Two earthquakes, two different worlds torn apart, two countries with citizens who deserve the same human dignity. This webpage aims to scour each earthquake in-depth and look into the similarities and differences between the 2011 Christchurch earthquake that tore apart the thriving population of Christchurch and its dense population, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake that ripped through the country, terrorising millions of innocent people who had their lives spun around. New Zealand and Haiti are both reputable countries, each in their own rights, with New Zealand being the more developed and thriving, whilst Haiti are still on their road to developing as a first-world country, currently regarded as a third-world country. The categories that will be explored are: cause of the earthquake, response and damage caused
Cause of the Earthquake
Both countries, New Zealand and Haiti, lie on dangerous and unpredictable plate boundaries that have been renown for many of the most destructive earthquakes that have ever savaged on planet Earth. Christchurch lies astride the boundary between two plates that cease rest, the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. The cause for the Christchurch earthquake was because the Pacific Plate slid along the Australian Plate, building up immense structure. When this structure reached a value that was unbearable, it snapped back, sending our energy in the form of waves, ripping through Christchurch with a magnitude of 6.3. Furthermore, New Zealand sits on the Ring of Fire, the infamous ring that runs through New Zealand, Japan (on one side) and California and the west coast of South America (on the other side). Many of the most damaging earthquakes, such as the Valdivia Chile Earthquake and the 2011 Sendai earthquake had occurred on this ring. The epicentre was located in the coastal suburb of Lyttleton, with the focus being very shallow, with this maybe being the reason why the quake was so destructive.
On the other hand lies the Haiti earthquake, halfway around the world. Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was no where near prepared for the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that barged through the country. The country lied on top the plate boundary between the Caribbean plate and the North American Plate. The earthquake was caused when the two plates slipped along a conservative plate boundary, that is, a boundary that has plates that are moving past each other at different directions and different speeds. When this happened, it caused pressure to build up in the two plates. This pressure was then released, with the epicentre being 25 km west of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, with the area unknown.
Response
New Zealand had a very rapid response to the earthquake. Immediately after the earthquake had happened, it was informed all around the world. Technology was enhanced in New Zealand, and the reward was fast and sufficient responses to the earthquake-prone area that had just transitioned through its darkest few seconds. International aid was pumped into the country, with a total of 6-7 million dollars being donated to aid in the journey of rebuilding, as well as aid workers being deployed to support those in need. Chemical toilets were installed for 30,000 residents, as well as having caring facilities for the most vulnerable people and ensuring that people stayed clear from dangerous buildings. 898 million dollars in building claims ensured that houses could be rebuilt and lives could be reignited again. The government provided temporary housing and ensured all damaged housing was kept. Within 6 months, in August 2011, water and sewerage was restored for all residents and 50% of footpaths were repaired. Roads became clear of silt and 80% of it became repaired.
Haiti exhibited much slower progress in recovering. It is very difficult to restart a life, if you earn, on average, 2 dollars or less, per day. It was financially frail for Haitians to redevelop. Adding on to this, corrupt buildings caused many buildings to simply collapse or become damaged beyond repair. Bordering country, the Dominican Republic, provided emergency water and medical supplies, as well as machinery to help with search and rescue under the rubble. Various countries sent emergency rescue teams to help and temporary field hospitals were set up to treat the injured. During the Tennis Australian Open, a charity match was played, with all the funds raised being sent to Haiti to be used to rebuild. The United Nations troops and police were sent to help distribute aid and keep order.
Damage caused
For both countries, the damage was colossal. For Christchurch suffered 181 people who were killed and around 2,00 people injured. Hundreds of kilometres of water and sewerage pipes were damaged, half of the central city buildings crumbled and were damaged, including the city's cathedral. Liquefaction caused many to lose their homes and cars, a large iceberg the size of 20 football fields was broken off and 80 percent of the city was without electricity. In the long term, people were affected mentally, mostly due to the lost of family and friends, and they needed support. Business was put out of action, which resulted in losses of income and jobs, and tourism came to an abrupt halt as the place was rendered uninhabitable.
The capital city of any country is the area where most of the population live. Its where the hustling and bustling goes on and where everything roots from. So when an earthquake sets its epicenter in the capital city, it sets off huge destruction. As a poor country, Haiti could not afford earthquake-resistant buildings, so some structures simply crumbled, piling on to the devastation. 3 million people were affected - 220,000 deaths, 300,000 injured and 1.3 million made homeless. 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed, meaning that business was destroyed. Worst of all was the cholera outbreak that ravaged the city months after the earthquake.
