Earthquakes

Question 1

At what kind of plate boundary did the Sichuan earthquake occur?

Answer 1

Collision; where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet

Question 2

When did the Sichuan earthquake occur?

Answer 2

12th May 2008

Question 3

What was the effect of the Sichuan earthquake on the la d around it?

Answer 3

Moved 9m north

Question 4

What magnitude was the Sichuan earthquake?

Answer 4

7.9

Question 5

During the Sichuan earthquake, shockwaves could be felt in Beijing and Shanghai. How far away are these cities from the epicentre?

Answer 5

1500km and 1700km

Question 6

Why was it difficult to get relief to Sichuan?

Answer 6

Routes blocked by landslides caused by the earthquake

Question 7

In terms of GDP, Sichuan ranks ….. out of 31 Chinese provinces.

Answer 7

25th

Question 8

Why did so many buildings in Sichuan collapse?

Answer 8

They were poorly built, despite building regulations; schools were particularly bad

Question 9

How ,may classrooms collapsed in Sichuan?

Answer 9

7000, killing 19,000 children

Question 10

How many people died in the Sichuan earthquake?

Answer 10

Around 90,000

Question 11

How many people were evacuated from Sichuan?

Answer 11

15 million

Question 12

How many people in Sichuan were displaced?

Answer 12

5 million

Question 13

How many buildings in Sichuan were destroyed?

Answer 13

5 million, 21 million were damaged

Question 14

What were the secondary impacts of the Sichuan earthquake?

Answer 14

700 people killed in landslide in Qingchuan, fracturing of nearly 2,500 dams, threat of flooding for 700,000 people

Question 15

How might humans have caused the Sichuan earthquake?

Answer 15

The Zipingpu Dam, holding 315 million tonnes of water, was completed two years before the earthquake and is located 5km away from the epicentre

Question 16

How many lakes were created by landslides in Sichuan?

Answer 16

34

Question 17

How had China tried to modify the vulnerability of people in earthquake prone areas?

Answer 17

Provinces were identified as at different levels of risk, then each level had building regulations; any construction after 1976 in Sichuan should have been reinforced with steel

Question 18

How many buildings in Japan were destroyed by the Sendai earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 18

112,000

Question 19

How many people died or are missing after the Sendai earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 19

20,000

Question 20

Why were people in towns such as Minami Sanriku vulnerable to the tsunami?

Answer 20

Their houses don’t have foundations, so they were swept away

Question 21

Which buildings of importance were destroyed in the tsunami at Minami Sanriku?

Answer 21

The bottom four floors of the hospital were wiped out, the tsunami warning tower was destroyed causing the death of a woman who stayed to warn everyone over intercom

Question 22

What sea defences did the Fukushima power plant have in place?

Answer 22

5.5m sea wall, tsunami waves were twice this height

Question 23

What effect did the tsunami have on the Fukushima power plant?

Answer 23

Short circuited cooling system causing reactor to explode

Question 24

Why is Japan so susceptible to earthquakes?

Answer 24

It lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where four plates (NA, Pacific, Philippine and Eurasian) are all moving towards each other

Question 25

What magnitude was the Sendai earthquake?

Answer 25

9

Question 26

What effect did the Sendai earthquake have on the land around it?

Answer 26

It moved 10m along a 400km fault

Question 27

How did the tsunami travel?

Answer 27

In deep water waves were around 50cm tall with wavelengths of 100km rather than the normal 10s of m, little energy lost, 700km/h; in shallow water slowed, got taller (over 10m)

Question 28

How long did it take the tsunami to hit after the earthquake?

Answer 28

30 minutes

Question 29

How many people were made homeless by the Sendai earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 29

500,000

Question 30

How many people had to live in temporary shelters in Japan?

Answer 30

150,000

Question 31

What were the immediate responses to the Sendai earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 31

Search and rescue, exclusion zone set up around Fukushima power plant, homes evacuated

Question 32

How were people in Japan warned of the earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 32

Automatic warnings sent to phones and TVs

Question 33

Where was the hypo centre of the Sendai earthquake?

Answer 33

100km off the east coast of Japan

Question 34

What proportion of the deaths in Japan were due to the tsunami?

Answer 34

90%

Question 35

How long did it take to get rid of all the debris in Japan?

Answer 35

3 years

Question 36

How much was the insurance bill after the Sendai earthquake and tsunami?

Answer 36

£20 billion

Question 37

Japan experienced its first trade deficit in ...... years.

Answer 37

30

Question 38

In what way was Japan more prepared for an earthquake than Sichuan?

Answer 38

Building regulations had been adhered to and had proved effective

Question 39

When did the Sendai earthquake occur?

Answer 39

11th March 2011

Question 40

When did the Shinkansen begin operations again?

Answer 40

End of April

Question 41

What effect has the Fukushima nuclear disaster had on people living near it?

Answer 41

20km radius evacuated, couldn't return to homes as radiation levels are 15 times higher than before, water and food may be contaminated, fish can't be eaten for 10 years

Question 42

What is a soft storey?

Answer 42

The bottom storey of a building that is designed to collapse to minimise damage to the above storeys (car parks)

Question 43

How are buildings in Japan protected from fire?

Answer 43

Fire-resistant, advanced firefighting facilities, smart meters that automatically shut off gas supplies in an earthquake

Question 44

What do citizens of Tokyo all have?

Answer 44

Emergency earthquake supplies, knowledge of evacuation routes and shelters

Question 45

What can be put into houses to minimise the damage of earthquakes?

Answer 45

L-shaped brackets secure bookshelves, cabinets etc to walls, strategic placement of beds (not near windows) and heavy items (not on shelves)

Question 46

What is cross-bracing?

Answer 46

A form of earthquake proof architecture involving diagonal supports; during an earthquake one may be in tension and the other in slack, allowing movement

Question 47

Why are moats used in skyscraper building?

Answer 47

Skyscrapers may be built to swing in an earthquake, so moats/buffer zones surround them to ensure buildings don't collide

Question 48

When was the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 48

25th April 2015

Question 49

What was the magnitude of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 49

7.8

Question 50

What was the distance between Kathmandu and the earthquake epicentre?

Answer 50

81km

Question 51

When was the major aftershock of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 51

12th May; magnitude 7.3

Question 52

How many people died in the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 52

Around 9,000 and 50,000 people were internally displaced

Question 53

How much may the Nepal earthquake have cost?

Answer 53

$7 billion, a third of GDP

Question 54

Why was access to remote villages in Nepal difficult?

Answer 54

Roads were blocked by landslides, collapsed buildings, tension cracks; helicopters couldn't be flown into some areas due to fears of blowing roofs off houses