1. Comparing and contrasting earthquakes
By the end of this section, you will:
Have compared the impacts of earthquakes on a MEDC and a LEDC.
Have considered development as a key issue in earthquake response.

2. What factors affect earthquake damage?
Different factors affect the damage an earthquake causes:
magnitude of the earthquake
physical landscape
time of day
building design and construction
emergency service response
GDP
education.
Teacher’s note:
The questions do not have single correct answers, but depending on the ability of the class this could be an opportunity to discuss how economic, environmental, social and political factors in relation to earthquakes are interdependent. It would be possible to explore how the economy, environment, society and politics of a country affect things like building standards, education and the preparedness of emergency services.
The example of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan is one where levels of wealth influenced the quality of building design and construction. The poor construction of homes, particularly in poor rural areas, directly contributed to people being crushed in their homes.
Which factors do you think are the most important?
Which factors are related to the wealth of the country?
How can education limit earthquake damage?

3. What the papers say
How different were the immediate effects of these earthquakes?
Teacher’s note:
In LA, fires, the collapse of roads and railways, the death of 50 and the injury of 1000 people are reported. In Pakistan the destruction of over 1,000 hospitals, upto 3.3 million people’s homes and the death of 82,000 people are reported. When the death tolls and injury statistics of each quake are compared, it is clear that the human dimension of the events are very different and Pakistan was much worse affected.
Students could be led in a discussion of the difference in magnitude of the earthquakes and asked what they know about the levels of development or standards of living in the affected areas.
The worksheet Earthquake Article accompanies this slide.
Why might more people have died in Pakistan than in LA?

4. What’s moving in Pakistan?
Pakistan lies on a collision boundary between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate.
The Indian plate is moving into the Eurasian plate at a rate of 67 mm per year. The motion causes the Himalayas to rise, as well as producing earthquakes.
Epicentre of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

5. What’s moving in California?
The San Andreas fault is a conservative fault that runs along the West of California.
Los Angeles lies very close to it.
All land west of the fault on the Pacific Plate is moving to the North-west. All land east of the fault on the North American plate is moving to the South-west.
Image Credit: (left) Courtesy of United States Geological survey
The epicentre of the 1994 LA earthquake
The rate of slippage across California is mm per year.

6. Devastation and recovery in Pakistan
Teacher’s note:
There is no single correct answer to this question. But students could be guided in a discussion about the total devastation of villages and the injuries and deaths that the earthquake caused. Some photos might stimulate discussion of aid agency and charity efforts to help victims and the race against time faced to get relief to people as a harsh winter set in. It may be appropriate to discuss the difference between short-term aid (e.g. food and water in emergency) and long-term aid, displayed here by the provision of new building materials by the Red Cross and Red Crescent for affected communities.
The worksheet Pakistan Earthquake accompanies this slide.
Photo Credit: (centre) Courtesy of AusAid ©Ausaid2006
Photo Credit: (top left) Originally taken by an employee of the US Navy, as a work of the US Federal Government it is in the public domain.
Photo credit (bottom left): Arzu Ozsoy/International Federation A survivor in Naran, Kashmir faces the harsh winter conditions. To date, the Pakistan Red Crescent, has distributed some 25,000 tents, 28,000 tarpaulins, nearly 171,000 blankets and 20,000 quilts to some 200,000 people in the affected areas.
Photo credit (bottom right): Arzu Oszoy/International Federation
A man is treated at a field hospital of a combined team of the Japanese and Norwegian Red Cross with their Pakistani partners.
Photo credit (top right): International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Over 350,000 sheets of corrugated iron were distributed by the International Federation to 35,000 families as part of the relief effort. Corrugated sheets proved popular with affected people reporting that their versatility and portability made them extremely useful. As time has passed The focus of the Red Cross/Red Crescent has moved from emergency relief to disaster preparedness and response capacity.
Using these photos as a guide, can you tell a story of the effects the earthquake had and how people responded to it?