Hazards Case Study 3: Haiti Earthquake 2010 Flashcards
(9 cards)
Where is Haiti located?
It is located in the Caribbean in Central America, west of the Dominican Republic.
What are some factors leading to deprivation in Haiti? (4)
- 72% of the population lives in absolute poverty (>$2 a day)
- Life expectancy is 62
- Adult literacy rate is 62%
- Corrupt government ran by only a few people
What are some key facts around Haiti? (3)
- It had a population in 2010 of just over 10 million
- 36% of the population is under 15
- Had a GDP in 2010 of around $6.5 billion
When and where did the earthquake strike? (3)
- It was a magnitude 7 earthquake and struck on January 12th 2010, in the mid-afternoon.
- The epicentre was 15km S-W of the capital.
- Earthquake occurred at a focus of 13km (Shallow focus)
What were the impacts of the earthquake? (6)
- 220,000 died
- 300,000 injured
- 2.3 million people displaced
- Half of all the homes in Port-au-Prince collapsed.
- Main port demolished by shaking and liquefaction, significantly slowing aid.
- Majority of government buildings collapsed, along with 80% of schools, and hospitals.
Why was Haiti so vulnerable to earthquakes?
- The buildings were constructed with no life-safe measures to improve safety, and were built using brittle steel which often didn’t cover the full height of the building and low quality weak cement.
- The capital was very dense, and rapid population growth induced sprawl resulted in low cost, quick and cheap housing being favoured over safety.
- The people were incredibly unprepared, and were not aware of what to do in the face of an earthquake disaster.
- The services were incredibly damaged, and also unprepared and untrained in how to respond to a tectonic event.
How can buildings be made life-safe in a low cost way?
The buildings can be reinforced with cross bracing at vertices in the structure, for a 25% increased material cost per house.
What is amplification and why did it occur in Port-au-Prince?
Amplification is when the waves travelling from the epicentre of the quake are amplified upon entering looser/ softer sediment.
- This occurred in Port-au-Prince as it is a coastal city, so was founded on loose coastal sediment.
What effect did the earthquake have on the coastal landscape of Haiti?
The seabed North of the fault across the coast has risen, causing emergence of land away from the coast, including some coral reefs. Inversely, some coastal areas South of the fault have fallen, causing the submergence of large areas of farmland, and 7 people were killed due to a localised tsunami.
