Geography tectonics case studies and theories

What are some general facts about the Nepal 2015 earthquake?

Magnitude 7.8

Epicentre had a depth of 15 km and was 80 km from the capital, Kathmandu

What were the social impacts of Nepal 2015?

Killed 8633 people, injured 21,000, made 3 million homeless

What were the physical, economic and government factors that made the Nepal 2015 impacts worse?

Economic— GDP per capita was $882.31, it is one of the poorest countries in the world

Government— (because of a lack of government resources) Many buildings in Kathmandu were not built to withstand earthquakes, so collapsed

Physical— Mountainous terrain made it difficult for aid to reach rural areas, sits on the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plate

What 4 pieces of evidence support tectonic plate theory?

Mantle convection- less supported theory now, involves heat from radioactive decay in the core creating convection currents that move the plates.

Slab pull- newly formed crust at mid-ocean ridges becomes denser and thicker as it cools. This causes it to sink into the mantle under its own weight, pulling the rest of the plate with it

Subduction- as crust is being created in one place, it is being destroyed in another. This crust slides under another plate where it melts, in the subduction zone.

Seafloor spreading- new ocean crust formed at mid-ocean ridges pushes plates apart

What heightened the impacts of the Eyjafjallajokul- E15 eruption in 2010?

The eruption was only 3 on the VEI, however the direction of wind meant that the ash covered much of European airspace

What were the economic impacts of the Eyjafjallajokul- E15 eruption in 2010?

European economy lost $5 billion as a result of the disruption

Effects were felt as far away as Kenya, as businesses had to dump tonnes of fresh vegetables and flowers, leading to $1.3 million being lost in revenue

What were the social impacts of the Eyjafjallajokul- E15 eruption in 2010?

100,000 commercial flights were cancelled worldwide, and 10 million passengers were stranded

What were the environmental impacts of the Eyjafjallajokul- E15 eruption in 2010?

Largely positive— ash landing on crops actually made the land more fertile, and the cancellation of flights prevented 1.3 to 2.8 million tonnes of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere.

What were the social impacts of Montserrat 1995?

More than 7000 of the original 11000 residents moved to live in other countries

A top heavy population pyramid was created, as younger people saw no economic future

What were the economic impacts of Montserrat 1995?

The capital, Plymouth, had to be fully abandoned

Much infrastructure and farmland was destroyed, leading to the collapse of the tourism and agriculture industries

What were the general facts and context around the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004?

Estimated magnitude between 9.0 and 9.3, thrust the floor of the Indian Ocean towards Indonesia by around 15 metres

Coastal areas that were hit were densely populated and low lying, meaning the tsunami could travel several kilometres inland

What were the social impacts of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004?

5 million were affected and nearly 300,000 died, with 1.7 million left homeless

In some coastal villages, 70% of the population were killed

What were the economic impacts of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004?

In Sri Lanka, 60% of the fishing fleet were destroyed

In Thailand, the tourism industry lost $25 million every month, and 120,000 workers lost their jobs

What was the context for Haiti 2010 and the general earthquake facts?

Epicentre was 24 km from Port-au-Prince, and the focus was 13 km deep

Haiti is a poor country with a high level of corruption in the government

A lack of building controls meant that they were poorly built slum houses, which could not sustain the ground shaking

GDP per capita was $1204.86 in 2010, and it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere

What were the social impacts of Haiti 2010

Around 230,000 died, with 1.5 million being made homeless

Lack of sanitation caused a cholera outbreak that lasted many years

What were the economic impacts of Haiti 2010?

Only airport was severely damaged, which meant it was difficult to get aid through

The damages were equivalent to 120% of Haiti’s GDP

What were the failings of the government in the China 2008 earthquake?

Corrupt local government officials often ignored building codes and accepted bribes to allow builders to take shortcuts. This resulted in thousands of children dying in school buildings, whilst other buildings nearby remained standing

What mitigated the impacts of China 2008?

Area was not as densely populated as Haiti, meaning less people died

What was the government’s response to China 2008?

Over 130,000 soldiers were deployed within hours

Within two weeks, temporary homes, roads and bridges were being built

What methods were used in Japan to mitigate the impacts of the 2011 earthquake?

Low level of corruption meant that building codes were strictly enforced

Many homes and offices were equipped with evacuation kits

An early warning system gave people some advance warning

Emergency drills are regularly practiced in both schools and businesses

What were the impacts of Japan 2011?

Over 15,000 people died

It cost $250 billion

Water from the tsunami got into Fukushima 1 and 2, which led to a nuclear meltdown

What were the government responses to Japan 2011?

Japan responded by sending 110,000 troops, and switching all radio and TV to official earthquake coverage

What are the physical causes of the Philippines being a multiple hazard zone?

Causes- sits on a major convergent plate boundary, northern and eastern coasts face the Pacific Ocean, and it lies within South-East Asia’s main typhoon belts

What hazards occur in the Philippines and their frequency?

It has 22 active volcanoes, and over 30% of the population live within 30 km of a volcano. Landslides are common, due to a combination of steep topography, high levels of deforestation and high rainfall

What social factors increase the vulnerability of the Philippines?

Rapid urbanisation and high population density, 25% of population live in poverty, and many of the country’s poor live in coastal areas, where sea surges, flooding and tsunami are made worse by poorly constructed housing and infrastructure