Essays on Earthquake

Earthquakes and other natural disasters are common occurrences in the world since historic times. There are several methods that different civilizations use to avert the consequences of the disasters. In particular, earthquake is one such disaster that is not predictable, yet its impacts are great in the property and human life. Due to this phenomenon, the construction of house had to include earthquake resistant techniques. There are several methods that traditional societies use in constructing house that are earthquake resistant. Most of these methods utilize locally available materials. These include the following.
- Construction technology that use ductile construction Continue reading...

In New Zealand, people lie at the interface of the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. According to history, these two plates have been grinding against each other for millions of years. Nonetheless, the outcomes for these collisions have three distinct outcomes which vary according to the specific location within New Zealand. In between these two tectonic zones, lies the Alpine fault which extends to the south of New Zealand from Greymouth and disappears into the ocean approximately 12 km from Milford. The alpine fault reportedly has fractured four times since its formation at intervals of about 150-350 years (Van Continue reading...

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction:

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
The topic on international strategy for disaster reduction concerns itself with measures aimed at ensuring that disasters and the risks attendant to such disasters are reduced so as to avert loss. This strategy has been adopted by the United Nations in recognition of the fact that the reduction of disasters and risks is essential for economic sustainability and development in any country. Indeed, the rate at which the risk posed by disasters is moving continued to pose serious threats to people and other assets, as well as other initiatives for development. Some of the Continue reading...

Introduction

The earth is operating in specifically complicated but fully effective procedures that enable it to withstand lengthened time of being reused over and over by humans from one generation to another. For centuries, the earth has proven itself full of vibrancy; an evident element that leaves humans in awe as they discover procedures and natural systems that make the world ‘go round’. However, an alarming series of data has been collected by scientists and environmental experts that create a distinct source of concern for people living within the present conditions of development (Choi, et al, 2005). The existence of Continue reading...

Comment and Response of a Research Problem Purpose

In this research, the overall research problems as it regards the National Helping hand, has been dealt with in the following ways.
The researcher took an example of the Chinese earthquake. It had led to massive destruction of property and entitlements to non-profit organizations. In the approach taken by the writer, the study problem has been identified. The impact of the earthquake to non-profit organizations is what is of major concern in this context. In the evaluation of the effects of the earthquake especially to non-profit organizations proper solution can be found.
The research takes the form of identifying Continue reading...

1. The video entitled “Repairing the Santa Monica Freeway after the 1994 Earthquake” shown online through YouTube illustrated the exemplary capacity and dedication of the project leader (the contractor), C.C. Myers, to complete the repair of the Santa Monica Freeway in 74 days ahead of schedule . Likewise, the video also proved that in government projects, the ability to cut through red tape had significantly assisted in completing the project ahead schedule of 140 days – which is significantly less than the initial assertion that the project would take 12 to 18 months for repair and rebuilding .
2. Therefore, this clearly Continue reading...

Tsunamis

Introduction
A tsunami (“a wave in port” in Japanese) are the marine gravity waves that are extremely large in length and height, and are the result of the up or down shift of ocean bottom areas with strong underwater and coastal earthquakes, occasionally, though, are the result of volcanic eruptions and other tectonic processes. Tsunamis are among those few natural disasters that are capable of causing huge numbers. First chapter of this research is dedicated to the causes of tsunami, wave formation mechanism, and waves’ various characteristics. The topic of the conducted research is highly relevant to our area Continue reading...

The article “Bathymetry of Mariana trench-arc system and formation of the

Challenger Deep as a consequence of weak plate coupling”, by Zohar Gvirtzman, and Robert J. Stern, published by Tectonics describes the study of determining the depths of the Mariana trench-arc system, and how the weak plate coupling results in the formation of Challenger Deep: the deepest known point on earth’s surface. The author’s demonstrate that the Mariana Trench is located at the southwest, and not at the center, because of the width of the plate coupling zone. The authors examine observation methods such as Bathymetry, to know the relation of the Mariana trench with the regional topographic Continue reading...

