Explain the characteristics and spatial distribution of the following hazards using at least two specific examples. [10 marks]
It is important
to be aware of hazards, especially the characteristics and spatial
distribution. Knowing about hazards can help prevent future repetition, by
educating the people. Characteristics are essentially the facts, whilst the
spatial distribution is the location of the hazard and the area it affects. The
characteristics and spatial distributions will be discussed in light of two
disastrous earthquakes: the 2010 Christchurch Earthquake and the 2011 Japan
Earthquake.
The Christchurch Earthquake happened on September 4, 2010 in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city, with approximately 386,000 people (BBC). Fortunately, there were no direct casualties, and only a few injured people (BBC). It is arguable that the reason behind the minimal casualties is because the quake took place at 4am, where there were little to no people on the streets.
The quake scored
a 7.1 on the Richter scale, and lasted around 40 seconds (TVNZ). On the same
day, there were 12,911 after shocks, not all of which were felt on the surface
(Nicholls). The quake was surprisingly not predictable, because though New
Zealand lies in the boundary of the Australian the Pacific plates, the fault
line runs along the southern alps, which is a considerable distance from
Christchurch. Experts only discovered and declared a fault line under the
Canterbury plains – the area of relatively flat land between Christchurch and
the Southern Alps – upon the event of the earthquake (BBC & Nicholls).
Moreover, the epicenter is in the Canterbury plains, some 35kilometres away
from the city centre, and is only about 12kilometres deep.
On the other
hand, the 2011 Earthquake that hit eastern Japan, near the city of Sendai, was
notably more disastrous. The quake affected 2,100km of coastline, including the
city of Tokyo. This quake was particularly damaging because it caused a 7metre
tsunami, which hit Hawaii within 24 hours. The tsunami was so large in scale
that there were warnings along the west coast of the United States, Canada, and
South America. Additionally, a few nuclear power plants were affected, which
consequently affected some surrounding residential areas, hundreds of
kilometres away from the epicenter (Huffington Post).
The quake was reported to have a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale, with over 50 after shocks, some of which had a magnitude of over 6.0 on the Richter scale. Unlike the Christchurch Earthquakes, this quake was somewhat predictable, because Japan is a country that has experienced its share of destructive earthquakes, such as the 1996 earthquake in Kobe that caused over 100,000 casualties (Huffington Post).There is no denial that earthquakes, as well as other natural disasters, are inevitable. However, being aware of the causes and vulnerability of a certain place to certain disasters can aid in future planning, in order to avoid repetition and to perhaps fix the catastrophic damage that is still visible from these quakes. It is far more beneficial for people to learn about these hazards, so that they can invest in proper infrastructure and safety methods for the future.
The Christchurch Earthquake happened on September 4, 2010 in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city, with approximately 386,000 people (BBC). Fortunately, there were no direct casualties, and only a few injured people (BBC). It is arguable that the reason behind the minimal casualties is because the quake took place at 4am, where there were little to no people on the streets.
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| Figure 1: Before and after image of a building in Christchurch. |
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| Figure 2: 7.1 magnitude earthquake's epicentre and area of influence. Christchurch is to the east, and the Southern Alps is to the west. |
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| Figure 3: Map showing the epicentre, neighbouring city of Sendai,and the eastern coast that was affected. |
The quake was reported to have a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale, with over 50 after shocks, some of which had a magnitude of over 6.0 on the Richter scale. Unlike the Christchurch Earthquakes, this quake was somewhat predictable, because Japan is a country that has experienced its share of destructive earthquakes, such as the 1996 earthquake in Kobe that caused over 100,000 casualties (Huffington Post).There is no denial that earthquakes, as well as other natural disasters, are inevitable. However, being aware of the causes and vulnerability of a certain place to certain disasters can aid in future planning, in order to avoid repetition and to perhaps fix the catastrophic damage that is still visible from these quakes. It is far more beneficial for people to learn about these hazards, so that they can invest in proper infrastructure and safety methods for the future.
Citations:
"Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Hits Chch." TVNZ. N.p., 4 Sept. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. <http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/magnitude-7-1-earthquake-hits-chch-3759865>.
Nicholls, Paul. "Christchurch Quake Map." Christchurch Quake Map. University of Canterbury's Digital Group, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. <http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/>.
Snyder, Whitney. "Japan Earthquake 2011: 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits, 30-Foot Tsunami Triggered." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/japan-earthquake-tsunami_n_834380.html>.
"Strong Earthquake Rocks New Zealand's South Island." BBC News. BBC, 3 Sept. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11183685>.
Figure 1: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj978UNoZqnAEHh328pTVA24bEH-Wqa0bEClEDZK4yxSSDb_VulqiGAxcQqoxMB6c3Tv_iztiIc3cTukQ12hohPpiEey_HzdZm2mvuu1TdsrWEJMS-Ll5Hhsa_lhRdKiL9SCfFBRQfYvEi4/s1600/11PyneGould.jpg
Figure 2: http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/largest
Figure 3: http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/stTwmvCmbXJl.jpg
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