Case Studies Flashcards
Japan (tokohu) earthquake facts
- 2011
- 4th most powerful
- caused 133ft tsunami (2500 mph)
- killed 15,800
- $235 billion damage
- 3.5% decrease in GDP
- 17th on world risk index
- moment magnitude = 9
- oil refinery caught fire
Japan (tokohu) earthquake important
- didn’t cause as much damage despite 4th largest
- big capacity to cope due to preparation and mitigation (lots of media, foreign aid, trained & respectful culture: no looting, no arguing, patience, bullet train operating next day)
- reduced vulnerability
Mt. Nyiragongo (democratic Republic of Congo)
- major eruptions 1977 2002, 2021
- 2km wide lava lake
- shield volcano
- 2002: 147 killed, 400,000 evacuated
(Had all volcanic hazards - ash falls, pyroclastic flows etc)
Eyjafjallajokull (Iceland) eruption 2010
- VEI scale: 4
- situated 200m under glacial ice
- coincided with usually stable jet stream (strong winds above earth that planes fly in) = air travel shutdown = impacts economies & trade all over world
- 0 deaths
The Philippines
= multiple hazard zone
- 3rd in world risk index
- 74% of population exposed to 2 or more hazards
- 555 major hazard events since 1960
- 2013: most devastating recent EQ & typhoon (hydrometeorological hazard contributed to tectonic disaster)
Physical process interactions in Philippines
- cyclones in tropics
- tectonic events leave steep slopes, rugged land, poor vegetation cover
- extreme weather events/heavy rainfall triggered landslides (saturated)
- heavy rain mixes with volcanic ash, creates lahars (Typhoons)
- volcanic eruptions release lots of water, plume creates static charges - create lightning/thunderstorms
Catania (Sicily)
- eat coast of Sicily, base of Mt Etna
- last major eruption in 2006
- hugely vulnerable to eruptions/earthquakes (lava flows)
- airport can close from airspace impact
Catania capacity to cope
+
Scientist predictions
-
10 municipalities for gov = difficult to decide responsibilities
Disrupts tourism (one of biggest markets)
Need financial assistance from Italian gov
Each ructions is different
Unexpected timings
Relatively poor part of Italy
High amount of vulnerable infrastructure
Nepal earthquake 2015
- moment magnitude: 7.8
- 9000 people died
- 23,000 injured
- triggered Mt Everest Avalanche (21 killed)
- huge damage to UNESCO world heritage sites
Bam, Iran EQ
- desert oasis (patch of vegetation surrounded by desert)
- middle income country
- at Arabian & Eurasian plate collision
2003 Earthquake
- moment magnitude 6.6
- 26,000 killed
- 5.30 am
- high intensity shacking (damaged infrastructure)
Bam, Iran reasons for low community resilience
Local gov:
- building regulations not enforced locally
- lack of preparation & education
National gov:
- poor hazard management innovation (lack of investment in monitoring systems)
Geography:
- isolation from rest of country (1 trade route)
- on complex tectonic plate boundary
- houses made from mud = weak
Culture:
- little worry, preparation
Istanbul, turkey EQ
- conservative plate boundary
- on North Anatolian fault
1990: Izmit EQ
- moment magnitude: 7.6
- killed 17,000
- injured 45,000
- heavy industrial damage
- tsunami
- fire
Why was it hard to communicate geoscience (preparation) in turkey
- poor governance
- poor literacy rates of citizens
- different beliefs (fatalism)
- differences in understanding of earth science
- cut off communities hard to communicate with
- need to consider vulnerable ppl (DWAGES)
- high levels of distrust towards gov (corruption)
- skepticism of media & local officials
Why might places like San Francisco that experience high magnitude earthquakes be less affected?
- better transport links (aid arrives faster, injuries fixed faster)
- wealthier/more developed (better infrastructure - aseismic buildings)
- lower population density (lower exposure to hazards)
Where do hotspots occur
- Yellowstone National Park
- Hawaiian Island
- Canary Island
