Earthquake Case Studies

• What plate boundary did the Japan earthquake 2011 happen from?

  Convergent boundary
• What is the HDI of Japan?

  0.891 (very high)

  This means it is a developed country
• What was the height of the tsunami wave that hit Japan?

  10m
• What were the secondary impacts of the Japanese earthquake

  • 56 bridges collapsed due to the tsunami

  • Over 17,000 deaths caused by the tsunami

  • 1.2 million buildings were damaged due to the tsunami

  • Estimated cost due to damages is more than $300 billion
• What were the primary impacts of the Japanese earthquake

  • Collapsing buildings caused 667-1470 deaths

  • Reclaimed land in Tokyo suffered from liquefaction (soft, wet soil behaved like jelly)

  • The Fukushima Dam burst

  • Electricity was lost do the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station

  • Radiation leaked into the Pacific ocean
• What short and long term earthquake management tactics did Japan used

  • Short term relief - People keep emergency kits of food, water, a torch and a radio in their house

  • Long-term planning - Japanese rescue workers and soldiers responded to the crisis

  Doctors and nurses were sent from the west coast to help
• How did Japan prepare for the earthquake?

  • Preparation - Japan has "Disaster Prevention Day" on the 1st September where earthquake drills are undertaken

  Strict national codes so that buildings "shake with the quake"

  When an earthquake strikes, all TV and radio stations switch to earthquake coverage informing people about the risks
• What prediction technology did Japan invest in?

  • Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned the coastal communities in Japan to people could evacuate

  • Japanese Meteorological Agency operates network of 200 seismographs and 600 seismic intensity metres to monitor earthquakes
• What was the magnitude of the Japan earthquake in 2011?

  9.0 on the Richter scale
• What was the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake in 2010?

  7.0 on the Richter scale
• What plate boundary did the Haiti earthquake 2010 happen on?

  Conservative boundary
• What is the HDI of Haiti?


  0.483 (very low)

  This means it is a developing country
• What were the primary impacts of the Haiti earthquake

  • 316,00 people died

  • The port at Port-au-Prince was badly damaged

  • All 8 hospitals collapsed or were badly damaged

  • Electricity, water, sanitation and communication were badly disrupted or destroyed

  • 1.5 million homeless
• What were the secondary impacts of the Haiti earthquake


  • Economic losses increased through loss of tourism and factories - 1 in 5 jobs were lost (20% of jobs)

  • Cholera spread through squatter camps, killing 9000 people

  • Looting and crime increased as the government and police force collapsed

  • Economic cost is between $7-$14 billion
• What were the earthquake management strategies that Haiti used?

  • Short term relief - USA and Dominican Republic provided food, water, medical supplies and temporary shelter

  UK's Disaster Emergency committee raised more than £100 million for emergency aid

  • Long term planning - Lack of trained emergency services

  Nobody seemed to be in charge

  • Preparation - Very few buildings were earthquake proofed, even Presidential Palace and UN headquarters collapsed

  • Prediction - None within Haiti due to the country being unable to afford it