Tectonic Hazard Contrast
Why do two earthquakes cause such different damage? Compare the impacts and management of the 2011 Christchurch and 2015 Nepal earthquakes, and see how a country's wealth shapes the outcome.
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Same hazard, different disaster
Earthquakes strike all around the world, but a quake in one country can cause far more death and destruction than a similar one somewhere else. Why? The answer is often the country's development level - its wealth, buildings and preparedness. In this module you will learn what causes tectonic hazards, then contrast two real earthquakes: the 2011 Christchurch quake in New Zealand and the 2015 Nepal quake.
Inside the Earth
Tectonic hazards start deep inside the Earth:
From the centre out
Put the Earth's layers in order, starting at the very centre and moving outwards.
- Inner core (solid)
- Outer core (liquid)
- Mantle
- Crust
Match each boundary
- Constructive
- Destructive
- Conservative
- Hotspot
- Plates move apart and new crust forms; gentle volcanoes
- Plates collide and one sinks; violent volcanoes and strong quakes
- Plates slide past each other; earthquakes but no volcano
- A plume of magma rises away from any boundary
The most violent boundary
At which type of plate boundary do you get the most violent volcanoes AND strong earthquakes?
- A destructive boundary
- A constructive boundary
- A conservative boundary
- Nowhere near a boundary
Primary and secondary impacts
When a quake strikes, geographers sort the effects into two groups.
Which are secondary?
Select the TWO secondary impacts of an earthquake.
- A landslide burying a village days later
- A disease outbreak in crowded shelters
- Buildings collapsing during the shaking
- People injured by falling debris
Two earthquakes, two countries
In 2011 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, a wealthy developed country. Around 185 people died, and severe liquefaction damaged buildings and roads. In 2015 a stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, an emerging/developing country. Around 9,000 people died and huge numbers of homes were destroyed. The difference in outcome is shaped by each country's wealth, buildings and preparedness.
Tectonics in words
The Earth's thin outer layer is the _____, which is broken into moving plates. Where plates collide at a _____ boundary, there are violent volcanoes and strong earthquakes. Deaths and collapsed buildings caused directly by the shaking are _____ impacts, while later effects like landslides and disease are _____ impacts. A wealthy, _____ country can usually respond faster because it has more money and better-built homes.
The developed response
Tap the TWO statements that describe why the developed country (Christchurch, New Zealand) could respond so effectively.
- Strict building codes meant many structures survived
- Most homes were built cheaply with no quake protection
- Insurance and government funds paid for rebuilding
- The country had to rely mainly on international aid
- There were no emergency services available
Why the bigger disaster?
The 2015 Nepal earthquake killed far more people than the Christchurch quake. Which reason best explains why an emerging country often suffers more?
- Many of its buildings were not built to resist strong shaking
- It had much stricter building codes than New Zealand
- It had far more emergency money ready to spend
- It was nowhere near a plate boundary
Managing the disaster
Put the stages of responding to an earthquake in a sensible order, from first to last.
- Search for and rescue survivors from the rubble
- Provide emergency shelter, clean water and medical aid
- Restore power, water and roads
- Rebuild with stronger, earthquake-resistant buildings
Work the contrast
Use what you know about the two earthquakes to answer each question.
- In Nepal, huge numbers of homes collapsed. What best explains this?
- After Christchurch, insurance and government money funded the rebuild. What does this show?
- The shaking triggered a landslide that blocked a mountain road. Which type of impact is this?
Contrast the two quakes
Contrast the 2011 Christchurch and 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Explain how their impacts and management differed, and why the development level of each country made a difference. Write in clear, full sentences.
- Name the two earthquakes and the development level of each country
- Give one primary and one secondary impact
- Contrast how the two countries managed the disaster
- Explain WHY the outcomes differed, using wealth, buildings and preparedness