GCSE Geography | Reducing damage caused by earthquakes using seismology

Geography Quiz - Reducing the Damage Caused by Earthquakes (Questions)

Earthquakes cannot be stopped, but good planning, strict building design, and early warning systems can greatly reduce damage, injuries, and loss of life in vulnerable areas.

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Fascinating Fact:

Retrofitting older buildings with steel braces, base isolators, and stronger joints can greatly improve their performance in future earthquakes.

In GCSE Geography, reducing earthquake damage is part of studying tectonic hazards and risk management. You explore how building design, land use planning, education, and emergency response all help keep people safer.

Key Terms

Retrofitting: Adding new structural supports to existing buildings so they can better withstand shaking during an earthquake.
Base isolation: A design where a building rests on flexible bearings, allowing it to move independently of the ground and reducing shaking.
Emergency planning: Preparation such as drills, evacuation routes, and warning systems that help people respond quickly when an earthquake happens.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How can we reduce the damage caused by earthquakes?

Damage can be reduced by using earthquake resistant building designs, careful land use planning, retrofitting older structures, and strong emergency planning. These measures together help protect people and property.

What does retrofitting mean in earthquake geography?

In earthquake geography, retrofitting means strengthening existing buildings or bridges by adding supports such as steel braces or base isolators so they are less likely to collapse when the ground shakes.

Why are building regulations important in earthquake zones?

Building regulations are important because they set minimum safety standards. In earthquake zones, they require features like strong frames and flexible joints, which greatly reduce the risk of serious structural failure.

Try These Related Quizzes

The focus and epicentre of an earthquake are:

[ ]	where the greatest damage to property occurs
[ ]	the safest places to be during an earthquake
[ ]	what cause tsunamis to occur
[ ]	the place where an earthquake occurs and the point on the surface directly above where the earthquake happens

The intensity of an earthquake is measured using which scale?

[ ]	Richter only
[ ]	Mercalli only
[ ]	Both Richter and Mercalli
[ ]	Neither Richter nor Mercalli

Which of the following is a primary effect of an earthquake?

[ ]	A block of flats collapsing
[ ]	A block of flats bursting into flame
[ ]	Flooding in a block of flats
[ ]	People from the block of flats catching diseases from broken sewers

Which of the following is a secondary economic effect of an earthquake?

[ ]	Looting
[ ]	Shopkeepers killed by the earthquake
[ ]	Shops and other business premises collapse because of the earthquake
[ ]	Shops and businesses have no water supply because the water pipes have been broken by the earthquake

One way in which the damage caused by an earthquake is through monitoring, this is carried out by:

[ ]	volcanologists
[ ]	speleologists
[ ]	pyrologists
[ ]	seismologists

In MEDCs, educating people what to do during an earthquake saves a lot of lives. Why is this less successful in LEDCs?

[ ]	Poorly developed communications
[ ]	Lower literacy
[ ]	Lack of money to fund materials and people to get the information to the population
[ ]	All of the above

Which of the following is NOT a method that is used in the construction of earthquake proof buildings.

[ ]	Adding X-shaped steel bracing to the structure of the building
[ ]	Steel cables attached to the top corners of the building and fixed to anchor points in the ground
[ ]	Using shatterproof glass in windows and doors
[ ]	Building large structures as separate sections that can move independently

Which of the following is a long-term impact of a large earthquake.

[ ]	People may be killed or injured
[ ]	Disease may spread
[ ]	Gas supply pipes in the ground may break creating a fire hazard
[ ]	Landslides may destroy forests and settlements

Many factors affect the impact of an earthquake. Which of the following is the most likely to be less of a problem in a MEDC when compared with a LEDC?

[ ]	Distance from the epicentre
[ ]	The severity of the earthquake
[ ]	Time of day at which the earthquake occurs
[ ]	Communications infrastructure

10.

MEDCs can afford to monitor earthquakes more closely than LEDCs but which of the following is an instrument that they would use?

[ ]	Siesmologist
[ ]	Seismologue
[ ]	Siesmometer
[ ]	Seismic balance

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Earthquakes

Geography Quiz - Reducing the Damage Caused by Earthquakes (Answers)

The focus and epicentre of an earthquake are:

[ ]	where the greatest damage to property occurs
[ ]	the safest places to be during an earthquake
[ ]	what cause tsunamis to occur
[x]	the place where an earthquake occurs and the point on the surface directly above where the earthquake happens

Make sure that you revise the meaning of all of the words related to earthquakes

The intensity of an earthquake is measured using which scale?

[ ]	Richter only
[ ]	Mercalli only
[x]	Both Richter and Mercalli
[ ]	Neither Richter nor Mercalli

The Mercalli scale is based on observations of the effects of an earthquake whilst the Richter scale measures the energy by looking at the seismic waves. The Mercalli scale is not considered to be scientific as it relies on the observations of witnesses

Which of the following is a primary effect of an earthquake?

[x]	A block of flats collapsing
[ ]	A block of flats bursting into flame
[ ]	Flooding in a block of flats
[ ]	People from the block of flats catching diseases from broken sewers

Fire, flooding and the escape of sewage are not caused directly by the earthquake. It can sometimes be quite difficult to understand the difference between primary and secondary effects

Which of the following is a secondary economic effect of an earthquake?

[x]	Looting
[ ]	Shopkeepers killed by the earthquake
[ ]	Shops and other business premises collapse because of the earthquake
[ ]	Shops and businesses have no water supply because the water pipes have been broken by the earthquake

Option two is a social impact, option three is a primary environmental impact and the fourth option is regarded as a social impact since the lack of a water supply affects people. Looting is stealing and therefore damages the economic side of the business

One way in which the damage caused by an earthquake is through monitoring, this is carried out by:

[ ]	volcanologists
[ ]	speleologists
[ ]	pyrologists
[x]	seismologists

Words starting with seism- indicate that they are something to do with earthquakes

In MEDCs, educating people what to do during an earthquake saves a lot of lives. Why is this less successful in LEDCs?

[ ]	Poorly developed communications
[ ]	Lower literacy
[ ]	Lack of money to fund materials and people to get the information to the population
[x]	All of the above

The successful reduction of the impact of any natural hazard comes down to money

Which of the following is NOT a method that is used in the construction of earthquake proof buildings.

[ ]	Adding X-shaped steel bracing to the structure of the building
[x]	Steel cables attached to the top corners of the building and fixed to anchor points in the ground
[ ]	Using shatterproof glass in windows and doors
[ ]	Building large structures as separate sections that can move independently

Anchoring using cables is only done to small buildings in windy places to stop them being blown over

Which of the following is a long-term impact of a large earthquake.

[ ]	People may be killed or injured
[x]	Disease may spread
[ ]	Gas supply pipes in the ground may break creating a fire hazard
[ ]	Landslides may destroy forests and settlements

The other impacts happen during or within hours of the earthquake occuring, disease takes a lot longer to arise but could be more deadly than the earthquake itself, particularly in a LEDC