geography project about earthquakes

Group Members: Tiffany Chan (5) [ F. 4C ] May Chan (6) Lily Cheung (9) Kathy Leung (21) Fiona Leung (22) Chloe Yam (36)

GEOGRAPHY PROJECT“Earthquake in Haiti, 2010 has a greater destruction than earthquake in Sichuan, 2008. Redevelopment in Haiti is more effective than that in Sichuan.” Discuss.

Sichuan Earthquake, 2008

Eurasian Plate and Indo-Australian Plate

Plate involved

Plate boundary

Destructive plate boundary

Newspaper cutting

240 million years ago…• Indo-Australian plate moved northward,

collided with the Eurasian plate, causing uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. (青藏高原 )


Physical factors that led to earthquake

• The high Tibetan Plateau continue to have a slow eastward movement of 10-15 mm per year.

• The movement meets strong resistance from the South China Block

• Causing the formation of Longmenshan Fault



On May 12, 2008…• The movement of the

crustal materials along the Longmenshan Fault resulted earthquakes in the past, which also caused this violent earthquake



The construction and filling of the Zipingpu Dam (紫坪鋪水庫 ) triggered the earthquake.

• The sudden shift of a huge quantity of water into the region could have relaxed the tension between the two sides of the fault

• allowing them to move apart, and could have increased the direct pressure on it, causing a violent rupture.


Damages caused by human factorsConstruction of Zipingpu Dam

Photos of Zipingpu Dam:


Damages caused by human factors

• The Chinese government hid the earthquake warning

• No advanced warning system


Damages caused by human factorsLow Technological Level

• Many of the buildings were quite old and not built with any regulations overseeing them

• The central government estimates that over 7000 schoolrooms collapsed in the earthquake.

• Chinese citizens have since invented a catch phrase “ tofu-dregs schoolhouses” (豆腐渣校舍 ) to mock both the quantity of these inferior constructions that killed so many children.


Damages caused by human factorsThe buildings were poorly constructed

• When there are earthquakes, people don’t know how to react properly

• The Chinese government did not have a well-developed Emergency mechanism



Low education level & low awareness towards earthquake

• Outdated medical facilities

victims couldn’t receive proper medical treatment

• Poor communication network

delayed the rescue work


Damages caused by human factorsLow emergency relief

• Central set up earthquake relief headquarters, appointed by the commander Wen Jiabao.

• Military dispatched soldiers and

helicopters to the disaster area, militia

and reserve forces and medical teams

also put into relief.


Solutions by government/voluntary organization

For the government:

• Donated and contributed money and materials (eg. Food, clothes) to the victims.

• Offered resettlement assistance (eg. proceeded domestic adoption, family foster care, boarding schools, etc.)



For the voluntary organizations:

Newspaper cutting

Haiti Earthquake, 2010

Plate involved

Plate boundary

Caribbean plate and North American plate

Conservative plate boundary


The quake occurred in the region of the northern boundary where the Caribbean plate shifts eastwards by about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) per year to the North American plate.


Haiti Earthquake, 2010 Physical factors that led to earthquake

• The tear / transform fault system in the region has two branches in Haiti

• The Septentrional-Oriente fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault in the south

• Focal mechanism (震源機制解 ) suggest that the quake was caused by a rupture of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault, which had been locked for 250 years, gathering stress.

Haiti Earthquake, 2010 Physical factors that led to earthquake

• a quarter of the population is concentrated in the capital Port-au-Prine



Population density of the area

Jerry-building• 60% of the buildings are all dangerous

housing



For the government:

Reorganize the plans in order to increase the speed of relieving the victims

Put up tents for the survivorsHelp to clear up and entomb the dead bodies

Rally the transportation



For the voluntary organizations:

Médicins Sans Frontières (無國界醫生 ) set up temporary medical centers for the injuries

International Committee of the Red Cross helped out with the distribute the goods and materials for the survivors

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti （聯合國海地穩定特派團） set up rescue mission control centre to coordinate with the rescue operation

Which factor, human factor or physical factor, plays a more significant part in leading to

damages of earthquakes?

= Human factor

Because:• Human factors > physical factors• Corruption of government officials

jerry-building• Low Technological Level

no advanced warming system

people cannot prevent early with measures• Construction work

affect plate movement

⑥ What hinder the redevelopment in these regions?

• As they are less developed countriesDo not have enough money for the

redevelopmentDependent on foreign countries’

donationsCorruption of government officials

The End

geography project about earthquakes

Education

plantain garden fault

2008 physical factors

2010physical factors

voluntary organizations

government voluntary organization

zipingpu dam

2008 damages caused

sichuan earthquake