San Fransisco

Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or

sudden shock of the earth’s surface.

They happen along "fault lines" in the

earth’s crust.

Felt over large areas

Usually last less than 1 minute

Cannot be predicted -- scientists are

working on it!

Tectonic Plate Boundary Types

Richter ScaleThe intensity of an earthquake can be

measured using the Richter scale

A magnitude 7.0 on a Richter scale is a major

earthquake.

6.0 is considered strong

5.0 can cause damage

Below 4.0 usually does not cause damage

Anything below 2.0 usually can’t be felt

*The Northridge Earthquake, which hit

Southern California in 1994, was

magnitude 6.7

San Francisco, CA

April 18, 1906

5:12 a.m.

Magnitude: 8.25

Length of time: 40 seconds

Deaths: 700 to 2,500 people

Note: The "Great San Francisco Earthquake" is

one of the strongest ever recorded in North

America. Much of the city was destroyed by the

strong shaking, which toppled buildings, and by

the fires that followed

1906 San Francisco earthquake

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906

was a major earthquake that struck San

Francisco, California and the coast of

Northern California.

The main shock epicenter* occurred offshore

about 3 km from the city

It ruptured along the San Andreas Fault for a

total length of 477 km

The earthquake and resulting fire one of

the worst natural disasters in the history

of the U.S.

The death toll estimated to be above

3,000.

The economic impact was great.

Subsequent fires

The fires that burned out of control afterward the

earthquake were much more destructive.

About 90% of the total destruction was a result from

the subsequent fire.

Most of the structures destroyed that day collapsed

from the movement of the earth before the fires got

to them.

Poor building standards at the time caused buildings

to collapse.

Some fires broke because of ruptured natural gas

pipes broken by the quake.

One landmark building lost in the fire was the Palace Hotel, subsequently rebuilt, which had many famous visitors, including royalty and celebrated performers.

Some of the greatest losses from fire were in scientific

laboratories Nearly 1,500 specimens at the

California Academy of Sciences , including

the entire type specimen collection for a

newly discovered and extremely rare species

were saved, before the remainder of the

largest botanical collection in the western

United States was consumed by fire.

The entire laboratory and all the records of Benjamin R. Jacobs, a biochemist who was researching the nutrition of everyday foods, was lost.

Another treasure lost in the fires was the original California flag used in the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt at Sonoma, which at the time was being stored in a state building

Benjamin R. Jacobs - March 15 1954 –

75 years old n San Francisco

Aftermath and reconstruction

Property losses been estimated to be more

than $400 million.

In the rush to rebuild the city, building

standards were in fact lowered instead of

strengthened.

Part of the rush to rebuild was the desire to

be ready for an international exposition set

to be hosted in 1915.

Bird's-eye view, surrounding Ferry Building. Looking west on Market Street

The Importance of Building Codes Building codes first came into use to protect

communities from potential earthquake damage (1930s).

It ensured the same standards of health and safety across any nation.

These standards ensure the quality of construction before a disaster.

This makes Emergency Aid/relief Organization's work much easier, both before and after a disaster.

Building Codes*

A code is a body of laws that must be obeyed by constracters.

A building code requires that a building or facility be located, designed, and constructed so that any threat to life, health, and welfare of its occupants and the public is minimized or prevented

Consequences of Earthquakes:

Human casualties (death)

Loss of livestock in rural areas

Property damage or homelessness

Medical services are disrupted (no doctor or

medication available)

Jobless if company moves away

Temporary unemployment if company is

destroyed

No transportation services

Damage to infrastructure (bridges, roads & buildings

are closed due to damage)

Economy suffers due to job losses and extra money

needed to clean up and repair

Home insurance increases (goes up)

Emergency services are disrupted or overwhelmed

with rescue efforts.

Measures We Must Take to Lessen the consequences:

1. Build earthquake resistant homes, buildings and bridges.

2. Invest in high-technology equipment which can detect earthquakes before they occur.

3. Set in place a warning system to give enough to prepare (if time permits of course!)

4. Set in place of crisis management team with a good action plan.

5. Train emergency services to (police officers, 911 operators, firefighters and paramedics) deal with crisis.

QUITO, Ecuador

Quito is a city in Ecuador.

Ecuador is a country.

It is found in South America.

