Sichuan Earthquake

Predicting and Preparing for earthquakes

Laser beams can be used to detect plate movement

A seismometer is used to pick up vibrations in the Earth's crust. An

increase in vibrations may indicate a possible earthquake

But the ways of predicting are not always accurate so they have to be
prepared

People living in earthquake zones need to know what they should do

in the event of a quake.Training peoplemay involve
holdingearthquake drillsand educating people viaTVorradio

People may put togetheremergency kits and store them in their homes.
An emergency kit may includefirst-aid items,blanketsandtinned food

Earthquake-proof buildingshave been constructed in many major

cities, eg the Transamerica PyramidinSan Francisco. Buildings such as
this are designed to absorb the energy of an earthquake and to
withstand the movement of the Earth

Roadsandbridgescan also be designed to withstand the power of

earthquakes

Coping during earthquakes

Stay indoors as when you go outside people get injured from things
falling out of buildings

You have to drop to the ground and go under something sturdy and
heavy, cover your head

If you can't find something like a table you have to go to a corner in a

wall and make yourself as small as possible

If your in bed you have to stay there

As if you get out you might step on broken glass

You have to cover your head and neck with your pillow

You have to keep away from hanging objects such as pictures in frames

Consequences of hazards: Short-term and Long-term

Short term

Destroyed 5.4 million homes and damaged another 21.4 million

At the epicenter in the town of Yingxiu in Wenchuan County, only

about 2,300 people out of the towns more than 10,000 survived. Almost
half of the survivors had severe injuries

In northern Sichuan's Beichuan County about 80% of the buildings

were destroyed

The damage done to Qushan was so severe that county officials have
decided not to rebuild in the same location. More than 8,600 of the
13,000 people living in Qushan were killed in the quake

Wednesday May 28th - Death toll from the quake had reached 68,109
with over 300,000 injured and another 19,851 still missing. It was
warned that the number of deaths could surpass 80,000 as they were
still going through the rubble

It knocked out phone lines and power supplies all over Sichuan and
after a week although power had been restored in most areas some
areas experienced power outages due to aftershocks

Roads damaged in the quake totaled 28,829 km and 19,645 km had been
repaired and reopened to public as of Wednesday May 21

Nearly 200 aftershocks measuring 4 or higher on

theRichterscaleoccurredafter theinitial8-magnitudeearthquake.

As of May 28 rescuers had saved and evacuated 700,000 people from

affected areas, including over 6,500 survivors dug out from the rubble

In the first week alone, China had received more than $100 million USD
and over $10 million USD of materials

Russia has delivered threeplane loadsof supplies to the quake-hit

region and the United States has flown approximately $700

Long Term

21 million buildings were destroyed

5 million collapsedincludingmore than 6,000 schools
100's of aftershocks have caused further landslides and building
collapses, these could continue for years