The challenge of natural hazards- earthquakes

Question 1

What is an earthquake?

Answer 1

• sudden and violent movements of the earth’s crust
• occur at all four major plate boundaries
• most severe normally found on conservative and destructive boundaries

Question 2

What are the features of an earthquake?

Answer 2

• focus=where the earthquake begins. Seismic waves radiate from the focus
• epicentre=point n the Earth’s surface directly above the focus

Question 3

How are earthquakes measured?

Answer 3

-Richter scale, used to measure magnitude of an earthquake

Question 4

What is a primary effect of a tectonic hazard?

Answer 4

-the impact on people or property e.g buildings collapsed

Question 5

What is a secondary effect of a tectonic hazard?

Answer 5

-fires due to ruptured gas mains because of the ground shaking

Question 6

What is an immediate or short-term response of a tectonic hazard?

Answer 6

• search and rescue
• providing shelter, water and food
• organising evacuations

Question 7

What is a long-term response of a tectonic hazard?

Answer 7

-repairing infrastructure and resettling displaced residents

Question 8

Why do the effects and responses to a tectonic hazard vary between areas of contrasting levels of wealth?

Answer 8

-Due to differences in Gross National Income (GNI), population density, building density, and the amount of planning and preparation that has taken place prior to a hazard occurring.

Question 9

Where is Haiti?

Answer 9

• Northern hemisphere in North America, Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola, east of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea.

Question 10

Where is Christchurch, New Zealand?

Answer 10

• New Zealand is located in the Southern hemisphere and is part of Oceania.
• New Zealand is in the south-western Pacific Ocean
• Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand.

Question 11

When was the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 11

-Just before 17.00 on January 12th 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Haiti, about 15km southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Question 12

When was the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 12

-22nd February 2011 at 12.51pm.

Question 13

What caused the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 13

-Haiti sits near the border between the North American and Caribbean plates. The Caribbean plate is moving eastward, while the North American plate moves westwards.

Question 14

What caused the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 14

• New Zealand is located on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates and sits on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.
• the two plates grinded together along an alpine fault

Question 15

What were the primary effects of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 15

• 160,000 people were killed and approximately 300,000 people were injured.
• 90% of the city’s buildings were destroyed, including large portions of the National Palace.

Question 16

What were the primary effects of the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 16

• 185 people were killed.
• People from more than 20 countries died in the earthquake.
• Approximately 2,000 people suffered major injuries.
• Over 50% of the city’s buildings were damaged including Christchurch Cathedral.

Question 17

What were the secondary effects of the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 17

• A cholera outbreak led to the loss of over 9,000 lives.

- Three years after the earthquake, 400,000 people were still living in refugee camps.

Question 18

What were the secondary effects of the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 18

-10,000 homes had to be demolished as they were unsafe.

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Question 19

What were the immediate responses to the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 19

• Able-bodied survivors extracted the living and the dead from the rubble of the many buildings that had collapsed.
• Dominican republic provided aid

Question 20

What were the immediate responses to the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 20

• An emergency response plan was in place within two hours of the earthquake happening; the government established a command centre to co-ordinate departments and rescue services.
• Welfare centres were established throughout the city by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Question 21

What were the long-term responses to the Haiti earthquake?

Answer 21

• the EU promised €330 million for long-term aid.
• Oxfam continue to work in Haiti, supporting employment creation and the construction of long-term sanitation services.

Question 22

What were the long-term responses to the Christchurch earthquake?

Answer 22

-Fundraising events were held throughout the following year to help those affected.