?
47 (22 active).
What % of the population in the Philippines live within 30 km of a volcano?
30%
What causes landslides in the Philippines?
Steep topography, high levels of deforestation and high rainfall.
What factors increase the vulnerability of the Philippines?
Rapidly developing lower-middle income country.
Fast growing population.
Rapid urbanisation.
High population density.
What is the problem with most of the Philippines poor living in coastal areas?
Flooding and tsunamis are made worse by poorly constructed infrastructure.
What % of the Philippines population lives in poverty?
25%
What happened in the Philippines after an earthquake in 2006?
Triggered landslides which breached the crater wall of a volcano and fell into a lake, creating a flood that washed away houses.
What happened in the Philippines in …
1) October 2013
2) November 2013
3) January 2014
1) Earthquake that killed 223 people.
2) Typhoon Haiyan killed 6201 people.
3) Floods from a tropical depression killed 64 people.
What was the magnitude of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake?
7.6
How many people died during the Pakistan earthquake?
73,000 people died (including 17,000 children).
What was destroyed after the Pakistan earthquake?
Roads, water / sanitation facilities and communication systems.
How many people were injured during the Pakistan earthquake?
128,309 people.
How many people were left homeless after the Pakistan earthquake?
3.5 million people.
What was difficult after the Pakistan earthquake?
Why?
Search and rescue and longer term reconstruction were difficult.
Because the areas affected were mostly mountainous.
What did NGOs provide in response to the Pakistan earthquake?
Over 500,000 tents and 6 million blankets.
Safe water for over 700,000 people.
Food and clothing.
Emergency medical care.
What short term aid activities occurred after the Pakistan earthquake?
More permanent shelters built.
Water supplies were re-established.
Roads closed by landslides were rebuilt or re-routed.
How did Red Cross and Red Crescent help during the year after the Pakistan earthquake?
Continued to supply blankets, cooking kits and building supplies.
What benefit did providing seeds and tools to people after the Pakistan earthquake have?
It allowed families to start growing their own food again.
How did Oxfam held during the year after the Pakistan earthquake?
Helped nearly 60,000 people rebuilt their livelihoods by providing livestock and animal feed.
What happen in Pakistan over the next 5 years after the earthquake?
Community based disaster risk reduction programmes were developed.
New schools, medical centres and homes were built.