Topographical zones

The city of Quito is divided into three zones

(areas), separated by hills

a)Central part:

This is the historical, colonial part of the city

Tourist zone

b) Southern part: This area is mainly industrial and

residential, a working-class neighborhood

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/13/NorteDeQuito.jpg/800px-NorteDeQuito.jpg

c) Northern part: This is modern Quito, with high-rise

buildings, shopping centers, the financial district and upper class (affluent) neighborhoods, and some working-class neighborhoods

Mariscal Sucre International Airport is in the northern part.

Seven killed in Ecuador military plane crash

An Ecuadorian military plane crashed into an apartment building in northern Quito, killing seven peopleThe crash set the five-storey building ablaze and prompted a major search and rescue operation by firefightersIt crashed near a luxury hotel in Quito as it approached the capital city's airport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i0zrhDqkpM

The area has been the scene of at least four plane mishaps in recent yearsA similar accident killed Ecuador's tourism minister, Pedro Zambrano.

Public Transportation Close to 2 million people commute per day Most commuters* use public transportation

*commuter - A person who regularly travels from one place to another, typically to work

Different types of public transportation: Privately-owned buses Trolley buses or cable cars City transit buses (city-owned, like in Montreal)

A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram [in early years][1] or trolley[2][3][4]) is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit.

Electric Trolley Bus

In Montreal… Public transit is operated by the It’s services include network of buses,

subways, and commuter trains that extend across and off the island

Problems in Quito: Large city of about 3 million people

A) Quito’s infrastructure* is in bad shape:*By infrastructure we mean all the services

and facilities provided by a city such as: Roads (need to be repaired) Water (consistency) Sewage system Emergency services (doctors, police etc.) Trash collection Parks, etc.

The Issue of Having Consistent Water

Supply

Quito gets all of its water from the rivers draining from high volcanic ridges* of the Andean mountains.

*A ridge is any long raised strip; a long narrow range of hills.

Water pipes transport this water from the mountains to Quito.

The “threat” to Quito is having a consistent supply of water. This means making sure there is enough water to continue to supply Quito’s needs.

Quilotoa Quilotoa is beautiful crater lake

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Panorama_quilotoa_crater_lake_ecuador.jpg/800px-Panorama_quilotoa_crater_lake_ecuador.jpg

B) There is a lot of poverty, particularly among indigenous people like the Andeans.

Despite the poverty and disrepair of many buildings, the churches and cathedrals are really beautiful.

Transportation Most people use public transportation

(buses) and taxis to travel around the city.

More and more people are buying private vehicles (cars!) even though the cost is twice the price in the United States.

Northern Quito'sBusiness District

Northern Quito as seen from the Aerial tramway Station at Cruz Loma (part of the Pichincha mountain complex at about 4,000 m.

Old Town UNESCO recognized Quito's historical

centre as a World Heritage site in 1978.

The historic centre is one of the best-preserved, least altered districts in Latin America.

Strictly controlled development has kept it wonderfully preserved.

Outside the city Pululahua is a volcano near Quito. Its crater is visible. It is believed to be one of only craters

in the world with human inhabitants.

A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity.

The capital of Ecuador, Quito lies at the foot

of the Pichincha volcano, and

has been damaged

several times by the area's

frequent earthquakes

Quito is the only capital in the world to be directly menaced (threatened) by an active volcano.

Guagua Pichincha, only 21 km west, has continuing activity and is under constant monitoring.

The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when over 25 cm of ash covered the city.

The latest eruption was recorded on October 5 and 7, 1999, when a large amount of ash was deposited on the city.

The eruption caused significant disruption of activities, including closing of the international airport.

Nearby volcanic eruptions can also affect Quito.

The city was showered with ash for several days after an eruption occurred in the Reventador volcano (2002).

The region also is vulnerable to earthquakes.

The worst-known earthquake to have hit Quito occurred in 1797 and killed 40,000 people.

The most recent major seismic event, with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale, occurred in 1987 with an epicentre about 80 km from the city.

It killed an estimated 1,000 near the epicenter, but Quito itself suffered only minor damage.

On October 16, 2006, the city felt a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale, but no major damage was reported.

The Richter scaleThe intensity of an earthquake can be

measured using the Richter scale A magnitude 7.0 on a Richter scale is a

major earthquake. The Northridge Earthquake, which hit

Southern California in 1994, was magnitude 6.7

6.0 is considered strong 5.0 can cause damage Below 4.0 usually does not cause damage Anything below 2.0 usually can’t be felt

Epicentre: The point of the earth's surface which is

directly above the focus* of an earthquake Focus point of origin of an earthquake.

http://www.answers.com/topic/focal-point#