What Determines The Impact Of An Earthquake? Economic Development Of The Location More economically developed countries MED!

"s# tend to survive earthquakes $etter than less economically developed countries LED!"s#% There are three main reasons for this% &% MED!"s are likely to have $uildin's desi'ned to (ithstand earthquakes% They have the money and systems to make sure that $uildin's are carefully desi'ned to (ithstand shakin') and can afford to add safety features to older $uildin's that may $e at risk% They may have hu'e ru$$er pads $uilt into the foundations seismic isolators# or very deep foundations to hold them firmly in place% E%'%* In &++, the -o$e earthquake hit in .apan% Measurin' /%0 on the 1ichter scale it had the potential to cause massive dama'e to vulnera$le $uildin's) $ut $ecause many $uildin's (ere desi'ned to (ithstand earthquakes) only ,222 people (ere killed% 0% LED!"s often can"t afford to $uild ne( structures to the same standards as MED!"s) they have a 'reater chance of poor quality construction) and they lack the money to up'rade older $uildin's% In contrast to the -o$e earthquake that killed ,222) an earthquake of a sli'htly smaller intensity hit Turkey in &+++% It killed &/)222 people% 0% MED!"s have disaster plans) 'overnment departments responsi$le for mana'in' and coordinatin' emer'ency responses) and for educatin' the pu$lic a$out natural ha3ards% E%'% In .apan) all school children practice earthquake drill in the same (ay that (e practice fire drill in the 4-% Emer'ency services actually practice throu'h simulations) so they kno( e5actly (hat they should do if disaster strikes% Most LED!"s don"t have enou'h money to develop emer'ency plans) $uy the response equipment and trainin' needed) and conduct very e5pensive trainin' e5ercises involvin' thousands of people% 6% MED!"s are self reliant% They can afford to allocate funds to "7ust in case" measures% They keep emer'ency stocks of

medicines) tents) $lankets) food) (ater) and communications equipment% It"s kept ready for use and constantly updated% Many LED!"s stru''le to provide these facilities for normal use let alone keep a spare set of everythin' in case of disasters% The speed (ith (hich these resources reach an area is critical to reducin' deaths% MED!"s have the resources close at hand and can $e sendin' them out (ithin hours% 8y contrast) LED!"s often have to ask for help) and mo$ilisin' international aid can take days% A homeless person in 9an :rancisco (ho 'ets shelter) food and medical aid (ithin &0 hours has a much $etter chance of survival than a Turkish farmer (ho (ill $e (aitin' for days or even (eeks $efore aid reaches him%

4r$an or 1ural Area This is all a$out ho( many people are around) or population density% If a "quake hits a rural area (ith fe( $uildin's and fe( people) the dama'e (ill $e small% If the same quake hits an area (ith many more $uildin's and people) the dama'e (ill $e 'reater% The Loma ;rieta earthquake )in 9an :rancisco) killed people and caused millions of dollars of dama'e% If the same quake had hit the middle of Alaska a fe( moose) $ears and trees (ould have suffered $ut human casualties (ould have $een almost 3ero%

Distance :rom The Epicentre The epicentre is the point on the Earth"s surface directly a$ove the source) or focus) of the earthquake% It is the point on the surface nearest to the earthquake% The po(er of the shock (aves decreases (ith distance from their source) so this means that the shock (aves from the earthquake are stron'est at the epicentre and have the potential to do most dama'e there% The potential to cause dama'e decreases as distance from the earthquake epicentre increases% This is (hy there can $e massive dama'e at the epicentre $ut no indication of the earthquake at all a fe( hundred miles a(ay%

Weather and 9eason <enerally) (hen earthquakes leave people homeless or trapped) more people (ill die in cold or (et (eather% Winter is the (orst time to $e left e5posed to the (eather) and those (ho survive the earthquake (ill $e at risk of hypothermia) frost$ite and illnesses caused $y lon' e5posure to dampness and cold% 8ad (eather also hampers rescue efforts and makes recovery from the disaster much harder% In cold (eather it is also more likely that houses (ill have contained stoves and fires that (ere $urnin' (hen they collapsed) 'reatly increasin' the chances of fires after the shock (aves have 'one% "=uakes that strike in (arm dry (eather also have specific pro$lems) $ut these are more associated (ith hy'iene% >i'h temperatures make it harder for trapped people to survive in the ru$$le $ecause althou'h you can live a lon' time (ithout food) you die quickly (ithout (ater% >eat also speeds up the decomposition of the $odies of those (ho die (hich) like $roken se(er pipes) uncollected ru$$ish and dead animals) quickly $ecome sources of $acteria and vermin that spread diseases% It only takes one dead animal?person in a (ater supply to make that (ater totally undrinka$le% When considerin' (hether Winter or 9ummer is (orse) you should look at the typical climate for those seasons in the area affected% :or e5ample) an earthquake in India durin' the very (et Monsoon 9eason could $e far more dama'in' to the health of survivors than an identical earthquake durin' the dry period 7ust $efore the Monsoon%