Conclusion
Through all this, it is evident that each earthquake proved nightmarish to those who were affected by it. Countless lives were loss, and unimaginable amounts of money was lost through the earthquake. The contrast between the response of a first-world country in New Zealand and a third-world country in Haiti was huge. It is very hard to tell which earthquake was more destructive, so a poll has been placed at the bottom for you to chose.
Cause of the Earthquake
Both countries, New Zealand and Haiti, lie on dangerous and unpredictable plate boundaries that have been renown for many of the most destructive earthquakes that have ever savaged on planet Earth. Christchurch lies astride the boundary between two plates that cease rest, the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate. The cause for the Christchurch earthquake was because the Pacific Plate slid along the Australian Plate, building up immense structure. When this structure reached a value that was unbearable, it snapped back, sending our energy in the form of waves, ripping through Christchurch with a magnitude of 6.3. Furthermore, New Zealand sits on the Ring of Fire, the infamous ring that runs through New Zealand, Japan (on one side) and California and the west coast of South America (on the other side). Many of the most damaging earthquakes, such as the Valdivia Chile Earthquake and the 2011 Sendai earthquake had occurred on this ring. The epicentre was located in the coastal suburb of Lyttleton, with the focus being very shallow, with this maybe being the reason why the quake was so destructive.
On the other hand lies the Haiti earthquake, halfway around the world. Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was no where near prepared for the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that barged through the country. The country lied on top the plate boundary between the Caribbean plate and the North American Plate. The earthquake was caused when the two plates slipped along a conservative plate boundary, that is, a boundary that has plates that are moving past each other at different directions and different speeds. When this happened, it caused pressure to build up in the two plates. This pressure was then released, with the epicentre being 25 km west of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, with the area unknown.
Response
New Zealand had a very rapid response to the earthquake. Immediately after the earthquake had happened, it was informed all around the world. Technology was enhanced in New Zealand, and the reward was fast and sufficient responses to the earthquake-prone area that had just transitioned through its darkest few seconds. International aid was pumped into the country, with a total of 6-7 million dollars being donated to aid in the journey of rebuilding, as well as aid workers being deployed to support those in need. Chemical toilets were installed for 30,000 residents, as well as having caring facilities for the most vulnerable people and ensuring that people stayed clear from dangerous buildings. 898 million dollars in building claims ensured that houses could be rebuilt and lives could be reignited again. The government provided temporary housing and ensured all damaged housing was kept. Within 6 months, in August 2011, water and sewerage was restored for all residents and 50% of footpaths were repaired. Roads became clear of silt and 80% of it became repaired.
Haiti exhibited much slower progress in recovering. It is very difficult to restart a life, if you earn, on average, 2 dollars or less, per day. It was financially frail for Haitians to redevelop. Adding on to this, corrupt buildings caused many buildings to simply collapse or become damaged beyond repair. Bordering country, the Dominican Republic, provided emergency water and medical supplies, as well as machinery to help with search and rescue under the rubble. Various countries sent emergency rescue teams to help and temporary field hospitals were set up to treat the injured. During the Tennis Australian Open, a charity match was played, with all the funds raised being sent to Haiti to be used to rebuild. The United Nations troops and police were sent to help distribute aid and keep order.
Damage caused
For both countries, the damage was colossal. For Christchurch suffered 181 people who were killed and around 2,00 people injured. Hundreds of kilometres of water and sewerage pipes were damaged, half of the central city buildings crumbled and were damaged, including the city's cathedral. Liquefaction caused many to lose their homes and cars, a large iceberg the size of 20 football fields was broken off and 80 percent of the city was without electricity. In the long term, people were affected mentally, mostly due to the lost of family and friends, and they needed support. Business was put out of action, which resulted in losses of income and jobs, and tourism came to an abrupt halt as the place was rendered uninhabitable.
The capital city of any country is the area where most of the population live. Its where the hustling and bustling goes on and where everything roots from. So when an earthquake sets its epicenter in the capital city, it sets off huge destruction. As a poor country, Haiti could not afford earthquake-resistant buildings, so some structures simply crumbled, piling on to the devastation. 3 million people were affected - 220,000 deaths, 300,000 injured and 1.3 million made homeless. 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed, meaning that business was destroyed. Worst of all was the cholera outbreak that ravaged the city months after the earthquake.
Conclusion
Through all this, it is evident that each earthquake proved nightmarish to those who were affected by it. Countless lives were loss, and unimaginable amounts of money was lost through the earthquake. The contrast between the response of a first-world country in New Zealand and a third-world country in Haiti was huge. It is very hard to tell which earthquake was more destructive, so a poll has been placed at the bottom for you to chose.