GEOGRAPHY CASE STUDIES
PAPER 1- PHYSICAL
ORLA SULLIVAN
, NATURAL HAZARDS
Case Study 1:
TECTONIC HAZARD IN AN LIC/NEE – Nepal Earthquake 2015
DATE: 11:56 on Saturday 25th April 2015
LOCATION: Nepal is located south of China and borders India. It is home to the Himalayas which sit on the
Indian/Eurasian plate boundary (con nental collision).
EARTHQUAKE FACTS: Measured 7.8 on Richter scale (top end of ‘high’ hazard level’). Epicentre 60km NW of
Kathmandu and 200km W of Mount Everest with a focus (depth) of 15km which is shallow for an earthquake.
PRIMARY EFFECTS:
8632 dead and 19009 injured
Hundreds of thousands of buildings destroyed leaving 3 million people homeless
Centuries old buildings destroyed at UNESCO world heritage sites across Nepal
Religious rituals and rou nes disrupted
Roads destroyed and blocked by debris
SECONDARY EFFECTS:
US Geological Society es mated GDP losses of 35% & Nepalese govt put es ma on of $10billion in damages
Harvests were reduced/lost for that season
Steep valleys nearby suffered many landslides- the village of Ghodatabela was covered killing 250 residents
Triggered avalanche on Mount Everest killing 24 people with approx. 1000 people on it at the me
Resultant massive decrease in tourism which is a key industry in Nepal
IMMEDIATE RESPONSES:
Tents erected in Kathmandu for the now homeless (50,000 across Nepal)
Helicopters flew into hardest hit Gorkha-Lamjung area on 26th April to search for survivors
90% of Nepalese army mobilised to worst hit areas (but halted by road damage & landslides)
Interna onal aid agencies (e.g. Doctors without Borders & Red Cross) evacuated cri cally wounded by
helicopter from outlying areas
GIS tool ‘Crisis Mapping’ used to coordinate aid response
Surgeons and inflatable hospitals put up around Nepal and UN & WHO distributed medical supplies
LONG TERM RESPONSES:
New Nepalese govt taskforce to plan for and deal with future earthquakes
Educa on ini a ves on what to do in earthquakes across Nepal
Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided $200 million for 1st stage of rehabilita on
Aid given by mul ple countries worldwide (UK donated £73 million- £23 mil from govt & £50 mil from pubic)
India and China commi ed over $1 billion to support Nepal
WHAT HAPPENED ON MOUNT EVEREST?
When the earthquake struck there were approx. 1000 people on Mt Everest including 359 at Base Camp
Many were returning a er the disastrous 2014 season where 16 sherpas were killed in an ice avalanche
On 25th April an avalanche origina ng from nearby Pumori peak swept into Base Camp blowing tents away
Some climbers higher on the mountain had their descent routes blocked and helicopters reached Mt Everest
on April 26th to evacuate survivors
Transported 22 badly injured to Pheriche village & several from camp 1 before bad weather grounded them
On 27th April a further 60 people rescued from camp 1 and 170 from camp 2 including 17 bodies. 7 later died.
PAPER 1- PHYSICAL
ORLA SULLIVAN
, NATURAL HAZARDS
Case Study 1:
TECTONIC HAZARD IN AN LIC/NEE – Nepal Earthquake 2015
DATE: 11:56 on Saturday 25th April 2015
LOCATION: Nepal is located south of China and borders India. It is home to the Himalayas which sit on the
Indian/Eurasian plate boundary (con nental collision).
EARTHQUAKE FACTS: Measured 7.8 on Richter scale (top end of ‘high’ hazard level’). Epicentre 60km NW of
Kathmandu and 200km W of Mount Everest with a focus (depth) of 15km which is shallow for an earthquake.
PRIMARY EFFECTS:
8632 dead and 19009 injured
Hundreds of thousands of buildings destroyed leaving 3 million people homeless
Centuries old buildings destroyed at UNESCO world heritage sites across Nepal
Religious rituals and rou nes disrupted
Roads destroyed and blocked by debris
SECONDARY EFFECTS:
US Geological Society es mated GDP losses of 35% & Nepalese govt put es ma on of $10billion in damages
Harvests were reduced/lost for that season
Steep valleys nearby suffered many landslides- the village of Ghodatabela was covered killing 250 residents
Triggered avalanche on Mount Everest killing 24 people with approx. 1000 people on it at the me
Resultant massive decrease in tourism which is a key industry in Nepal
IMMEDIATE RESPONSES:
Tents erected in Kathmandu for the now homeless (50,000 across Nepal)
Helicopters flew into hardest hit Gorkha-Lamjung area on 26th April to search for survivors
90% of Nepalese army mobilised to worst hit areas (but halted by road damage & landslides)
Interna onal aid agencies (e.g. Doctors without Borders & Red Cross) evacuated cri cally wounded by
helicopter from outlying areas
GIS tool ‘Crisis Mapping’ used to coordinate aid response
Surgeons and inflatable hospitals put up around Nepal and UN & WHO distributed medical supplies
LONG TERM RESPONSES:
New Nepalese govt taskforce to plan for and deal with future earthquakes
Educa on ini a ves on what to do in earthquakes across Nepal
Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided $200 million for 1st stage of rehabilita on
Aid given by mul ple countries worldwide (UK donated £73 million- £23 mil from govt & £50 mil from pubic)
India and China commi ed over $1 billion to support Nepal
WHAT HAPPENED ON MOUNT EVEREST?
When the earthquake struck there were approx. 1000 people on Mt Everest including 359 at Base Camp
Many were returning a er the disastrous 2014 season where 16 sherpas were killed in an ice avalanche
On 25th April an avalanche origina ng from nearby Pumori peak swept into Base Camp blowing tents away
Some climbers higher on the mountain had their descent routes blocked and helicopters reached Mt Everest
on April 26th to evacuate survivors
Transported 22 badly injured to Pheriche village & several from camp 1 before bad weather grounded them
On 27th April a further 60 people rescued from camp 1 and 170 from camp 2 including 17 bodies. 7 later died.