Time Of Day and Day Of The Week The day of the (eek is an issue mainly in $uilt up areas such as cities% Durin' the (orkin' (eek many people are 'athered in to(ns and cities) and hu'e num$ers (ill $e (orkin' in vulnera$le $uildin's such as hi'h rise office $locks% Durin' the (eekend) ho(ever) those people stay at home and are dispersed over a much (ider area% The collapse of a house may kill or in7ure a sin'le family) (hereas an office $lock collapsin' could kill hundreds of people% The time of day is important too% :or e5ample) most people are at home in $ed at 6am) so they are spread out across a (ide

area) and lyin' do(n and even protected from fallin' plaster etc $y their $eddin'% Those same people at @am (ould $e drivin' cars) sittin' on trains or $usses) or (alkin' around% They (ould $e far more vulnera$le to the earthquake effects% The same (ould apply in the evenin' as people (ent home a'ain% The Loma ;rieta earthquake in 9an :rancisco &+@+# struck at a$out ,pm and a num$er of people died in their cars (hen free(ay $rid'es collapsed onto them% The -o$e earthquake .apan# in &++, struck early in the mornin') at ,%ABam% Many people (ere either startin' up their cookin' stoves or already cookin' $reakfast% When the shock (aves ruptured 'as pipes the escapin' 'as (as quickly i'nited $y cookers) $roken electrical (ires and stoves that had $een thro(n over% Over 622 fires (ere started and almost /222 $uildin's (ere destroyed $y fire alone%

Emer'ency 9ervices and Earthquake 1esponse ;lans Developed countries usually have $etter trained and $etter funded emer'ency services% They also tend to have plannin' re'ulations to make sure that $uildin's in earthquake risk areas are $uilt to (ithstand shakin'% In LED!"s resources are less likely to $e availa$le% After the Indian earthquake in <u7arat 022&# the Indian 'overnment $lamed the <u7arat authorities for not havin' disaster plans) for not educatin' people a$out (hat to do if an earthquake occurred) and for not havin' systems in place to make sure that $uildin's (ere $uilt to (ithstand earthquakes% 9ome sections of the <u7arat authorities responded) sayin' that they didn"t have the money to do it) and pointed out that it (as normal for the Indian Army to come to the rescue (hen natural disasters struck) so (hy did they need plans of their o(n? 8y contrast) !alifornia in the 49A spends millions of dollars on earthquake plannin') trainin' the emer'ency services) developin' systems to 'et relief supplies to effected areas and 'ettin' casualties out to safety% >o(ever) despite e5tensive plannin' thin's can still 'o (ron'% As a 'eneral rule thou'h) countries (ith (ealth can afford safer $uildin's and $etter emer'ency response systems) and also put recovery schemes in place more quickly than poorer countries%

Landscape and rock type >ave you ever stood on the $each and (ri''led your toes in the (et sand? If you have) you pro$a$ly noticed that if you 'et the (ri''lin' ri'ht the sand $ehaves like a liquid and your feet can sink easily into it% This is called liquefaction) and it happens (hen soil containin' plenty of (ater is shaken or vi$rated% A soil that is usually firm enou'h to support $uildin's can turn to (o$$ly 7elly durin' an earthquake and no lon'er $e a$le to support $uildin's% This happened in -o$e in &++, (hen reclaimed land around the docks (as turned into thick soup) allo(in' $uildin's to topple side(ays) resultin' in the hu'e cranes in the har$our topplin' over into the sea% >arder and more solid rocks) such as 'ranite) (on"t liquefy or turn to thick soup so they are often safer areas in (hich to site $uildin's% >avin' said this) nothin' is totally safe in an earthquake if it is po(erful enou'h% Around the coast of Ce( Dealand are raised $eaches caused $y past earthquakes upliftin' entire stretches of the coastline in 7ust secondsE Ima'ine) one moment its the sea$ed under a fe( metres of (ater) and a fe( seconds later it"s dry land a fe( metres a$ove sea level% When you are facin' forces like that) nothin' can $e 'uaranteed as safeE The shape of the landscape) or it"s topo'raphy to use the 'eo'raphical term) also influences the effects of some earthquakes% Earthquakes that have their epicentres on the sea$ed can tri''er a tsunami) or (ave of (ater that travels out from the epicentre% Where this meets a lo( lyin' coast) the (ave can travel considera$le distances inland) s(eepin' a(ay everythin' in it"s path% Mountainous areas tend to have steep hillsides and narro( roads cut into the sides of hills% 9teep slopes are less sta$le than flat land and more easily distur$ed $y shock (aves% It"s common for landslides to occur and for roads to either $e destroyed or covered $y fallin' rock and soil de$ris from the slopes a$ove them% This has serious consequences) cuttin' off remote mountain areas and preventin' aid from reachin' them% If you had to pick a place to $e (hen a really severe

earthquake struck) pro$a$ly the $est place to $e (ould $e%%% &% Well inland) a(ay from the sea and lar'e areas of (ater so you don"t 'et cau'ht $y a tsunami) $roken dam) river chan'in' direction etc% 0% On solid rock such as 'ranite) limestone or $asalt (hich (on"t liquefy or distort% 6%On flat 'round (ith no overhan'in' cliffs) hills or trees) so nothin' (ill fall on you% A% Outside and (ell a(ay from any $uildin's a'ain) so nothin' (ill fall on you% ,% Lyin' or sittin' do(n) so you don"t fall over and hurt yourself%