Famous Disasters

Question 1

1975 Haichen China, and 1976 Tangshan China

Answer 1

Chinese officials ordered evacuations of Haicheng ~ 1 million, then there was an earthquake mag 7,3, 2041 people died, 27538. Could have been 150,000. But then there was a Mag 7.6 which led to 250,000 deaths.

Question 2

1994 Northridge

Answer 2

6.7 Earthquake, basin amplification & focusing; resonance, $12.5 billion in insured losses > more than premiums in 80 years. 57 killed, 9000 injured.

Question 3

2003 Bam Iran

Answer 3

Mag 6.6, 27271 dead, 30,000 injured. Bad infrastructure led to deaths compared to 1994 Northridge.

Question 4

2010 Haiti Earthquake

Answer 4

mag 7.0, 230,000 dead

Question 5

2010 Chile

Answer 5

M8.8, first warning issued about 10 mins after earthquake, 700 dead, 10,000 injured, 500k homeless, billions in damage.

Question 6

2011 Japan Tohoku-oki

Answer 6

M9, 15,000 dead, 6,000 injured, 340,000 homeless, $300 billion.

Question 7

Mt. St. Helens 1980

Answer 7

Dozens of magnitude 3 earthquakes pushed magma to surface and expanded the north side, then M5.1 earthquake triggered landslide leading to lahars. 52 died, $860 million in loss in timber

Question 8

Mt. Pinatubo 1991

Answer 8

Philippines, volcano warning success, nearly 1 million in danger zone, after 500 years quiet, intense monitoring program by US and philippines.

Question 9

Lake Nyos 1986

Answer 9

Gigantic volume of gas burst out of lake Nyos, and swept down valleys 50 m thick. Most common volcanic gases are water, CO2, SO4, HS2, H2. There was CO2 in depressions led to animals to suffocate. 1700 killed. Cameroon volcanic line.

Question 10

Nevado del Ruiz, Andes 1985

Answer 10

3% erupted from Mount St Helens, eruption reached a value of 3 on VEI. Produced pyroclastic flows that melted summit glaciers, which greater 4 lahars that killed 22,000 people.