The Effects of Earthquakes on People and Property - Coursework Example

 The Effects of Earthquakes on People and Properties Known to many countries by different names, earthquakes even have a place in folklore. Our ancestors have created countless myths and legends in order to explain this phenomenon. A myth from Japan, for example, speaks of a catfish that lives in a mud pool beneath the earth and thrashes about whenever Kashima, the god that protects from their earthquakes, reduces the his pressure on the mighty rock that restrains the eel, leading to the occurrence of earthquakes. The Gabrielino Indians of South California, on the other hand, believed that the two turtles that carry the earth on their backs cause earthquakes whenever they argue with each other. These stories show how ancient this phenomenon is. Even the ancient Greeks or 6th century BC have a belief of their own. They believed that the earth floats on the sea and whenever it is agitated, earthquakes are produced. And, the best story that portrays the damages caused by earthquakes is that of the people from Peru. They believe that earthquakes occur whenever their god visits the earth to count the number of people in it. As he does so, the people leave their houses in order to help him finish his work faster and keep themselves safe at the same time. Even now, in the present, people have created some myths that describe the damages caused by earthquakes. One of them is that of the Swallowing Earth which theorized that a chasm can form along the fault and anything and anyone in that vicinity can be swallowed by the earth. No one, however, has been reported to have died from such a fate. Contrary to the myths that were presented in this introduction, this paper will focus on the documented damages caused by earthquakes. Property Damages Caused By Earthquakes The two major effects caused by earthquakes are shaking and ground rupture. This can lead to damages to buildings and other rigid structures. The intensity of the damage is defined by the magnitude of the earthquake, the distance of the area from the epicenter or the origin of an earthquake, and the geological and geomorphological conditions of the location which can significantly increase or decrease the propagation of the waves generated by an earthquake. When there is an earthquake, the area where the epicenter is located is usually the most damaged. This can be clearly described by a graph made by a Japanese engineer, Shigeru Tani, that showed the relationship of the damage percentage of the fill dams in Japan to the distance of the epicenter. According to the graph, the farther the fill dams are from the epicenter, the lesser the damage is. There are some exceptions to this rule, however. There are times when the biggest damage can occur away from the epicenter. A very good example would be the Denali Fault Earthquake in Alaska which happened in November 3, 2002. In this case, the area 330 kilometers away from the epicenter received the greatest damage. Since the location was sparsely populated, there were no deaths and there was little damage on the structures. A facility which is 40 miles from the eastern part of the fault rupture was damaged such that it was no longer usable. This was the runway of the Northway Airport which was damaged by lateral spreading and sand boils. Fortunately, none of the oil pipes in the ruptured areas were destroyed during the earthquake. The worst thing about earthquakes is that they do not choose the structures that they bring down. Many buildings, dams and roads have been damage by earthquakes. Even historical sites are not saved from this disaster. In Israel, an earthquake which has an intensity of 5.3, shook the Temple Mount, opening up a large hole. In addition to the damages caused by shaking and ground rupture, earthquakes can also cause landslides and avalanches. A very good example of this is the January 13 earthquake in El Salvador which had an intensity of 7.6. The earthquake was followed by 16,000 landslides, damaging roads and utilities and taking more lives. Soil liquefaction is another product of earthquakes. This happens when the shaking causes the water-saturated granural material which is commonly found in sandy areas to turn into liquid, leading to the sinking of rigid structures like buildings or bridges. This caused the destruction of the San Francisco's Marina District during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Because the earthquake can break electrical power and gas lines, fires may also occur. In 1999, an earthquake hit Kocaeli, Turkey, causing ignitions in collapsing structures. Fortunately, the buildings were made of non-flammable materials, containing the fire within the building. The most damaging fire occurred at the Tupras oil refinery. A huge reinforced concrete slab fell on the units, breaking them and releasing some fuel, causing the fire. Although it was relatively easy to stop the fire within the refinery, the slab also damaged a pipeline that is connected to burning Naptha tank, spreading the damage. In the same area, the earthquake also caused power failures because many transmission lines and towers were destroyed. Some telephone wires were also damaged, causing minor interruptions. Highways and railways were also damaged after the earthquake. After an earthquake has occurred, the shifting land mass can cause the displacement of water, creating a tsunami. In the case of tsunami that hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand in 2004, the earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, causing the displacement of water and sending off huge waves to the coasts of the surrounding countries. The earthquake, which had an intensity of 