01 plate tectonics (responses to earthquakes)

Question 1

infrastructure

Answer 1

taipei 101 is made of steel and reinforced concrete. it also has a damping device which spans from the 87th to 92nd floor which absorbs seismic energy from the earthquake. it also acts as a counterbalance when the building sways due to the earthquake. the foundation is also reinforced by heavy bars which decreases the chance of the building collapsing.

Question 2

search and rescue

Answer 2

workers have a limited 72 hours after an earthquake to search for survivors that are buried underneath buildings and debris. they employ the use of sniffer dogs which can smell blood and hence may lead them to a survivor. anyone who is not found after 72 hours is deemed dead as it is unlikely someone can survive that long without water and food. according to the harvard kennedy school, almost 20 thousand people were saved through the search and rescue effort of the fire department in the 2011 tohoku earthquake.

Question 3

provision of healthcare

Answer 3

when an earthquake struck haiti in 2010, it killed around 220 thousand people. aid poured in from many countries. despite of this, nearly 4 million people still suffer from hunger as a result of a lack of food.