Earthquakes: Effects and Responses
Earthquake Case Studies
For AQA GCSE Geography you need to compare an earthquake in a higher income country (HIC) with one in a lower income country (LIC). The two most commonly studied examples are the 2011 Japan earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Haiti Earthquake — 12 January 2010
Location: Near Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti (Caribbean island of Hispaniola)
Magnitude: 7.0 | Depth: 13 km (shallow) | Boundary: Conservative (Caribbean and North American plates)
Haiti is a low-income country (LIC) — the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. GDP per capita was approximately $670 at the time.
Primary Effects
- 316,000 people killed, over 1 million made homeless
- 250,000 homes destroyed and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed
- The Presidential Palace, parliament, and UN headquarters all destroyed
- Port-au-Prince's main port severely damaged, blocking aid delivery
- Roads blocked by rubble, hampering rescue efforts
Secondary Effects
- Cholera outbreak killed over 9,000 people in the following months (linked to contaminated water from a UN camp)
- 1.5 million people living in temporary tent camps over a year later
- Massive economic losses — estimated at $8 billion (120% of GDP)
- Widespread looting and crime due to breakdown of law and order
Responses
- Immediate: International aid — the US sent 10,000 troops; search and rescue teams from many countries; emergency shelters, food, and water distributed by NGOs (Red Cross, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders)
- Long-term: Slow reconstruction — by 2015, only ~50% of rubble cleared; new building codes introduced but poorly enforced; billions pledged in aid but delivery criticised as inefficient
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami — 11 March 2011
Location: Off the northeast coast of Honshu (Tohoku region)
Magnitude: 9.0 | Depth: 32 km | Boundary: Destructive (Pacific plate subducting under North American/Okhotsk plate)
Japan is a high-income country (HIC) — one of the world's largest economies.
Primary Effects
- Violent shaking across northeast Japan
- A tsunami with waves up to 10 metres hit the coast within 30 minutes
- Over 18,000 people killed (most by the tsunami, not the earthquake itself)
- 130,000 buildings destroyed, 1 million more damaged
- Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered meltdowns after tsunami waves overwhelmed its sea wall
Secondary Effects
- 500,000 people displaced to evacuation centres
- Nuclear exclusion zone displaced 154,000 residents (some areas still uninhabitable)
- Power shortages across eastern Japan — rolling blackouts for weeks
- Estimated economic cost: $235 billion (most expensive natural disaster in history)
- Disruption to global supply chains (Japan manufactures key electronic components and car parts)
Responses
- Immediate: Tsunami warning issued within 3 minutes; military deployed within hours; search and rescue highly organised; evacuation shelters pre-stocked with supplies
- Long-term: Rebuilding with improved sea walls (some raised to 15 metres); stricter nuclear safety standards; all nuclear plants temporarily shut down; communities relocated to higher ground; memorial parks created
Comparing Haiti and Japan
| Factor | Haiti (LIC) | Japan (HIC) |
|---|---|---|
| Magnitude | 7.0 | 9.0 |
| Deaths | ~316,000 | ~18,000 |
| Building quality | Poor — concrete blocks, no steel | Earthquake-resistant design |
| Preparedness | Minimal planning or drills | Extensive early warning, drills, education |
| Emergency response | Relied on international aid | Self-sufficient with organised military |
| Recovery speed | Years, still incomplete | Major infrastructure rebuilt within 2 years |
Key exam point: Despite Japan's earthquake being ~1,000 times more powerful, far fewer people died. This demonstrates how development level, preparedness, and governance determine the impact of a hazard far more than its magnitude.