Seismicity Case Studies

Loma Preita, San Fran - October 17th, 1989, 5.04 pm, magnitude 7.1

• Occured due to slip in the San Andreas fault (conservative plate margin).
• Largest earthquake to occur in the San Fransisco Bay area since 1906.
• Death toll = 62, Number injured = 3757
• Cost = approximately $8 billion
• 22 structural fires occured
• Many buildings were extensively damaged as old buildings were built with unreinforced masonry
• Flood plain of San Lorenzo river subject to intense shaking and liquefaction.
• Interrupted the baseball 'world series'
• Fire crews helped to rescue people trapped on the freeway and helped put out fires
• The National Guard patrolled the streets to prevent looting.
• Extra boat transport was provided to trasnsport people across the bay.
• Electricity was restored within 2 days.
• The Cyprus freeway was rebuilt using aseismic design and reopened 10 years later.
• They recieved $3 billion in aid from the US government and from private donations.

L'Aquila Italy - 6th April 2009, 3.32am, 5.8Mw

• Caused by movement along the north-south fault line along the Apennine mountain range.
• Several aftershocks following the main earthquake (some measure 5 on the Richter scale) - these hampered rescue efforts and caused further damage.
• Cost estimation = $15 billion
• Thousands of buildings destroyed, including part of the city hospital.
• Water pipes were broken causing landslides and fires caused further damage. 
• Death toll = 300 (mostly due to collapsed buildings).
• Injuries = 1500
• 70,000 made homeless.
• Thousands had to move away to find jobs. 
• Strict building regulations were not always met and many new buildings were poorly built (e.g. San Salvatore Hospital should have withstood the earthquake, but collapsed).
• People formally complained that seismologists working in the area didn't predict the earthquake and requested a criminal investigation.
• Italy has a Civil Protection Department that trains volunteers to help with things like rescue operations. 
• 12,000 rescue and support workers helped with the response. 

Gujarat India - January 26, 2001, 8.46am, 7.7 Mw

• Caused by Indo-Australian and Eurasian plate moving towards each other.
• Death toll - 20,000
• Injuries - 166,000
• 600,000 left homeless
• In built up areas, modern buildings were shake but mostly survived.
• The Government suspected that as some new buildings collapsed, dodgy building methods had been used and many builders/architects were charged with culpable murder.
• Gujarat was the second most industrialised state in India, with well developed industries.
• An Oxfam team of emergency specialists provided aid.
• There was a rehabilitation programme that focussed on the long-term effects on public health.
• Oxfam also helped repair broken water pipes in order to ensure a safe water supply to the people. 

Haiti - 12 January 2010, 4.53pm, 7.0 Mw

• Caused by the North American plate sliding past the Caribbean plate at a conservative plate margin.
• Death toll - 316,000
• Transport and communication links were badly damaged.
• Hospitals and schools badly damaged along with the airport control tower.
• 1 in 5 people lost their jobs and Haiti's clothing industry was badly affected.
• Bodies in the street led to disease like cholera.
• It was difficult for Haiti to recieve aid due to issues at the airport and poor management.
• Poor health and sanitation along with looting became a problem.
• $100 million in aid given by the USA and $330 million by the EU.
• There was a lack of immediate aid through poor planning.
• 1 million people still without homes a year after the earthquake.