Earthquake Case Studies

AQA A-Level Geography requires you to compare earthquake events across countries at different levels of economic development. This lesson examines three major earthquakes — Haiti (2010), Nepal (2015), and Tōhoku, Japan (2011) — and considers how development, preparedness, and governance affect outcomes.

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Haiti Earthquake (12 January 2010)

Context

• Magnitude: Mw 7.0 | Depth: 13 km (shallow)
• Location: 25 km west of Port-au-Prince, the capital (population ~2.8 million)
• Tectonic setting: Conservative boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates (Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault)
• Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (GDP per capita ~$670); weak governance; no building codes enforced

Impacts

Category	Details
Deaths	Estimated 230,000–316,000 (figures disputed)
Injured	Over 300,000
Displaced	~1.5 million people in temporary camps
Infrastructure	Presidential palace, parliament, and most government buildings collapsed; 250,000+ homes destroyed; port and airport badly damaged
Economic	Damage estimated at $7.8–8.5 billion (over 120% of GDP)
Health	Cholera outbreak (introduced via UN peacekeepers) killed over 9,000 people in subsequent years

Response

• Immediate: International response was slow due to damaged infrastructure; the Dominican Republic provided the first assistance; US military deployed aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson
• Short-term: Over $13 billion in international aid pledged; temporary shelters, food, and medical supplies distributed
• Long-term: Reconstruction has been extremely slow; by 2015, tens of thousands still lived in camps; criticism of NGO effectiveness (e.g., Red Cross built only 6 permanent homes despite raising $500 million)

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Nepal Earthquake (25 April 2015)

Context

• Magnitude: Mw 7.8 | Depth: 15 km (shallow)
• Location: Gorkha district, ~80 km north-west of Kathmandu (population ~1.5 million)
• Tectonic setting: Collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian plates; thrust faulting along the Main Himalayan Thrust
• Nepal was a low-income country (GDP per capita ~$730); mountainous terrain made access difficult

Impacts

Category	Details
Deaths	~8,900 (plus ~150 from a Mw 7.3 aftershock on 12 May)
Injured	Over 22,000
Displaced	~2.8 million people
Infrastructure	~600,000 homes destroyed; ~290,000 damaged; 7,000+ schools destroyed; UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley severely damaged (Dharahara Tower collapsed)
Economic	$7 billion damage (~35% of GDP); tourism sector devastated
Secondary hazards	Landslides blocked roads and rivers; avalanche on Mount Everest killed 19 climbers; aftershocks hampered rescue

Response