Temperatures in the mountainous Tibetan plateau 5 km above sea level can reach minus six degrees at night, so the government quickly arranged to send five thousand tents and fifty thousand blankets for the homeless survivors.

The government allocated $30 million for relief and mobilized more than 5,000 soldiers, medical workers and other rescue workers to join with 700 troops already on the ground.

TAIWAN: APRIL 26, 2010

APRIL 26, 2010 M6.5 EARTHQUAKE AND 3- DAYS OF RAIN CREATE CONDITIONS FOR LANDSLIDES

LANDSLIDE

SEARCH AND RESCUE

INDONESIA’S TRIPLE DISASTER STARTED WITH EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI ON OCTOER 25, 2010 October – November 24, 2010

A M7.7 EARTHQUAKE, A 3 M-TSUNAMI- WAVE RUN UP, AND A LONG ERUPTION OF MOUNT MERAPI CAUSED LOSSES IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS, DISPLACED OVER 340,000, KILLING NEARLY 1,000, AND POTENTIALLY AFFECTING THE HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOUSANDS,

INDONESIA HAS MORE THAN 17,000 ISLANDS

Sandwiched between two active earthquake belts, the Pacific “Ring of fire,” and the Alpide Belt, Indonesia experiences some of the most powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on Earth.

Indonesia is home to 129 active volcanoes, with the two most active ones — Mount Kelut and Mount Merapi — located on the island of Java, which also contains the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, roughly 500 km (300 mi) northwest of them.

INDONESIA’S 129 ACTVE VOLCANOES (MOUNT MERAPI IS BOTTOM LEFT CENTER)

Monday and Tuesday: Oct Indonesia endured two days of environmental extremes after a powerful earthquake, a tsunami, and a volcanic eruption struck the Java region of the Indonesian archipelago.

CASUALTIES: 538 ON OCT 26, BUT TOLL LIKELY TO RISE IN THE FUTURE The earthquake and tsunami run up left at least 500 dead, and the initial volcanic eruption left 38 dead, BUT, health impacts associated with Mount Merapi’s continuing eruption may have long-term impacts.

THE M7.7 EARTHQUAKE Early r esponse was hindered by twenty-two aftershocks ranging from M5- 6.2

TECTONICS OF THE REGION The Australian and Eurasian plates meet in Indonesia, creating a tectonic setting favorable for generating earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

TECTONICS OF THE REGION (Continued) The Australian plate is moving northward and being subducted under the Eurasian plate in a zone marked by a submarine trench that can be traced from the northern tip of Sumatra to the Lesser Islands.

SUBDUCTION ZONE

SEISMICITY MARKS THE PLATE BOUNDARIES

THE TSUNAMI RESPONSE WAS EXACERBATED BY REMOTENESS OF THE ISLANDS

INDONESIA: LOCATION OF HISTORICAL TSUNAMIS INDONESIA: LOCATION OF HISTORICAL TSUNAMIS

The M7.7 earthquake generated a near-source tsunami with 3 m (10 ft) waves that struck within 5 minutes after the quake---so quickly that the regional tsunami warning system that was improved after the December 26, 2004 tsunami disaster, was ineffective..

The tsunami, triggered by the 7.7-magnitude undersea quake, hit the Mentawai Islands late Monday, leaving thousands homeless, killing at least 500 people, and sweeping hundreds out to sea.

TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND TSUNAMI WAVE RUN UP IN MENTAWAI ISLAND

MENTAWAI ISLAND: MANY SWEPT OUT TO SEA MENTAWAI ISLAND: MANY SWEPT OUT TO SEA

SEARCH AND RESCUE HINDERED BY POOR COMMUNICATIONS SEARCH AND RESCUE HINDERED BY POOR COMMUNICATIONS

KNOWING WHERE, WHEN, AND WHY A TSUNAMI OCCURS IS A VITAL PART OF THE ART AND SCIENCE OF INTELLIGENT RISK REDUCTION.

Tsunamis Are Associated with Subduction Zone Earthquakes M7 or larger earthquakes that occur in oceanic subduction zones can cause:  Tsunamis

A TSUNAMI WAVE CAN REACH 10 M OR MORE IN HEIGHT A TSUNAMI WAVE CAN REACH 10 M OR MORE IN HEIGHT

TSUNAMI HAZARDS (AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS) HIGH-VELOCITY, LONG-PERIOD WATER WAVES WAVE RUNUP FLOODING WAVE RETREAT SHORELINE EROSION

HIGH VELOCITY IMPACT OF INCOMING WAVES TSUNAMIS INLAND DISTANCE OF WAVE RUNUP VERTICAL HEIGHT OF WAVE RUNUP INADEQUATE RESISTANCE OF BUILDINGS FLOODING INADEQUATE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL EVACUATION PROXIMITY TO SOURCE OF TSUNAMI CAUSES OF DAMAGE “DISASTER LABORATORIES”

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF KNOWING WHEN TO EVACUATE BEFORE A TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVES AND WHERE TO GO CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.

YOU CAN’T OUTRUN OR DIVERT 10-M-HIGH, DEBRIS-LADEN, OCEAN WAVES THAT ARRIVE WITH A HIGH VELOCITY (E.G., 30 TO 300 KM/HR) AND MOVE INLAND FOR 2-3 KM, OR MORE

DECEMBER 21, 2010 M6.5 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES SOUTHEASTERN IRAN

The M6.5 earthquake, centered near the location of the 2003 Bam quake in southeastern Iran, killed at least 11, damaged 1,800 homes, downed phone lines, and triggered landslides.

Almost exactly seven years ago in the same region, a M6.6 earthquake struck the nearby city of Bam, killing more than 25,000 people and destroying a medieval castle that was one of Iran's most treasured archaeological sites.

TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUED, THEN WITHDRAWN DECEMBER 25, 2010 M7.2 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES VANUATU

VANUATU