Tectonic case studies

What date and time was the Haiti earthquake?

12th January 2010 → around 17:00pm

What magnitude was the Haiti earthquake?

7.2

Were Haiti prepared for the earthquake?

• Haiti hadn’t been hit with an earthquake in recent years and especially not one with this high of a magnitude

• LIC → didn't have the economy to invest in disaster management strategies so they were not prepared.

• They had a lack of seismic monitoring, outdated building codes, poor enforcement, weak infrastructure, widespread poverty, and no national disaster plan

What was the development like in Haiti?

• Over ½ of the population were under the poverty line

• A lot of the population lived in informal housing on hills → collapse easily

Primary effects of the Haiti earthquake

• 100,000 homes destroyed

• 1.3 million made homeless

• 8 hospitals/healthcare centres destroyed/damaged

• Around 120,000 deaths

• Main shipping port + airport badly damaged

Secondary effects of the Haiti earthquake

• 2 million left without food/water

• Looting

• Cholera outbreak

• Tourists stopped visiting

• Frequent power cuts

• Aid couldn’t reach due to ports and airports being damaged

Causes of the main effects of the Haiti earthquake (5)

• Magnitude

• Development

• Predictability

• Governance

• Time of onset

What was the initial problem for the UN after the Haiti earthquake and how did they resolve it?

All communications were down and there was nobody to tell them what to do. They had to set up their own communications centre and create their own maps on where everything was located, they also set up makeshift hospitals

Long term responses in Haiti (5)

• New buildings are required to have some kind of earthquake protection (however slum areas still exist)

• Roads were rebuilt

• Education programs to teach how to respond to earthquakes were set up

• Planted trees to stabilise the soil/ground

• They made sure all areas had fresh water through filters

What was the extra issue after the Haiti earthquake?

When the UN peacemakers came to help they didn’t safely dispose of their waste at their base so it ended up leaking into the river. It contaminated the water that many people drunk, washed utensils with and bathed in → death from cholera

When and where was the China earthquake?

12th May 2008 - 2:30pm → Sichuan province

What magnitude was the china earthquake?

7.2 magnitude

Was China prepared for the earthquake?

China did have earthquake building codes and educational measures in place before the earthquake, however both were poorly enforced and unevenly implemented, especially in rural areas

What was development like in China?

Very mixed state of development

• areas that were built up often held up

• however rural/poor zones suffered the worst damage and highest casualties

• Sichuan wasn’t a wealthy province so there was less tax revenue to invest in management strategies

Effects of the China earthquake (6)

• Just under 88,000 deaths

• 5 million made homeless

• Many railways destroyed by landslides → train hit causing fire

• Public service buildings destroyed

• Two chemical factories collapsed releasing chemical gases

• Aftershocks

Causes of the main effects in China (5)

• Development

• Location (rural area → hard to access)

• Magnitude

• Weak Rock

• Focus depth

Responses to the China earthquake (5)

• Chinese government sent over 200,000 troops and volunteers

• Many foreign governments and aid organisations sent aid

• Temporary camps were established

• 250,000 evacuated

• Governments rebuilt buildings with stricter building codes and stronger materials

When was the New Zealand earthquake?

22nd February 2011 → 12:51pm

Was New Zealand prepared for the earthquake?

They had general earthquake preparedness however Christchurch was not expected to experience a major earthquake

• Older buildings had not been strengthened and the city wasn’t fully ready for the intense shaking

What was the development in New Zealand like?

A very highly developed, high income country. Christchurch was one of the major economic centres with well developed infrastructure, healthcare and education.

Primary effects of New Zealand Earthquake (3)

• The old city centre core was made virtually unstable - 40% of the buildings damaged beyond repair

• 185 killed and 6,000 injured

• over $20 billion economic damage

Secondary effects of New Zealand Earthquake (3)

• Landslides and a chunk of the Tasman glacier caved into the sea

• Rugby world cup was moved to another location

• Many central shops/offices/businesses closed (loss of income)

Causes of the main effects in New Zealand (3)

• Focus

• Older buildings

• Ground conditions (liquefaction)

Immediate responses of the New Zealand earthquake? (5)

• Search and rescue → police, fire crews and the army helped rescue people from collapsed buildings

• Field hospitals were set up

• Thousands of people were evacuated from unsafe buildings

• Water tankers and portable toilets were delivered to communities

• Electricity was restored in a few days

Long term responses of the New Zealand earthquake (2)

• Rebuilding the city → inspecting buildings whether they were safe, repairable, or had to be demolished and stronger building codes were introduced

• Red zone creation → government declared certain badly damaged areas where rebuilding was not allowed

When did the earthquake that caused the boxing day tsunami occur?

