STATISTICAL PHYSICS, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT( PY1542)

Earthquake Disasters

FAIROOS C.

September 15, 2023

Dept. of Physics
T. K. M. College of Arts and Science Kollam

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Outline

1 Earthquakes and Their Effects

2 Progress in Research on Earthquake Disasters
3 Earthquake Tsunami Warnings
4 Earthquake Disaster Prevention
5 Emergency Response and Rescue

• Ref: Natural disaster mitigation – a scientific and practical

approach: Science Press, Beijing, 2009

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Earthquake and Disasters

1 Earthquakes result from interior movements in earth’s rigid

crust or lithosphere

2 Large earthquakes have caused displacement of mountains

and rivers, caused drastic changes to the living environment,
prompted large- scale human migration, and suffering

3 History: In 46 AD, the 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Nanyang

urban district, Henan Province of China, caused approximately
10,000 deaths

4 The total earthquake death toll worldwide in the 20th century

was nearly 1.7 million which accounted for 54% of the total
death toll caused by natural disasters, and the direct economic
losses amounted to USD 410 billion.

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Tsunami Disaster
1 Tsunami means sea wave with ultra-large wave length and cycle
induced by vibrations from undersea movement such as an
earthquake.
2 The tsunami wave in deep sea waters can travel at a wave length of
several hundred miles with only one-meter wave height.
3 The wave can travel at a speed of above 1000 km/h, and its wave
speed will decrease with the sharp increase of its wave amplitude
when the tsunami wave moves near to shallow water areas of the
coastline.
4 The wave amplitude of a tsunami may increase suddenly to above
35 meters, and bring with it incomparable destructive power even
though the frequency of occurrence of tsunamis is very low.
5 Causes:- Large-area vertical displacement of the seabed rock layer
induced by an earthquake in the over 4000m-deep seabed, oceanic
volcano eruption, large-area landslide in the seabed, sea or seabed
nuclear explosion, external star falling into the sea, etc.

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Characteristics of Earthquake and Tsunami Disasters
1 Suddenness

2 Widespread destructiveness:
An earthquake can cause heavy damage to over a dozen
regions or countries. For example, the Indian Ocean
earthquake and tsunami in 2004 affected more than 20
countries and regions, and caused approximately 300,000
deaths.

3 Profound social influence:

Due to its suddenness, heavy casualties and severe economic
losses, a strong earthquake tends to trigger a series of
chain-reactions impacting on the social life and economic
activities of a region.

4 Difficulty in disaster prevention

5 Difficulty in disaster emergency response and rescue

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters
Progress in Research on Earthquake Disasters
A constantly developing process from monitoring, prediction,
disaster prevention to emergency rescue.
1 The 9.5-magnitude earthquake tsunami in Chile in 1960 urged
over 20 countries and regions along the Pacific Ocean to
jointly establish the Pacific Ocean earthquake tsunami
warning system.
2 The earthquake tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean in 2004
caused heavy losses to the international community, and
forced the relevant authorities to establish the Indian Ocean
earthquake tsunami warning system.
3 Aspects of Earthquake/Tsunami Researches.
• Researches on earthquake-forming cause
• Earthquake monitoring networks and quick reporting
• Seismic experiment field
• Earthquake prediction research

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Earthquake Tsunami Warnings
• Global Tsunami Early Warning Systems:
Presently, tsunami warning systems at the global, regional and local scale
is absent.

• Global Tsunami Monitoring Capabilities and Sharing Mechanisms

International sharing mechanisms for prompt data monitoring has not
been established, it is quite difficult to respond to a tsunami efficiently.

• Tsunami Disaster Mechanisms and Early Warning Systems Research

There are presently researches being conducted on the value of tsunami
elevation warning systems with high accuracy (20m), and quantitative
tsunami warning technologies.

• Tsunami Disaster Divisions and Evaluation.

The disaster evaluation includes a tsunami coverage map, risk map and
emergency evacuation map for areas where tsunami frequently occur. In
these areas, rapid warning and effective planning against tsunamis are
difficult to achieve.
FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters
Earthquake Disaster Prevention

• Earthquake Disaster Zoning and Risk Assessment

A large amount of earthquake disaster zoning and risk assessment
has been conducted, such as the GSHAP project “Hot Spots of
Natural Disasters”. However, due to the restriction of basic
information and methods of assessment, it is still impossible to
effectively complete earthquake zoning.

The regions of Kashmir, the Western and Central Himalayas,

North and Middle Bihar, the North-East Indian region, the Rann of
Kutch and the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands fall in this
zone. Generally, the areas having trap rock or basaltic rock are
prone to earthquakes.

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

• Mechanisms of Strong Ground Motion Leading to the
Destruction of Engineering Structures

Research on the effects of an earthquake on essential infrastructure

(tank towers, bridge, dams, underground pipelines, communication
systems, power supply systems, water and gas supply systems) and
new style structures .

• Exploration of Active Fault Lines and Assessment of Earthquake

Hazards in Urban and Other Important Areas.
It must be explored the seismic structure of active faults which
usually lead to frequent middle to strong category earthquakes
when planning and constructing cities or other important areas.

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Research on Emergency Response and Rescue

• Earthquake Disaster Emergency Response, Decision-Making and

Treatment.
There are on average 18-20 strong earth- quakes of over Ms 7.0
each year, of which about 1-2 become disasters.

• In order to effectively and scientifically carry out rescue mission,

the evaluation for the decision-making of rescue processing and
rescue effect after the earthquake must be undertaken.

• In order to elevate the emergency rescue capability in the

earthquake, research on emergency rescue theory and technology
should be comprehensively enforced, including: research on
emergency division of the earthquake and intellectual, regional and
special emergency rescue technology and management scheme in
the earthquake

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Earthquake Disaster Prevention

1 Earthquake Disaster Zoning and Risk Assessment

2 Research on New Structure and Lifeline Engineering for
Earthquake Disaster Prevention.
3 Research on Active Fault Exploration and Risk Assessment of
Earthquake in Urban and Key Areas
4 Prediction and Prevention of Earth-quake Disasters in Urban
and Key Areas

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters

Emergency Management and Rescue
1 Rapid Report of Global Strong Earthquake Disaster and
Construction of Decision-Making Network for Rescuing.
• Rapid judgment of strong earthquake at the global scale and
construction of rescue response demonstration system.
• The construction of earthquake emergency rescue system in
seismic zone

2 The Construction of Rapid Response System against Sudden

Earthquake Damage in Developing Countries.
• Improve the awareness and capability of civilians in developing
countries for sudden earthquake events.

3 Realize Cooperated Rescue in Serious International Earthquake

Disaster.
• International, governmental and regional coordination and
cooperation on emergency rescue
4 Research on Emergency Response and Rescue Processing Plan of
Serious Earthquake Disaster
FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters
”That’s all about Earthquakes and Tsunamis”

FAIROOS C. Earthquake Disasters