3.4 Comparing the effects of earthquakes

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3.4 Comparing the effects of earthquakes

After studying this section

You will be able to:

• Compare the effects of earthquakes in LEDCs and MEDCs. 
• Explain why the effects of earthquakes vary between LEDCs and MEDCs. 

What device registers the movement of the Earth's surface?

1. Magnitude
2. Seismograph
3. Richter scale
4. Earthquake

What do we call the location of the earthquake inside the earth?

1. Epicentre
2. Magnitude
3. Hypocentre
4. Aftershock

What effect of an earthquake does the photograph show?

1. Landslide
2. Liquefaction
3. Tsunami
4. Aftershock

What effect of an earthquake does the photograph show?

1. Landslide
2. Liquefaction
3. Tsunami
4. Aftershock

Fact file to compare earthquakes

Predicting the effects earthquakes

To predict = To guess what will happen next.

Physical factors (magnitude, depth, duration) are no good predictors.

Socio-economic factors are good predictors:

• Social (society) and economic (money) factors.
• Level of development; GDP per capita, HDI index,                                                       % of people with a high school diploma.

"The weatherman predicts sunny weather."

Christchurch Cathedral (New Zealand) was damaged by the earthquake in 2011.

Preparing for an earthquake

People can limit the effects of earthquakes:

• Rules and inspections to check that buildings & roads are strong enough.
• Set aside money to prepare search and rescue teams.
• Emergency backpack for citizens.

All these measures are part of hazard management: Combination of measures that are taken to survive an earthquake.

Preparing for an earthquake

MEDCs have more money for hazard management than LEDCs:

• Buildings and roads are stronger in MEDCs.
• People are better prepared in MEDCs.
• Search and rescue teams are better trained in MEDCs.
• Fewer dead and injured people in MEDCs.

Nepal is an LEDC and needed help from other countries.

The people in orange are from an international rescue team, called ISAR (International Search and Rescue team).

The Nepalese army was supported by rescue teams from other countries.

The earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured nearly 22,000 people.

In 2015 a heavy earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit Nepal in Asia.

Damage infrastructure

Infrastructure = Communication and connection networks in an area.

• E.g. roads, bridges, railways, airports, phone lines, pipelines and internet.
• Damaged infrastructure makes it difficult to reach the area.
• MEDC > strong infrastructure > more damage > rebuilding is expensive!
• LEDC > weak infrastructure > less damage > rebuilding is cheaper!

After the disaster

After an earthquake there are two types of aid (help):

• Structural aid = Aid given over a long period of time to rebuild society.
• Emergency aid = Aid given on the short term to help people to survive.

Emergency aid

Structural aid

Natural disaster or just a disaster?

Some people argue that there is no such thing as a “natural disaster”, even though you often find the term in newspapers. They say that the hazard events, such as earthquakes, are natural, but the consequences are not. Because what makes something a disaster depends on whether or not a society is prepared, rather than nature.

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