9.3, was “the second largest earthquake recorded on the seismograph.” (Wikipedia) The damages caused by both the tsunami and the earthquake led to food and water shortage, economic damage as well as the spread of diseases like cholera, diphtheria, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis A and B because of the lack of sanitation facilities and clean drinking water. The damages caused by earthquakes, like all disasters, do not just end with loss or damage of properties, it can also have an economic impact. In Thailand, for example, “66% of the fishing fleet and the industrial infrastructure and coastal regions have been destroyed by wave surges.” (Wikipedia) This led to the loss of livelihood of many fishermen and residents. The tourism of the country was also severely affected. In Pakistan, the 1998 earthquake has caused the collapse of housing stock. It also affected the livelihood of the farmers since many of their livestocks perished during the earthquake and the pasture land was no longer suitable for the remaining livestock. Even worse, they couldn't harvest or sow any crops. Physical Injuries Caused By Earthquakes Not only do earthquakes destroy properties, the damages usually extend to people. During an intense earthquake, structures tend to collapse, leading to the entrapment of people under concrete slabs, injuries and even death. In Los Angeles, for example, the Northridge earthquake which had an intensity of 6.7 caused 171 injuries. 33 of these were fatal while the other 138 injuries required hospital admission. Injuries to the chest, head and extremities were very common. They were mostly caused by falls and getting hit by heavy objects. Motor vehicles injuries and burns were also among these 171 injuries. According to the research done on the Northridge earthquake, "there was a dramatic increase in earthquake-related injury with age." (Peek-Asa et al.) People who are 80 and above have a higher chance of getting injured during an earthquake than people who are 0 to 19 years old. Also, females have a slightly higher rate of earthquake-related injury when compared to men. Psychological Problems Caused By Earthquakes The injuries caused by earthquakes are not always physical. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is very common among people who have been exposed to traumatic experiences caused by disasters and dangerous situations. When a person experiences PSTD he tends to “react to this experience with fear and helplessness, persistently relives the event and tries to avoid being reminded of it.” (Khan) Earthquakes not only cause physical injuries, they can also bring about cardiovascular effects and psychological reactions. "PTSD and depressive symptoms are reported to be more marked in people near epicenter of the earthquake." (Khan) This is usually caused by the loss of the relative, being trapped under debris as well as the sensations that they felt during the earthquake. Earthquakes can cause structural damages, physical injuries as well as psychological problems. Because of the damages that they cause, they also affect an area’s economy. In order to control the damages caused by earthquakes, more studies should be done in order to create structures that can withstand earthquakes or contain the damages caused by these disasters. Reference The Center for Earthquake Research and Information. Earthquake Myths and Folklore. Retrieved April 06, 208, from http://www.ceri.memphis.edu/aware/myths.html. EQE International. (March 1994) January 17, 1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake: An EQE Summary Report. Retrieved April 8, 2008, from http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/940117_NorthridgeEarthquake/quake/02_EQE_geology.htm. HaLevi, Ezra. (17 February 2008) Earthquake Damages Temple Mount and Schechem. Retrived April 9, 2008 from http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125277 Hasan, Arif. (25 October 2005) Reconstruction of Earthquake Effected Areas. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://achr.net/000ACHRTsunami/Pakistan/Pakistan%20Earthquake.html. Khan, Nsar et al. (June 2007) Frequency of Post-traumatic stress disorder and its association with types of physical injuries and depression in earthquake victims. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://www.pjms.com.pk/issues/aprjun207/article/article19.html. Peek-Asa, Corinne et al. (1998) Fatal and Hospitalized Injuries Resulting From the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Retrieved April 8, 2008 from http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/27/3/459.pdf. Scawthorn, Charles. (2007) Lifeline Damage and Fire: Kocaeli, Turkey Earthquake, August 17, 1999. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/Reconnaissance/turkey8-17-99/lifelines.asp. Tani, Shigeru. (20 April 1999) Earthquake Damage to Fill Dams in Japan. Retrieved April 8, 2008 from http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/kankoubutsu/jarq/34-1/tani/34-1(5).htm. Wikipedia. (7 April 2008). Earthquakes. Retrieved April 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake. Wikipedia. (7 April 2008). Epicenter. Retrieved April 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicenter. Wikipedia. (21 February 2008) 2001 El Salvador earthquakes. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_El_Salvador_earthquakes. Wikipedia. (20 March 2008) Soil liquefaction. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_liquefaction. Wikipedia. (10 April 2008) Tsunami. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami. Wikipedia. (3 April 2008) 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. Retrieved April 9, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake. Read More