When an earthquake strikes, it is indescribably catastrophic. Around you, in all directions, lie colossal groups of debris, piled sky-high. You search frantically for your belongings, your family members, and those that mean everything to you. Where once stood a legion of tall skyscrapers, now lies a long strip of debris and dust. What used to be your friendly, warm neighborhood, is now just a group of crumbled bricks, china, belongings, and lost memories. The earthquake has hit you hard, with its force drowning you with misery and despair. It can be a frightening experience being involved in an earthquake, a daunting experience that can haunt you for the rest of your life, a mental scar that implants itself deep into your mind, a memory that burns brightly. An earthquake can turn the lives of the innocent upside down, tear you and what you knew apart. Imagine what would happen if an earthquake terrorized a dense community or a vastly-populated city?
Economic issues pour in when an earthquake occurs. When earthquakes strike, it destroys shops and powerful factories. This forces these major institutions to close down and shut down business for a certain period of time. With this lack of business, no goods can be created and therefore, services cannot be provided, forming a very unbalanced economy. Trade is limited, because no resources or goods are created or founded. Looting is a very popular, yet evil, practice that thrives during earthquakes. Looting is when one steals goods from a place during a time of need or unrest. Those who loot take advantage of the despair and troubles that those affected are going through, and steal goods from those who are affected, adding to the pain and misery of people involved in earthquakes. As in the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, transport links were also held to an abrupt halt. Surrounding the densely-populated city lie numerous man-made islands that are saturated with water underneath its surface. These islands are crucial to the development and economy of the city as they lie many of the goods that are serviced to the citizens. These islands also serve as ports, where trade is controlled and supports an overwhelming and powerful Japanese economy. However, after the earthquake, the islands went through the process of liquefaction, whereby the extraordinary amount of water underneath the island's surfaces turned the solid soil into liquid soil and drowned half the island, washing away tonnes of valuable and abundant resources that could have been utilized by Kobe citizens.
Another type of problem that may arise very rapidly and affect people are environmental impacts. Gas pipes are a very popular aspect of thriving cities in modern-day society. Gas is needed for virtually everything, such an important resource in our lives. However, earthquakes cause ruptures into gas pipes, and this is where the problems start. With benefits comes the disadvantages, and, when gas is let loose into the atmosphere, it can cause havoc to the environment. Gas ignited fire. It is evident the damages that fires pose to even the most powerful of civilizations. Fires can spread and destroy much of the environment around it. An example of this was when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The earthquake proved to be barely anything, when compared to the fire that raged on after it. The fire caused the greatest loss of life in the history of California. Another contribution to earthquakes are broken or damaged buildings and houses. Tsunamis and landslides make this happen. Tsunamis occur after earthquakes, they are long, high sea waves that travel at high speeds and raging over 50 metres in height as they plummet down on unsuspecting people. Landslides are when masses of earth or rock collapse and slide. These two disasters cause damage in cities. The natural landscape can also be damaged through tsunamis and landslides. Water, an abundant resource, that is the most important resource on Earth, are stored, like gas, in pipes. When earthquakes occur, they cause water pipes to break, and pour onto the ground, where it is wasted away. Even water that remains is usually contaminated and unable to be drunk.
Socially, communities can be affected by earthquakes as well. The most common type of impact is loss of housing and shelter. Houses are a necessity in vastly-populated cities, its the place where families unite and people live. However, during an earthquake, houses can topple down or break apart. During the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, a similar problem rapidly arose as the 20-second earthquake subsided. Barely 15 kilometers away from the city centers lied areas lined with houses that were made with ceramic roofs and four poles of wood holding up the roof on each corner. These traditional houses were excellent at resisting typhoons, but when earthquakes tremor, these houses are poor in dampening its impact. During this earthquake, all of the houses toppled over, simply because the four poles were not strong enough to hole up the 4-tonne ceramic roof. The houses toppled forward, in a way, called the "pancake topple" and it collapsed, trapping those inside. The picture below shows the "pancake topple" from Kobe 1995. The impact of this is that hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless, stranded in the thickness of catastrophe. All of their belongings are lost, but, worst still, they may be lost. These impacts hit hard on those that care for them. Even if houses are not destroyed as a result of poor construction, other factors may contribute to it. Liquefaction is the process where solid soil is turned into liquid soil, therefore, turning the ground above it into liquid. Houses may sink into this soil, therefore, destroying it and rendering it inhabitable. Furthermore, transport links may also be disrupted or broken. In 1995, the Kobe Earthquake ravaged Kobe and the surrounding cities. Leaving no prisoners, it destroyed everything in its path. One of these things was one of the most important trade roads along Japan, the Great Han shin Express Highway. This road catered for goods and services to be delivered to rural areas and cities where trade could thrive. Through this, social impacts hit hard on people who are affected by earthquakes.