Page

Introduction 3
Geological Environment and Processes Responsible 4
Geological and Topographical Features of the Plate Margin 6
Human and Environmental Impacts 8
Discussion 10
Conclusions 11

Introduction

On 11 April 2012 two huge earthquakes occurred beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of North Sumatra. Registering a magnitude of 8.6, the first was followed by another of 8.2 magnitude, which scientists subsequently identified as an aftershock. Neither triggered a large scale tsunami, which scientists attribute to the movement being of the “strike-slip” type, rather than the “thrust” type. However, strike-slip earthquakes are normally of a much lesser Continue reading...

Introduction

This project is concerned with the study of the Mariana trench, the deepest part of the oceans discovered yet. The papers considered in this review provide crucial information that helps in understanding the trench. From the forces that create the trench, to the physical conditions present in the trench, this review seeks to put bare as much information on the subject as its scope allows.

Bodine, J. H., & Watts, A. B. (1979). On lithospheric flexure seaward of the Bonin and Mariana trenches. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(79)90162-6

Tectonic activity and the history of the Mariana trench

D. Hussong, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Continue reading...

Abstract

Microscopic analysis of materials is generally complex; hence engineers always look for alternative methods of analysis, by appropriate modelling. In specific, studying the damage of materials is important in almost every discipline of science/engineering/technology. Material damage includes the beginning, advancement and fracture of materials. The most important tool so far, used to analyze this damage, is called damage mechanics which relies heavily on continuum mechanics. It encompasses useful theories for the representation, modelling, and analysis of material damage. Broadly speaking, damage mechanics utilizes state variables to show the effects of damage. For instance, the variations in stiffness, and the Continue reading...

Japan is a mountainous region where arable land is scarce and therefore Japan is far from food self-sufficiency, importing 60% of its annual grains consumed (McDonald, 2011). Rice is a national crop in Japan, and the government has put subsidies and support means to encourage its farmers to produce rice in large quantities for its population. Once the earthquake hit Japan and consequently by the tsunami, the country was left with destroyed land and infrastructure. Lands were flooded therefore, agricultural activities couldn’t take place and, even after flooding the land could not be used because of the salt Continue reading...

Issue Analysis: Has the China -Saudi Oil Relations Impacted on the Economy of both Countries?

Summary

China has an exceedingly high population, standing at over 1.3 billion people, and this has led to a huge demand of oil for energy production in the country to serve this exceedingly high population. The huge size of the Chinese economy, the second economy in the world in terms of size at the moment, requires billions of barrels of oil to fire it (Al-Tamimi, 2012). The IMF, in 2012 projected that China will become the largest economy in the world by the year 2017, at the earliest opportunity. Saudi Arabia has extensive oil wells harboring billions of barrels Continue reading...

The center for disease control and prevention define public health as, ‘the science of protecting and improving the health of families and communities through promotion of healthy lifestyles, research for disease and injury prevention and detection and control of infectious diseases’ .The recent Ebola outbreak in west Africa and the first ever transmission of the virus in the united states soil have raised a lot of questions on how CDC handled the outbreak. The outbreak is termed as the worst Ebola outbreak in history with more than 6,000 people has died from the virus mainly in western African Continue reading...

Introduction

Technology has become part of the major sections of the security of any facility. For example, a busy pharmacy in a shopping mall is unique and requires proper physical and logical access controls. The systems are required to protect the medication and funds located on the business. The system would also assist in the access of the personally identifiable information as well as the protected health data of the customers that exist in the system. The security may be installed through reliable as well as logical technological methods that would be essential to eliminate the risks that would be Continue reading...

1. How do continents grow and how are they modified
Continents arise due to movement of plates causing boundaries within the earth surface. Plates move through the oceanic crust along narrow zones between each other leading to the development of plate-tectonic forces. As a result, this forces leads to development of boundaries between the plates. This plates becomes the continents. Generally, continents arise because of continental drift that forces a single land mass on the earth surface to split and drift hence forming a continent. Their modification arises due to various plate boundaries that develop within the earth surface. Continue reading...

