Daanyaal Ahmed Noohu

Suhara Chu

Earthquake and Volcano Case Studies

17th November 2023

Section 1: Introduction

Earthquakes are natural disasters. They occur when the Earthquakes tectonic plates move.
They cause deaths and wild spread damagers. We study earthquake and volcanos to predict
and prepare for them. This report is for people to understand about an earthquake and a
volcanic eruption

Section 2: Earthquake Case study

Nepal earthquake – 2015

Date – April 25th 2015 Saturday
Time – 11:56 Nepal standard time
Location – Near the city of Kathmandu in central Nepal.
Magnitude – 7.8 moment magnitude
Tectonic setting – convergent collision plate boundary between the Indian and Eurasian
plates.
The damages and casualties – About 9;000 people were killed, many thousands more were
injured and more than 600,000 structures in Kathmandu and other nearby towns were
either damaged or destroyed. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on mount Everest
killing approximately 20 people.
Prediction and preparation – Nepal has a disaster preparedness program where 65,000
people were trained how to reduce their risks in case of disaster. Buildings were built with
earthquake resistant construction.

Section 3: Volcano Case study

Mount Etna
Located on the Italian island of Sicily, which lies in the Mediterranean Sea, south west of
mainland Italy.
Type of volcano – Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano.
Tectonic setting – Mount Etna lies above the convergent plate margin between the African
plate and Eurasian plate.
History Eruption – Mount Etna has erupted more than 150 time in recorded history. The first
famous eruption was occurred in 475 BCE. The most recent which was very small and did
not result in any fatalities occurred in June 2022.
Damages – The most common activity at Etna includes explosive eruptions with minor lava
flows. Historical records of mount Etna’s activity date back to 1500BC. An eruption in 1169
resulted in 1500 deaths. Five centuries later, anther eruption resulted in 20,000 deaths. On
March 8th 1669 Etna erupted near the city of Cantina, Italy. Multiple eruption over the next
few weeks killed more than 20,000 people and left thousands more homeless and most of
the city was destroyed.
Prediction and preparation
We can predict when volcano will erupt by

• An increase in the frequency and intensity of felt earthquakes

• Streaming and new or enlarged areas of hot ground
• Small swelling of the ground surface and changes in heat flow
People have to be ready to take shelter or to evacuate immediately.

Section 4: Conclusion

The Nepal earthquake had large amounts of deaths and destruction because the people
were not prepared. Mount Etna has been vert calm in recent years. It has not erupted and
caused any deaths and damages, but Mount Etna can erupt and can be very dangerous.
People who are living in these areas must take precaution and be prepared.
Scientist should monitor the tectonic plates movement and watch out for ant signs of
earthquakes and eruption.

Section 5: References
Earthqukes
https://journeys.dartmouth.edu/NepalQuake-CaseStudies/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/gorkha-earthquake-2015

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nepal-earthquake-of-2015

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zgkksrd/revision/5

https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2015-nepal-earthquake-
facts#:~:text=Knowing%20Nepal%20is%20very%20vulnerable,buildings%20with%20earthquake%2Dr
esistant%20construction.
 Volcanos
https://www.activewild.com/famous-volcanoes/
https://earth.esa.int/web/earth-watching/image-of-the-week/content/-/article/mount-etna-volcano-sicily-
italy/#:~:text=Mount%20Etna%20is%20an%20active,cities%20of%20Messina%20and%20Catania.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/mount-etna-history-facts-eruptions.html

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/15782/mount-etna-erupts

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mount-etna-erupts

https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-can-we-tell-when-a-volcano-will-erupt