Two earthquakes compared.

California

Iran

Here is your key question – write it in your books.

How can similar earthquakes in Iran and USA have verydifferent impacts on the people who live there?

Make your own fact file using the information that you willsee on the next few slides. Then prepare an answer to the

key question.

Location: Bam in IraqLocation: Bam in Iran

Date: 26 December, 2003

Strength of earthquake on the Richter scale: 6.6

Number dead: 28,000

Location: California in USA

Date: 22 December, 2003

Strength of earthquake on the Richter scale: 6.5

Number dead: 3

Here are some other reasons why the earthquake in Iran was so bad:

• The houses in Iran were badly built. They were made from mud brick which collapsed straight away.

• When mud brick collapses it disintegrates.

• This leaves less air pockets, which might have allowed some people to survive, even though they were trapped.

These are like the mud brick buildings that collapsed in Bam

Buildings like this in a rich country might topple, but theydon’t crumble. What would be your chance of survival in

this situation?

• The time of day when the earthquake happened was also important.

• In Bam, it happened at 5 o’clock on a Friday morning. Friday is the Muslim day of rest.

• Where do you think most people were, and why did they die?

Other things to consider: