Kobe Case Study- MEDC earthquakes

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  • Created by: Maddy
  • Created on: 27-03-14 13:51
When and Where?
• The Kobe earthquake happened on Tuesday 17, January 1995 at 5:46am in Japan
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How big was it?
7.2 on the Richter scale
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what is an earthquake?
• An earthquake is the shaking and vibration of the earth crust due to movement of the earth’s plates. An earthquake happens along plate boundaries.
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What plates were involved?
Phillipine, Eurasian and Pacific plates
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What type of plate boundary caused the earthquake?
Destructive- The Phillipine plate is denser than the Eurasian plate as it is an oceanic crust, so when they collide the Phillipine plate is pushed under the Eurasian plate causing pressure to build between the two plates.
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How were the resources of the city affected?
All water, gas and electicity pipes and lines run underground. When the earthquake occured these lines were broken, causing many to lose power and clean water supply. Fires broke out in houses where gas lines were broken.
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How many were made homeless?
over 400,000
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How much money was lost in infrastructure?
over $150 billion
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How quickly did Kobe recover?
By January 24th, 589 evacuation homes were built and a month later schools were reopened. Electricity, gas, and phone lines were fixed and running smoothly by July 1995 this was possible because Kobe is a (MEDC).
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Why are the effects of an earthquake often less severe in MEDC countries than LEDC countries?
buildings in MEDC's are more likely to be built to withstand earthquakes than in LEDC's as it would be too costly for LEDC's. For example, in the Kobe earthquake about 5,000 people were killed whereas in Turkey, 17,000 were killed from an earthq
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How big was it?


7.2 on the Richter scale

Card 3


what is an earthquake?


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Card 4


What plates were involved?


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Card 5


What type of plate boundary caused the earthquake?


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