Download • Haiti is on a transform boundary between the Caribbean and North

  Haiti is on a transform boundary between the Caribbean and North American Plate  The earthquake happened on January 10th 2010 near the capital city of Port au Prince  It measured 7 on the Richter Scale  230,000 people died, mainly when poorly built concrete buildings collapsed  This was made worse by all hospitals being destroyed and roads being blocked for emergency services  1.5 million people were made homeless and many lived in dirty refugee camps for a long time  Cholera (a disease spread by poor sanitation) killed many people long after the earthquake  300,000 people were injured by the quake.  Businesses were so badly damaged that Port Au Prince stopped making money. Coupled with the cost of repairs, this made it a real economic disaster too.  This Dominican Republic (the country next to Haiti) opened their hospitals and sent rescue equipment over and food, water, medicine and shelter immediately.  Survivors dug through the rubble to rescue friends and family.  Foreign MEDCs sent aid – America donated $30 million and Britain donated $40 million. They also sent troops to help with the rescue effort and helped rebuild schools and hospitals later on.  Charities like the Red Cross also donated aid.  People were evacuated to safer, cleaner areas outside of Port Au Prince and Haiti.  Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas with a GDP per capita (basically, average earnings) of $1,200 Keywords Convergent Boundary – Where plates PUSH INTO each other (sometimes called a destructive boundary) Divergent Boundary – Where plates PULL AWAY from each other (sometimes called a constructive boundary) Transform boundary – Where plates RUB PAST each other (sometimes called a conservative boundary) Subduction – When one plate (the oceanic plate) is forced under another (the continental plate) Epicentre – Where an earthquake is strongest ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE Focus – Where an Earthquake is strongest INSIDE the earth Aftershock – Smaller earthquakes that follow the main ones Seismic Activity – Activity underneath the earth’s surface Magnitude – The size of the Earthquake For this case study, if it comes up, you’re most likely to be asked a combination of… ‐ How the disaster happened (the causes ‐ The effects of the hazards (sometimes called impacts) ‐ The responses (what was done before, during or after to stop or prepare for damage)  New Zealand on a convergent boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo Australian plate (on the Pacific Ring of Fire)  The earthquake happened on September 4th 2010 near Christchurch, a city with a population of 400,000  It happened at 4.35am when people were asleep in their strong earthquake proof buildings  It measured 7.0 on the Richter Scale (same as Haiti)  500 buildings were damaged  Nobody died and only 2 people were injured  245 people were briefly made homeless.  75% of all electricity went off, but hospitals had back up generators that worked straight away.  16 ambulances hit the streets within half an hour which showed New Zealand had well prepared emergency services  The centre of Christchurch was closed between 7pm and 7am to stop looters.  Sewage pipes were damaged leading to some water being contaminated. This made 28 people ill.  The biggest aftershock measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale.  It cost the New Zealand economy around $4 billion Convergent boundary – how they form earthquakes 
Plates push into one another  The denser (heavier) oceanic plate is subducted underneath the lighter continental plate. The oceanic plate is the one under the ocean. The continental plate is the ones that makes up most of the land  This can form earthquakes and volcanoes. For earthquakes, you would mention the following: As this happens, the plates are rubbing against each other and friction and pressure are built up.  Eventually, this friction is released as seismic activity from the focus. Important keywords are bold and underlined. Bits that are just here to help you that you wouldn’t actually write in an exam are written in grey and italics (This diagram shows how volcanoes are formed too) Transform boundary – how they form earthquakes 
 Plates rub past one another  As this happens, pressure and friction are built up  This is eventually released as seismic energy from the focus An example of where this happens is the San Andreas Faultline in California (with the Pacific and North American Plates)