TECTONICS - CASE STUDIES

Tohoku - Japan

• March 11th, 2011

• Magnitude 9.0 - one of the strongest ever recorded

• Cause - destructive plate boundary (pacific plate subducting NA plate)

  BACKGROUND

• Japan is highly earthquake prone but has very strict building codes and emergency planning

• EQ’s are common, but the size and Tsunami made this event catastrophic

• Had high tsunami walls and broadcast messages to inform the public - illustrates preparedness

  EFFECTS

• 15,899 deaths

• Over 1 million buildings damaged

• Coastal towns completely flattened

• Flooding

• Economic losses ($235 billion)

Haiti

• January 12th, 2010

• Magnitude 7.0 Richter scale

  BACKGROUND

• Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere

• High population density

• Poor infrastructure (not earthquake resistant)

• Weak governance

  EFFECTS

• 230,000 deaths

• 60% of government buildings destroyed

• Outbreaks of diseases (cholera - poor sanitation and contaminated water)

• Mass unemployment (businesses and industries destroyed)

• Homelessness crisis worsened

  IMMEDIATE RESPONSES

• International aid poored in

• Tents + temporary shelters quickly set up

• Field hospitals

Eyjafjallajökull - Iceland

• April 14th, 2010

• Cause - ridge push

EFFECTS

• Day turned to night

• Homes and roads damaged

• Crops destroyed by ash

• Hundreds of flights cancelled across the world

• Impacts on international trade

• Airline companies lost huge amounts of money

• Volcano released around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 each day

• Tourists stuck in Iceland

Chile

• February 27th, 2010

• EQ and Tsunami

• Magnitude 8.8 moment magnitude scale

• Cause - subduction of Nazca plate beneath South American plate

  EFFECTS

• Only 525 deaths - due to seismic resistance buildings

• Many buildings collapsed

• Devastated several coastal towns

• Santiago’s international airport was damaged

• Flights closed off for 24 hours

Mount Kilauea and Mount Agung

KILAUEA

• Erupted in 2017

• Produced basaltic lava - less dangerous than others

• Only 165 deaths

AGUNG

• Erupted in 1963

• Produced andesitic lava with high silica content

• This caused pyroclastic flow

• Therefore killed over 1500 people