Economic issues pour in when an earthquake occurs. When earthquakes strike, it destroys shops and powerful factories. This forces these major institutions to close down and shut down business for a certain period of time. With this lack of business, no goods can be created and therefore, services cannot be provided, forming a very unbalanced economy. Trade is limited, because no resources or goods are created or founded. Looting is a very popular, yet evil, practice that thrives during earthquakes. Looting is when one steals goods from a place during a time of need or unrest. Those who loot take advantage of the despair and troubles that those affected are going through, and steal goods from those who are affected, adding to the pain and misery of people involved in earthquakes. As in the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, transport links were also held to an abrupt halt. Surrounding the densely-populated city lie numerous man-made islands that are saturated with water underneath its surface. These islands are crucial to the development and economy of the city as they lie many of the goods that are serviced to the citizens. These islands also serve as ports, where trade is controlled and supports an overwhelming and powerful Japanese economy. However, after the earthquake, the islands went through the process of liquefaction, whereby the extraordinary amount of water underneath the island's surfaces turned the solid soil into liquid soil and drowned half the island, washing away tonnes of valuable and abundant resources that could have been utilized by Kobe citizens.
Another type of problem that may arise very rapidly and affect people are environmental impacts. Gas pipes are a very popular aspect of thriving cities in modern-day society. Gas is needed for virtually everything, such an important resource in our lives. However, earthquakes cause ruptures into gas pipes, and this is where the problems start. With benefits comes the disadvantages, and, when gas is let loose into the atmosphere, it can cause havoc to the environment. Gas ignited fire. It is evident the damages that fires pose to even the most powerful of civilizations. Fires can spread and destroy much of the environment around it. An example of this was when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The earthquake proved to be barely anything, when compared to the fire that raged on after it. The fire caused the greatest loss of life in the history of California. Another contribution to earthquakes are broken or damaged buildings and houses. Tsunamis and landslides make this happen. Tsunamis occur after earthquakes, they are long, high sea waves that travel at high speeds and raging over 50 metres in height as they plummet down on unsuspecting people. Landslides are when masses of earth or rock collapse and slide. These two disasters cause damage in cities. The natural landscape can also be damaged through tsunamis and landslides. Water, an abundant resource, that is the most important resource on Earth, are stored, like gas, in pipes. When earthquakes occur, they cause water pipes to break, and pour onto the ground, where it is wasted away. Even water that remains is usually contaminated and unable to be drunk.
Socially, communities can be affected by earthquakes as well. The most common type of impact is loss of housing and shelter. Houses are a necessity in vastly-populated cities, its the place where families unite and people live. However, during an earthquake, houses can topple down or break apart. During the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, a similar problem rapidly arose as the 20-second earthquake subsided. Barely 15 kilometers away from the city centers lied areas lined with houses that were made with ceramic roofs and four poles of wood holding up the roof on each corner. These traditional houses were excellent at resisting typhoons, but when earthquakes tremor, these houses are poor in dampening its impact. During this earthquake, all of the houses toppled over, simply because the four poles were not strong enough to hole up the 4-tonne ceramic roof. The houses toppled forward, in a way, called the "pancake topple" and it collapsed, trapping those inside. The picture below shows the "pancake topple" from Kobe 1995. The impact of this is that hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless, stranded in the thickness of catastrophe. All of their belongings are lost, but, worst still, they may be lost. These impacts hit hard on those that care for them. Even if houses are not destroyed as a result of poor construction, other factors may contribute to it. Liquefaction is the process where solid soil is turned into liquid soil, therefore, turning the ground above it into liquid. Houses may sink into this soil, therefore, destroying it and rendering it inhabitable. Furthermore, transport links may also be disrupted or broken. In 1995, the Kobe Earthquake ravaged Kobe and the surrounding cities. Leaving no prisoners, it destroyed everything in its path. One of these things was one of the most important trade roads along Japan, the Great Han shin Express Highway. This road catered for goods and services to be delivered to rural areas and cities where trade could thrive. Through this, social impacts hit hard on people who are affected by earthquakes.