Tectonics Case Studies
- Created by: ashleighholmes23
- Created on: 07-02-16 17:24
Chances Peak, Montserrat (1995-7)
Background
- Montserrat - small island in Caribbean.
- Volcanic area located in south of island on Soufriere Hills - Chances Peak.
- Before 1985 dormant for 300 years.
- 1985 began with small earthquakes & eruptions of ash & dust.
- Most intense erruptions in 1997.
Volcano information
VEI: Unknown (active since 1985).
Death rate: 19
Economic cost: $500 million
Level of development
GDP: $8,500
HDI: unranked
Life expectancy: 73 years
Physical nature of the hazard
- Subductive plate boundary - North American plate beneath Caribbean plate.
Short-term responses
- Evacuation.
- British government gave money for compensation & redevelopment.
- Unemployment due to collapse of tourist industry.
Long-term responses
- Exclusion zone set up in volcanic region.
- Volcanic observatory was built to monitor the volcano.
- Volcano resulted in growth in tourism.
Pinatubo, Philippines (July 1990 - June 1991)
Location
- USGS working at Clark Air Base (Luzon).
- Earthquake 7.8 magnitude (July 1990).
- Part of chain of composite volcanoes.
- 75000 locals evacuated before eruption.
Volcano Information
- VEI: 6
- Death rate: 847 people
- Economic cost: $92 million
Level of development
- GDP: $4, 119
- HDI: 0.654
- Life expectancy: 67 years
Physical nature of hazard
- 90km NW of Manila (capital).
- Subduction zone - Eurasian plate subducted beneath Philippine plate.
Mount St Helens MEDC (1980)
Background
- Part of Cascade Range of mountains.
- NW USA, Washington.
- National Park (tourism/forestry/salmon farming/agriculture).
- Low population density.
- Composite cone volcano - destructive
Volcano Information
- VEI: 5
- Death rate: 57 people
- Economic cost: $969 million
Level of development
- GDP: $49,800
- HDI: 0.937
- Life expectancy: 78
Physical nature of hazard
- Every tree within 30km destroyed.
- Juan de Fuca plate subducted beneath North American plate.
Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia (1985) LEDC
Location
- Part of Andes Mountain range.
- 129km west of Bogota (capital).
- Los Nevados National Park.
- Nevado del Ruiz (stratovolcano) is part of the Ruiz-Tolima volcanic massif - intersection of 4 faults (active).
- Pacific Ring of Fire.
- Andean Volcanic Belt.
- Plinian eruptions.
Volcano Information
- VEI: 3
- Death rate: 23,000 (lahars).
- Economic cost: $11.8 billion.
Level of development
- GDP: $49,800
- HDI: 0.719
- Life expectancy: 72 years
Physical nature of hazard
- Subduction zone = Nazca oceanic plate beneath South American continental plate.
Loma Prieta Northern California MEDC (1989)
Location
- Wealthiest state in USA.
- Very highly developed.
- Aid easily accessible.
- State governor has high power.
- Retro fitting e.g. Transamerica Building.
Earthquake information
- Magnitude: 6.9 (15 seconds biggest since 1906).
- Death rate: 63 people
- Economic cost: $7 billion
Level of development
- GDP: $49,800
- HDI: 0.937
- Life expectancy: 78 years
Physical nature of hazard
- 43 deaths due to motorway collapse.
- Candlestick park recently reinforced.
Haiti LEDC (2010)
Background
- 145th UN human development index.
- 86% Port-Au-Prince living in slum conditions.
- 45% literacy rate.
Earthquake Information
- Magnitude: 7
- Death rate: 200,000
- Economic cost: $7.8 billion
Level of development
- GDP: $1,300
- HDI: 0.456
- Life expectancy: 61 years
Physical nature of hazard
- 56 aftershocks - 4.5 of greater magnitude
- Main quake lasted one minute.
- 1/3 buildings collapsed.
Kashmir, Pakistan LEDC (2005)
- Corrupt government & lack of ENFORCED building regulations.
Earthquake Information
- Magnitude:
- Death rate:
- Economic cost:
Level of development
- GDP: $3,900
- HDI: 0.554
- Life expectancy: 69 years.
Physical nature of hazard
- Infrequent seismographs - very little prediction of earthquake.
Kobe, Japan MEDC (1995)
Great Hanshin Earthquake
- Warning systems in place but seismographs knocked out by magnitude.
- No one outside of Kobe was aware of earthquake.
Earthquake information
- Magnitude: 7.2
- Death rate: 6400
- Economic cost: $147 billion
Level of development
- GDP: $36,200
- HDI: 0.912
- Life expectancy: 82 years
Physical nature of hazard
- Unknown fault line
- Low predicatbility
Japan Tsunami MEDC (2011)
- 30% of global earthquakes happen in Japan.
- 10m ssea wall but ground displaced by 1m - wave moved over wall pullung boats & debris with it.
Earthquake information
- Magnitude: 8.9
- Death rate: 19,000
- Economic cost: $300 billion
Level of development
- GDP: $36,200
- HDI: 0.912
- Life expectancy: 82 years
Physical nature of hazard
- 5 minutes of shaking.
- 10 tsunami waves.
- TV and automatic alerts felt P-wave.
Boxing Day Tsunami (2004)
Earthquake information
- Magnitude: 9.3
- Death rate: 294,000
- Economic cost: $12.5 billion
Level of development
- Most countries underdeveloped - unable to warn fellow endangered areas of waves approach.
- India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Burma (Myanmar), Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania & the Seychelles.
Physical nature of hazard
- Indian ocean
- Subduction zone on west coast of Sumatra.
Nyiragongo, Congo LEDC (2011)
Background
- Civil war
- 66% literacy rates
- Acted as a spill over from masacre in Rwanda.
Volcano information
- VEI: 1
- Death rate: 147
- Economic cost: unknown (corrupt government)
Level of development
- GDP: $400
- HDI: 0.304
- Life expectancy: 55 years
Physical nature of hazard
- Lava flow straight through big settlement Goma.
- Constructive plate boundary.
- Stratovolcano - high viscosity lava (andesitic).
Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland MEDC (2010)
Volcano Information
- VEI: 4
- Death rate: 0
- Economic cost: $5.2 billion
Level of development
- GDP: $36,483
- HDI: 0.906
- Life expectancy: 81 years
Physical nature of hazard
- Mid-atlantic ridge
- Contructive plate boundary
- Wind travelled in southerly direction
- Glacier on volcano lead to high levels of ash
Hazard hotspot
- High hazard perception
- Sparsely populated
- Only 1 family relocated
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