Geography - Dynamic Landscapes CASE STUDIES Flashcards
(33 cards)
how many died in total as a result of the indian ocean tsunami?
290,000
what was the magnitude of the indian ocean earthquake which caused the tsunami?
9.0
by how many metres did the fault block rise in the indian ocean?
15 metres
how many were left homeless as a result of the indian ocean tsunami?
1.7 million
why was the indian ocean tsunami so destructive?
- epicentre close to densely populated communities.
- low-lying coastlines.
- mangrove forests deforested.
- no DART or early warning system
what were the main impacts of the indian ocean tsunami?
- 1500 coastal villages destroyed.
- 60% of the fishing fleet in Sri Lanka was destroyed.
- economic cost came to over $10 billion
- 290,000 died
what was the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake?
7.0
how many died as a result of the Haiti earthquake?
200,000
why was Haiti so vulnerable?
- poor country with limited infrastructure
- poor capacity to cope.
- hadn’t yet developed from the hurricane in 2008
- poorest country in the western hemisphere.
what were the immediate impacts of the Haiti earthquake
- 70% of the buildings in Port-au-Prince collapsed, including the presidential palace.
- nearly 100 UN personnel were killed which slowed rescue efforts.
how did the cholera outbreak slow the recovery from the Haiti earthquake?
- 6,900 deaths.
- it could’ve been prevented but efforts were pointed towards slowing the spread of cholera.
how many died as a result of the Sichuan earthquake?
87,000
what was the magnitude of the Sichuan earthquake?
7.9
how did poor governance lead to more losses due to the Sichuan earthquake?
- there’s a strict building code in china, all buildings must adhere to these rules.
- builders bribed corrupt councillors so that they didn’t have to add earthquake proofing to buildings.
- many schools etc. collapsed as they weren’t built well enough.
- this resulted in 5.36 million buildings collapsing.
how were rescue efforts in Sichuan hindered?
- mountainous region
- 5,300km of roads and bridges damaged/destroyed
what was the magnitude of the Japanese 2011 tsunami?
9.0
how many people died as a result of the Japanese 2011 tsunami?
18,000
what were the primary effects of the Japanese 2011 earthquake?
(+ explain)
- ground shaking: some parts of japan shifted 2.4m further east.
- ground subsidence: ground subsided by 1m, rendering 10m high sea walls useless.
- liquefaction: buildings in Tokyo damaged.
what were the secondary effects of the Japanese 2011 earthquake?
- tsunami: caused by 5-8m high upthrust along a 180km section of the sea floor.
- flooding: massive coastal flooding as a result of the tsunami.
what was the immediate response to the fukushima meltdown?
- 20km exclusion zone
- cool and stabilise reactors
- contamination of surrounding area contained
how many farm animals died as a result of the Sichuan earthquake?
32 million
how can volcanic activity be measured in order to predict an eruption?
- observing changes in ground temp. and composition of volcanic gases.
- monitoring seismic activity
- measuring ground deformation
- studying past patterns of volcanic activity
what were the impacts of the eyjafjallajokull eruption?
-flooding: jokulhaup caused flooding. 800 local people were evacuated.
-disruption to farming: drinking water poisoned due to ash. Ash falls damaged vegetation but made the soil more fertile in the long term
-airport closure: ash fall closed airports in Iceland for several days
-decline in air quality: schools in southern Iceland closed, people told to stay indoors. Those with asthma told to be vigilant, some experienced minor health problems such as eye irritations and sore throats.
-mudslides (lahars): ash mixed with meltwater caused lahars.
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what are the social impacts of the montserrat eruption?
- 8000 people left the island
- 19 people died when they returned to their homes in 1977
- 5000 people had to live in shelters
- 60% of the island uninhabitable
