This powerpoint compares and contrasts the causes/background, impacts/effects and the responses of earthquakes from an LEDC country (Haiti) and an MECD country (Japan, Tohoku)

1. Compare and contrast
earthquakes in contrasting
areas of the world
PRAAG DOGRA

2. Japan, Tohoku - 2011
Background:
◦ The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Pacific Oceanic plate (SIMA) under the North
American continental plate (SIAL).
◦ This created a 9.0 earthquake on the Richter Scale
◦ Furthermore, the sudden release of the tension and stress caused a 40metre high tsunami.
◦ Occurred on March 11th 2011

3. Japan, Tohoku - 2011
Impacts:
◦ 16,000 deaths
◦ 5 million people were left without water and/or electricity
◦ Post traumatic stress disorder occurred in 1/5 victims
◦ $300 billion worth of damage was done and ceased car manufacturing all over the world
◦ Fukushima nuclear reactor plant 1 destroyed

4. Japan, Tohoku - 2011
Response
◦ 14,000 km of concrete sea walls were created
◦ New stringent building codes were introduced
◦ Mass dampeners
◦ Interlocking steel frames
◦ Earthquake warning systems were put into place
◦ The Bank of Japan donated $183 billion worth of money to help to normalise the market conditions
after 3 days
◦ The military had to bury the dead in mass graves
◦ Prevented rotting corpses from contaminating other sources

5. Haiti – 2010
Background:
◦ They were already reliant on foreign aid
◦ Sitting on the cusp of a conservative (strike slip/transform) fault
◦ The Caribbean and North American
◦ Stress and tension on this fault had been built up over 240 years so far
◦ The release of all the stress and tension caused a 7.0 earthquake on the Richter Scale
◦ However the focus was incredibly shallow, at only 12km down

6. Haiti – 2010
Impacts:
◦ 230,000 people died
◦ 300,000 people were injured
◦ 1000 deaths from cholera
◦ 1 million people left homeless
◦ 90% of the buildings near the epicentre were destroyed
◦ 230,000 homes were destroyed
◦ Synopticity:
◦ The prison was destroyed and released 4,500 criminals who went on a violent mass rape spree in the refugee camps

7. Haiti – 2010
Responses:
◦ International aid was called in and sent
◦ However there were bottlenecks at the airports because there was no one in charge of sustaining them
◦ The government eventually handed control to the USA.
◦ The Dominican republic sent in the most immediate aid which was enough to suffice 100,000 people
per day.
◦ The EU gave $330 million to Haiti whom had the debt repayments waivered off by 5 months by the
world bank.