26th December 2004 → around 8am local time

What magnitude was the earthquake that caused?

9.2

Were people prepared for the Boxing day Tsunami?

There was no tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, so nobody received a warning. There was also little to no public awareness or education about tsunamis, meaning most communities didn’t understand the danger or know how to respond

What was development like in the areas struck by the Boxing day Tsunami?

Many of the communities living along the coasts especially in rural fishing or agricultural villages were already economically vulnerable before 2004. Many houses by the coast were simple and not strong meaning many were destroyed and made uninhabitable

Social Impacts of the Boxing day tsunami (3)

• Nearly 300,000 deaths

• 1.7 million made homeless

• Outbreak of cholera and other diseases due to lack of fresh water

Economic Impacts of the Boxing day Tsunami (2)

• Over 600,000 people lost their livelihoods

• Tourism declined afterwards so they lost income

Environmental Impacts of the Boxing day Tsunami (3)

• Coral reefs were damaged through siltation and debris

• Water was polluted from inland substances (human waste, chemicals etc)

• Force of tsunami caused severe coastal erosion

What were the causes of the main effects from the boxing day tsunami? (4)

• Strength

• Poverty

• Lack of awareness

• Population (densely populated)

Short term responses from the Boxing day Tsunami (3)

• Roughly US $14 billion was raised internationally

• International aid organisations provided immediate relief → emergency shelter, clean water, medical services

• 34 health clinics were constructed

What were some long term responses from the Boxing day Tsunami? (3)

• Programs were launched to help communities rebuild their livelihoods (eg. providing new fishing equipment)

• “Build back better” → ensure long term resilience (rebuilding with more durable materials and strategies)

• The Indian ocean tsunami warning system was established → along with Mediterranean, Caribbean and Atlantic oceans

When did the earthquake that caused the Japan Tsunami occur?

11th March 2011 → around 3pm

What magnitude was the earthquake that caused the 2011 japan tsunami?

Around 9.0

Was Japan prepared for the Tsunami?

Japan had a long history of earthquakes and tsunamis

• public education about tsunami risk

• evacuation routes

• drills

• Knowledge

• However, the tsunami was much larger than they ever could have expected and many coastal defences and hazard maps were simply not drawn for an event that big.

What was the development like in Japan?

Japan had the third largest economy in the world and was classed as having a “very high human development”. Therefore it had the resources to build and maintain strong infrastructure. It had governance structures, education, public service and emergency systems.

Social impacts of the Japan Tsunami (2)

• Around 19,000 deaths

• Displacement and temporary housing

Environmental impacts of the Japan Tsunami (3)

• The disaster generated an enormous amount of waste, estimated millions of tons

• Coastal ecosystems and habitats were severely damaged

• Radioactive contamination (caused by the tsunami disabling the cooling of some reactors causing a nuclear accident)

Economic Impacts of the Japan Tsunami (2)

• They lost around $300 billion

• Had to rebuild over 130,000 buildings that were destroyed

Causes of the main effects of the Japan Tsunami (2)

• Size

• Peoples reactions

Short term responses of the Japan Tsunami (3)

• Japan self defence forces and international teams launched extensive organisations to find survivors

• 1000’s of people near the nuclear plant were evacuated

• Water was pumped into reactors to prevent further meltdown

Long term responses of the Japan Tsunami (2)

• Efforts focused on rebuilding infrastructure

• Implementing coastal protection policies like seawalls and breakwaters

When did the Montserrat volcano occur?

Between 1995 and 1997

What occurred at the Montserrat eruption?

Pyroclastic flows, Ashfall and Lahars.

Lava piled up around the crater and it grew larger over time before it broke off and rushed downhill as super hot clouds of ash, gas and rock

Was Montserrat prepared for the eruption?

They had no recent experience, limited resources and inadequate monitoring systems → scale of the eruptions exceeded anything they were ready for.

What was the development like in Montserrat?

