Impossible- but clues: e.g.
small tremors, cracks
appearing in rocks, strange
animal behaviour- e.g. rats
abandoning nests.
Warning systems- detect P waves, but
only AFTER a quake has begun. These
waves travel faster than other types of
seismic waves, causing less damage so
can be used as a warning for stronger
tremors.- e.g. Japans Earthquake Early
warning system- warns people by TV
and radio.
Possible to predict future quakes using
data patterns from past quakes- so
people can prepare themselves.
BUILDINGS:
Life-safe buildings: withstand shaking without killing
inhabitants. Still suffer damage but will not collapse.
Crossbracing: steel crosses placed internally (often
across windows) with friction dampers on
corners=stops building pancaking.
Deep foundations: absorb shock lower down so by the
time it reaches the structure it causes minimal
damage.
Counterbalancing:
weights on the roof to
stabilise the building if it
sways.
Stepped profile: less
pressure on walls= less
likely to pancake.
PLANNING AND EDUCATION:
Training and preparing emergency
services to be prepared to deal with
specific natural disasters prone to the
area.
Governments establishing
evacuation routes and letting
people know of them.
Governments and
organisations educating
people about what to
do/how to evacuate, e.g.
drills regularly practised
in Japan.
Government supplying people with
emergency supplies+information of
emergency shelters in case.
FACTORS INCREASING SEVERITY OF IMPACTS:
1. Development level of country:
LEDCs- badly affected as do not have the
money for preparation or response, e.g. no
money to train emergency teams.
LEDCs- poor quality buildings
(no money)= collapse easily.
Also poor infrastructure=
harder for emergency services
to access people.
LEDCs- poor healthcare=
harder to cope with large
numbers of casualties.
LEDCs- highly dependent on
agriculture=often badly affected=
livliehood destroyed.
MEDCs- economic impact greater
as buildings etc worth a lot of
money.
2. Population:
More densely populated= more people affected.
Densely populated areas= lot of buildings to
potentially collapse= more casualties +
economic impact.
3. Timing:
When in the day/year, i,e. summer= more people, i.e.
tourists, or night time= people asleep so don't evacuate
quickly= more casualties, or winter= if people are made
homeless they could freeze to death.