Earthquakes may have varied effects on the ways in which they affect the human settlement and activities that are conducted on a daily basis. The natural disasters that result from the geographical activities of earthquakes affect the settlement patterns and the human activities that might be of use when it comes to earning a daily life. Earthquakes have adverse effects on the housing and settlement of people. They are forced to change the way they were initially structured which makes it difficult to cope with the new ways of life. They are also driven into hard economic situations where Continue reading...

Global Force of Good: The United States of America

Since the end of the Second World War and the Cold War, the United States has often been regarded as the world’s most powerful nation today. In the political, economic and social sector, the country often served as the leader of the international community while some saw the country as a role model for change and democracy. However, in times of conflict and disasters, the United States is one of the first few who would respond and send in the US military to help nations in need. Critics may find this action by the United States questionable considering Continue reading...

Abstract

Humanitarian response to the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2000 was from National Government and Non-Governmental Organizations. Support in form of rescue and relief workers got sent to Haiti. Humanitarian supplies got directly supplied to areas directly affected by the earthquake. National fund raising got organized in an effort to provide monetary support. Medical staff got sent and security personnel too. The urgency of the response to Haiti is important and the response to the appeal of donation. Use of questionnaires was quite helpful as it provided the best sample for the research. There was strong support for the Continue reading...

Earthquakes are vibrations of the Earth that are caused by the rupture and sudden movement of rocks along faults or breaks within the earth's crust. The elastic-rebound theory is a model used to explain the origin of earthquakes. It illustrates the buildup of elastic strain from stresses within the earth's crust and the abrupt release of energy along faults as the rocks return or rebound to their initial state (Ristau 249; Hamblin and Christiansen 510). The point within the Earth where the earthquake's energy is generated by the initial slippage or movement is called the focus. The epicenter is Continue reading...

Section one- introduction

Section two- summary
The reunification of Japan occurred under the leadership three daimyo that followed each other. These daimyo include Tokugawa Shogunate (1542-1616), Tokuwaga Hideyoshi (1536-1598), and Oda Nabunaga that existed between 1543 to 1582. The daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu established Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for more than two hundred years. In its effort to establish order in the international relation, Tokugawa Shogunate prohibited trade between Japan and western nations. It also controlled Japanese from conducting trade with other nations during this period. As a result, the unofficial trade and piracy along the China coast came to an end Continue reading...

Abstract

Natural disasters have always happened and will continue to happen. Unfortunately, there is a major difference in how developed countries prepare for and respond to natural disasters, compared to developing countries. When a disaster hits a developing country, the death rates are much higher than in a developed country, the recovery period takes longer and the long term economic impact is more severe. This paper looks at the causes for the differences and addresses steps a developing country can take to be better prepared for and respond against potential natural disasters.
There is a distinct difference in the terminology Continue reading...

Geography is one of the ancient earth science. The word ‘Geo’ meaning ‘Earth’ and ‘graphy’ meaning ‘to describe’ was first used by Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar in third century B.C. Geography is basically the study of the earth’s surface and associated changes and impacts associated with it. It is the study of the interactions of all physical and human phenomena and also the landforms created during these interactions. Physical geography is one of the main discipline of geographical science. It is mainly concerned with the study of the spatial patterns of weather and climate, soils and vegetation, water Continue reading...

Interpretative essay on “UFO in Kushiro” by Haruki Murakami and “The swimmer” by John

Cheever.
Haruki Murakami’s “U.F.O. in Kushiro” and John Cheever’s, “The Swimmer” are two fictional accounts with a similar message on the significance of tragedies in life on our perspectives and decisions. Based on the relationships and communications between the different characters, the conversations in the two texts seem ominous to reality but are in essence a keen explanation of the relationship between reality and the inner personal reactions to tragedies like loss. Komura and Neddy are the two main characters that are stylistically used to communicate how tragedies expose both the vulnerability and the consequent rediscovery of Continue reading...