A small, low income island (11,000 people at the start). Many people lived in small towns and villages and housing quality varied → many were not build to withstand ash or pyroclastic flows. Healthcare was basic

Primary effects of the Montserrat eruption (4)

• 2/3 of the island became covered in ash making it nearly impossible to get aid to people in need as roads were impassible

• 19 people died

• The ash polluted the air → increasing breathing difficulties and increasing cardiovascular and respiratory problems

• Forest fires + tsunamis were caused by the pyroclastic flows → destroyed farmland, schools etc

Secondary effects of the Montserrat eruption (3)

• Destroyed tourism and farming

• vegetation was destroyed by acid rain

• more than half of Montserrat’s population left the island (11,000 → 4,000)

Main causes of the main events in Montserrat (4)

• Lack of good services

• Hard to access areas

• Development

• Preparedness

Responses from the Montserrat eruption (5)

• The MVO was set up to monitor the volcano and predict any future eruptions

• A risk map was produced to show the residents where is/isn’t safe on the island

• £41 million was donated by the British government to help the nation rebuild and recover the destroyed industries

• People were helped to be relocated (eg. to the UK or other Caribbean nations)

• Vouchers implemented to help families access essential goods and services
  

When was the Nevada del ruiz eruption?

November 13th 1985 → around 3pm

What occurred at the Nevada del ruiz eruption?

The volcano released ash and gas, snow and ice melted rapidly, lahars formed and swept through river valleys

Was nevada del ruiz prepared for the eruption?

Scientists knew that that area was potentially dangerous and there had been geological studies and earlier signs that the volcano could erupt.

There were hazard maps and warnings however the monitoring was extremely limited

Public awareness of volcanic risk was low among ordinary people

What was the development like in Nevada del ruiz?

There was basic infrastructure → small,. limited services

Communication and public services were typical for a rural/mid-size town in a developing country

Primary effects in Nevada del ruiz (5)

• 70% of Amero was destroyed

• 23000 people died

• 3400Ha of agricultural land destroyed

• Most travel links, roads, tracks destroyed

• 6 major rivers polluted

Secondary effects of the Nevada del ruiz eruption (2)

• Pollution of the area in and around the volcano with large amounts of water and mud

• The Guerrila warfare between the government and insurgent forces was halted

Main causes of the main effects in Nevada del ruiz (2)

• Build up of pressure

• Hearing → severe storm blocking noise

Short term responses from the Nevada del ruiz (2)

• The Colombian red cross and civil defence personnel were the principle first responders to Amero

• Colombian military provided helicopters, distributed supplies and established shelters

Long term responses from the Nevada del ruiz eruption (3)

• Many survivors were moved out of high risk zones (below the volcano and river/stream paths vulnerable to lahrs)

• Improved volcano monitoring -> monitoring of the volcano was strengthened

• Public education -> communities around Nevado del Ruiz received more information on volcanic hazards, lahars, what warning signs to watch for and how to respond

When did the Iceland eruption start and when did the main eruption begin?

20th March 2010 → 14th April 2010

What occurred at the iceland eruption

Some lava flow but mostly violent ash explosions → large ash clouds covering Europe

Was iceland prepared for the eruption?

Iceland has strong traditions of volcanic and seismic monitoring, and volcano watching institutions. Iceland’s services were well equipped however the ash from this particular volcano was not prepared for

Was iceland developed

Iceland was one of the most developed countries in the world → high income, strong infrastructure, good health/healthcare + education systems and advanced science/tech. Strong emergency services

What increased the explosive power of the Iceland volcano

It occurred under the ice cap increasing its explosive power → melted ice which vaporised. Also the ice quickly chilled the molten lava causing it to fragment into high abrasive, glass like shards of ice

Impacts of the Iceland volcano (6)

• Flooding → heat from the eruption melted vast amounts of ice under the ice cap

• Disruption to farming → farmers were advised to keep animals indoors, pastures suffered from ash exposure

• Decline in air quality → minor health problems as a result such as eye irritations/dry throats

• Lahars → ash mixed with melt water

• Tourism → initially increased however later was restricted

Main causes of the main events in Iceland (2)

• Unprepared for the ash

• Location (climate/environment)

What also occured as a result of the iceland eruption?

East Europe's airspace was fully closed -> many people couldn't return home after Easter holidays for school. Goods transported by air were not accessible. Tourism -> International air transport association lost £1.2 billion over 6 days. Sporting fixtures + concerts cancelled.

Responses to the Iceland eruption

• They improved monitoring systems and research into ash cloud movement

• They offered economic assistance for affected farmers/businesses

• Improved regulations for air travel during volcanic ash events