Tectonic Event (OCR GCSE Geography B)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
Case Study: Nepal Earthquake
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP of under $1000
Located between China and India, Nepal is a landlocked country
In 2015 80% of the population lived in rural, often remote, communities
In April 2015 at 11.26 am Nepal was struck by an earthquake, magnitude 7.8
The epicentre was 80 km northwest of Kathmandu in the Gorka district
The focus was shallow at only 15 km beneath the surface
Over 300 aftershocks followed the main earthquake
Nepal Earthquake Map
Cause
Nepal is located on a collision boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates
Effects
Approximately 9000 deaths
Over 20,000 people injured
Electricity and water supplies cut
7000 schools and 1000 health facilities were damaged or destroyed
Almost 3.5 million people were made homeless
Offices, shops and factories were destroyed meaning people were unable to make a living
UNESCO world heritage sites destroyed as well as many temples
Loss of tourist income which Nepal is reliant on
Avalanches on Mount Everest and in the Langtang Valley
Landslides which blocked roads and rivers
Damages estimated at between $7 and $10 billion about 35% of the GDP
Immediate responses
Donations of money and aid from around the world totally $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
Search and rescue teams
Medical staff
90% of the Nepalese army were mobilised
Tent cities were set up in Kathmandu 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 response
Landslides were cleared and roads repaired to restore access to remote rural communities
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
A new government task force was set up to plan for future earthquake events
Worked Example
Case study - a tectonic event that has been hazardous for people
Assess the causes of the tectonic event
(6 marks)
The example can be anywhere in the world and can be an earthquake, eruption or tsunami
It must include place-specific details from a case study:
A weather hazard will be awarded a maximum of 3 marks
Answer
The Nepal earthquake of 2015 had an intensity of 7.8 and occurred about 76km from the capital city, Kathmandu. The epicentre was shallow around 8km deep, moving the crust around 3m. All these factors led to more intense shaking making the hazard worse and contributing to the death toll of about 9000 people.
The quality of buildings was also an important factor as if the same-sized earthquake had occurred in an AC then fewer people would have died. This is because buildings like the Dharahara Tower were not retro-fitted and collapsed, increasing the death toll.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When revising case studies it is important to be able to include a variety of facts and figures. These are the place specific details which the examiner will be looking for to award the higher marks. In the case of tectonic events these should include facts such as:
The location
Magnitude
Number of deaths and injuries
Date of the event
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