Management of Seismic Hazards (AQA A Level Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Rhiannon Molyneux
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Long & Short-Term Responses to Earthquakes
Long-term responses to earthquakes are measures taken to reduce the impacts of future earthquakes
Short-term responses usually happen immediately before, during or after an earthquake
Examples of Long and Short-term Responses
Long-term responses | Short-term responses |
|---|---|
Building codes – creating a set of building codes to increase the resilience of buildings to earthquakes Education and training – preparing communities to improve evacuation and response through regular drills e.g. Japan’s Disaster Prevention Day held each year on September 1st Early warning systems - early warning systems can be implemented to give people time to take precautions e.g. slowing trains, switching off the gas supply Hazard mapping and land use zoning – identifying areas at most risk of liquefaction or tsunamis and limiting the activities that can take place there | Search and rescue – using sniffer dogs and heat sensors to locate survivors and rescue them Emergency aid - providing food, water, medical aid to affected communities Evacuation – moving people out of the danger zone when a tsunami warning has been issued - this isn’t possible before an earthquake as there is not enough warning Issue a warning – a warning can be sent via text, TV and radio as soon as an earthquake happens underground, but before the seismic waves reach the surface – this gives enough time to take extra precautions e.g. take cover under a table
|
Responses can also be categorised as prevention, preparedness, mitigation and adaptation
Responses to earthquakes
| Prevention | Preparedness | Mitigation | Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What is it? | It is impossible to prevent earthquakes. | Ensures that people are ready to respond | Aims to reduce the threat by altering the environment | Changes in behaviour to reduce the risk |
Example | Land use zoning can help to prevent building in vulnerable areas - In Christchurch after the 2010 earthquake 6000 hectares were declared a red zone and left as parkland | Monitoring and warning systems to send out warnings and education programmes. Japan has an Earthquake Early Warning System (EEW) | Tsunami walls - Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami Japan has built over 400km of tsunami wall Earthquake resistant buildings using cross-bracing, shutters on windows etc... to reduce the chances of collapse | Emergency kits which are kept to hand with contents to help with evacuation and survival Evacuation routes and trained emergency services |
Case Study - Gorka earthquake, Nepal
Short-term responses included:
Search and rescue teams from around the world including USA, China and India rescued 8000 people
Donations of money and aid from around the world totalled $3 billion including $3.3 million from China and $51 million from the UK
Many countries sent aid in the form of:
Temporary shelters
Medicines
Food
Water
Clothing
Medical staff
90% of the Nepalese army were mobilised (around 100,000) troops to help with search and rescue operations and the distribution of emergency aid
Tent cities were set up by organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children providing shelter for those made homeless
GIS crisis mapping tool was used to co-ordinate the response
$3 million grant was provided by the Asian Development Bank for emergency relief
Long-term responses included:
The United Nations worked with the Nepalese government to improve resilience and plan for future earthquake events
Landslides were cleared and roads repaired to restore access to remote rural communities
7000 schools were rebuilt
Earthquake drills were introduced to provide people with education about what to do in the event of an earthquake
Stricter building codes with more enforcement
$200 million was provided by the Asian Development Bank for rebuilding
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