Lahore Business School Earthquake Submitted To: Miss Reema.A.

Rao Submitted By:

Sana Rais (BBA02103093) Sehar Azhar (BBA02103128) Hina Sultan (BBA02103012) Ifra Javeed (BBA02103162)

Section: D Date: 03-12-2010

Contents
1. Earthquake- An introduction 2. Causes of earthquake 3. Effects of earthquake 4. Measuring of earthquake 5. Current earthquake 6. What factors influence the effects and response to tectonic activity? 7. Conclusion

Earthquakes- An Introduction

An earthquake is a sudden movement of earths surface. It is a shaking of the ground caused by sudden breaking and shifting of large sections of the earths rocky outer shell . It is an unpredictable event in which masses of rock shift below earths surface, releasing enormous amounts of energy and sending out shock waves that sometimes cause the ground to shake dramatically. Not all Earthqukes are enormous, but they can become one of earths

destructive forces. Earthqukes are so violent that they can raze cities. Major parts of the world are affected by earthquakes regularly though some are not felt due to low intensity.

Causes of Earthquake

Earthqukes are caused by the movement of the earths tectonic plates. Earthquakes occur where the earths plates meet along plate binderies. When plates move fast, toward or away from each other the movement is not smooth. Friction causes plates to get stuck. This causes pressure to build up. Earthquakes occur when this build up pressure is released. The point where the earthquake is starts is called the focus. The point at ground level directly above the focus is called the epicenter.

Effects of Earthquake

The effects of earthquakes vary. This is a result of a variety of factors such as the strength of the earthquake, the level of population in an area and the level of economic development of the area struck. The impact of a strong earthquake can be devastating. Earthquakes can destroy settlements and kill many people.

Aftershocks can be cause even more damage o an area. It is possible to classify the impacts of earthquake, by taking the following: Social Impacts: 1) People may be killed or injured. 2) Homes may be destroyed. 3) Essential services may be disrupted for example transport and communication links. 4) Water pipes may be burst and water supplies may be contaminated. 5) Disease may be spread.

6)

People may have to be re-housed, sometimes in refugee camps.

Economic Impacts: 1. Shops and business are destroyed. 2. Looting may take place. 3. Transport and communication systems are disrupted. 4. Trade not be carried out easily due to the poor transport and communication systems therefore a loss of money.

5. The cost of rebuilding a settlement is high. 6. Investment in the area is focused only on repairing the damage caused by the earthquake. Income is lost. Environmental Impacts: 1. The built landscape is destroyed. 2. Landslides may occur. 3. Important natural and human landmarks may be lost. 4. Old buildings in some cases will not be able to be restored however new developments.

Measuring of Earthquake

The power of an earthquake is measured using a seismometer. A seismometer is a sensitive machine, which picks up the vibrations caused by the earthquake. It plots these vibrations on a seismograph. The strength, or magnitude, of an earthquake is measured by using scale called Richter scale. The Richter scale is measured 0-10. While intensity of an earthquake is usually

described through peoples perceptions and the amount of property destroyed. Intensity can be measured by using the modified Mercalli scale. First developed by Italian seismologist Guisppe Mercalli (1850-1914) in 1902, the scale compares the surface effects of earthquakes to each other.

Current Earthquake

Last earthquake came in Pakistan on 17 September 2010. A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on Richter scale rocked many parts of Pakistan early on Friday. The tremor jolted Islamabad, central Punjab, and north western Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and northern areas at around 12:21 am. (Local time.)

The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Hindu Kush Mountain range, it said. People who were asleep out of their homes after feeling strong shocks that lasted several seconds. There were no immediate reports casualties or damage to property.

What Factors Influence The Effects And Response To Tectonic Activity?

MEDCs and LEDCs: Earthquakes tend to have a greater impact in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) than More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs). Buildings in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) are more likely to withstand an earthquake, because they may be designed to withstand tremors. They may have seismic isolators (e.g. Japan) or deep foundations (e.g. USA). In 1995 an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the Japanese city of Kobe. Only 5000 people were killed.

However, in LEDCs the buildings are often of poor design because of cost. This is one reason why earthquake damage in LEDCs is usually greater. For example in 1999 an earthquake measuring between 6.8-7.0 on the Richter Scale killed 17 000 people in Turkey. MEDCs are more likely to have response plans available. In Japan school students practice an earthquake drill on the 1st September every year. Emergency services are well trained in responding to a tectonic hazard. In contrast LEDCs tend to lack disaster response plans. LEDCs often have to rely on aid from MEDCs to assist in responding to earthquakes. Aid can come in many forms e.g. medical facilities, tents, rescue teams etc. Aid can take anywhere up to 3 days to arrive. This reduces the chance of survival for many people injured or trapped beneath buildings. Rural and Urban areas: Population density also affects the impact of

an earthquake. Earthquakes can be a devastating phenomenon when they hit densely populated areas. Their effect can be greatly reduced in more sparsely populated areas. Distance from the epicenter: The closer the epicenter the stronger the earthquake. Therefore earthquakes that have epicenters close to major urban areas tend to cause more problems than those that occur some distance from urban areas. Emergency response: Lack of emergency services and poor communication links in Less Economically Developed Countries mean that people are not rescued as quickly, or cared for as well, as they would be in a More Economically Developed Country. Time of day: Night time earthquakes can make it more difficult to rescue people immediately after an earthquake. However, there are few

people on the street, in public buildings and at work. Time of Year: Earthquakes can result in higher fatalities if they occur in times of cold weather. Surface type: the type of soil or rock that an area is built on affects the impact of the earthquake. Soils that contain a large amount of water can turn to liquid causing the buildings to sink. This is called liquefaction.

Conclusion
At last conclusion is that we cant stop them. It happens naturally. When it happens it happens you cant stop it you can only get out of the way. So just try to help those people which are suffering from such types of earthquake.