physical case studies

Question 1

Mount Merapi, Indonesia

Answer 1

• 2.4 million reside 17 mile south, Yogyakarta city
• most recent eruption in 2021
• last major eruption in 12th November 2010
  
  • 367 deaths, 277 injured
  • 410,000 refugees
• indo-australien plate subjecting under Eurasian
  social-
• overcrowded evacuation, lack of sanitation
• farmers lost homes and livestock
• roads become unusable
  economic-
• ash fall closed surrounding airports
• crops destroyed
• infrastructure destroyed
• food prices up
  environmental-
• water supply contaminated
• sulphur dioxide blown across Australia
• pyroclastic flows destroyed crops

Question 2

Mount Ontake, Japan

Answer 2

• 27th September 2014
• tectonic setting- Pacific, North American, Eurasian and Filipino plates
  social-
• 63 deaths
• 200 survivors made it down the mountain
• 250 trapped on mountain
  economic-
  -helicopters
• lack of preparation
• ash covered areas need to be cleared
• ski resorts couldn’t open
• business forced to close
  environmental-
• destroyed surrounding environment
• pyroclastic flow act as a fertiliser
  political-
• lawsuits

Question 3

Tohuku earthquake, Japan

Answer 3

• 2011, Boxing Day
• pacific, North American, Eurasian, Filipino plate
• 9.0 mw
• epicentre 70km east of Oshika, focus- 30km
• earth shifted 10-25cm
  social-
• 16,000 deaths
• 6000 injured
• 2/3 deaths above 60
• children separated from family
• 100,000 children affected
  economic-
• estimated £181 billion for reconstruction
• 45,000 building destroyed, 143,000 damaged
• 15 ports affected
• 44 million lost electricity
  political-
• up government debt

Question 4

-Gorkha earthquake, Nepal

Answer 4

• 25th April 2015
• Indo-Australian meets Eurasian plate
• 7.8 mw
• epicentre- 90km NE of Kathmandu (pop- 1.1 millions), focus- 15km
• 51 aftershocks above 5mw, 5 above 6mw, 1 7.3mw
• tremors felt in china
• caused landslides and avalanches
  social-
• 8800 deaths
• 22,000 injured
• avalanches killed 20
• 2.8 million displaced
• 473,000 houses destroyed
  economic-
• 1 million required food assistance
• cost $10 billion
• Asian Development Bank provided $200 million
• borrowed to rebuild, increase national debt
• disrupted planting season, impacts on food security
  political-
• earthquake undermined growing political peace
• assassinations
• long term aid from all types of countries