Comparing Earthquakes: Bam and California

Key WordsImpactComparisonFactorsPreparationAwareness

By the end of this lesson you will know the different effects of similar earthquakes in Iran (LEDC) and USA (MEDC) and understand the different factors that influence the impact of earthquakes.

For each location use the following slide to answer What? When? Where?What happened?When did it happen?Where did it happen?

Bam, Iran California, USA

For each location answer What? When? Where?What happened?When did it happen?Where did it happen?

Iran•Town of Bam, in southeast Iran •Date: 26 December, 2003 5:26am•Richter scale: 6.6.

California•California in USA•Date: 22 December, 2003 11:24am•Richter scale: 6.5

Which one is Bam,Iran?

Which is California, USA?

Why?

How can similar earthquakes in Iran and USA have very

different impacts?

Location: Bam in Iran

Date: 26 December, 2003

Strength of earthquake on the Richter scale: 6.6

Number dead: 28,000

Location: California in USA

Date: 22 December, 2003

Strength of earthquake on the Richter scale: 6.5

Number dead: 3

When mud brick collapses it disintegrates.

This leaves less air pockets, which might have allowed some people to survive, even though they were trapped.

Buildings and Infrastructure

Even very recent buildings - less than 10 years old - were brought down by this earthquake because the shaking was so strong.

These are like the mud brick buildings that collapsed in Bam

Buildings like this in a rich country might topple, but theydon’t crumble. What would be your chance of survival in

this situation?

When the earthquake happened is also important.

•In Bam, it happened at 5 o’clock on a Friday morning. Friday is the Muslim day of rest.

Where do you think most people were, and why did they die?

•In California, the earthquake struck late in the morning during school holidays.

In Iran the Epicentre was near the centre of the city. Migration to urban areas in LEDCs means cities are often overpopulated and have poor quality housing.

In USA the epicentre as similar depth but was not near densely populated areas.

Distance from the Epicentre

Geology- Plate movement

In the California the quake struck along a conservative plate margin of two plates that run parallel to the San Andreas Fault. This area suffers regular earthquakes that are often unreported.

In Iran the plate movement was quite complicated involving three plates on conservative margins; the Arabian plate, the Eurasian plate and Indo-Australian plate.

Public Awareness and Preparedness

Wealthy countries such as USA inform people through leaflets, TV and at work and school more effectively than poor countries.

Rich countries can usually cope better in emergencies due to better services and resources