Japan’s immediate response to correct the impact of the accident

In March 11, 2011 Japan experienced one of the biggest, most catastrophic natural disaster. This refers to the tsunami that was triggered by the 9.0 magnitude Earthquake that hit the country at 2:49pm, JST. The impact of the tsunami and earthquake resulted to over 15,889 casualties (National Police Agency of Japan, 2013) and US$500 billion worth of economic loss (American Nuclear Society, 2012). Among the biggest impact of the calamity involved the destruction of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster that resulted to the release of radioactive materials into the waters and grounds of Japan. In addition, a Continue reading...

Business and Economics

Occurrence of disasters of epic proportions disrupt the lives of members or citizens of any given community. These individuals look up to their very own authorities for assistance, both material and immaterial. It is prudent to understand that all kinds of calamities can affect a large section of a country’s populace. The adverse effects or impact of the disasters can impair the effectiveness of government response. In many case scenarios, a country’s economic system influences the degree to which the authorities can avail its resources in aiding the affected. The best economic system suited in ensuring crisis Continue reading...

Mystery of the Maya civilization

Maya civilization is considered as a mysterious civilization that existed in ancient time. However, the mystery of the Maya is still not undiscovered as no one is sure about the Mayans, their method of living and the the exact reason of the rapid collapse of the Maya civilization. It is believed that the Maya civilization started on 12th August, 3113 B.C., but the archeologists believed that the Maya civilization came into being in 3000 B.C. The Maya civilization, however, disappeared mysteriously in 800 A.D. – 925 A.D. The Mayans lived majorly in the areas, which are now known as Northern Continue reading...

Introduction

A structure is a defined as a collection of things to support something so that it can stand on its own. When one or more things fail to support the whole system, it is called a structural failure. A lot of factors are considered when one establishment has fractures or, worse, collapsed. It may be the effect of a natural phenomenon like an earthquake; some materials failed to do their jobs; or the people who built it made an honest mistake.

Structure make-up

The structure contains loads, which can be interpreted as the forces acting on the points in the system. Continue reading...

The History and Development of Trains

Someone once said that necessity is the mother of invention. The invention of the Maglev train is a clear support of the statement as its invention was triggered by the ever growing population and expanding residential estates. It has created a need for a new generation of affordable, reliable and cheap mode of transport (Lee, Kim and Lee, 2006).The innovators responded by creating Maglev, a train which on top of being fast and reliable, had exemplary features such as low maintenance, eco-friendly, compact and light weight. Maglev dates back to 1934, when the German’s Herman Kemper obtained Continue reading...

2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

Introduction

The Tohoku earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean on 11th March, 2011 at a shallow depth of 32 kilometers is by far the largest earthquake ever recorded in the Japanese history and the fifth largest in the world. The earthquake was of 9.0 magnitude with its epicenter located 130 kilometers off Sendai, Honshu, the largest city in the Tohoku region. This earthquake set off devastating tsunami waves travelling like a jet plane at the speed of 700 kilometers an hour (Sorkhabi, 2011). The waves that reached the altitude of 40.5 meters travelled up Continue reading...

The decision for Royal Caribbean International to determine whether to continue to make stops in the devastated Island Nation of Haiti and its Labadee beach is certainly one that has deep implications associated with it.
In the wake of the utterly devastating Haiti Earthquake, even though research states that there will be no effect on the number of reservations made for the cruise liner, the company still has a moral and social obligation which is far greater than the profit motive. Although the Labadee beach has remained untouched by the earthquake, having guests stay in the same area where Continue reading...

Summary of the geotechnical and structural problems of the I-495 Bridge

The I-495 Bridge in Wilmington, Delaware experienced geotechnical and structural problems leading to its closure. According to structural engineers, the closure of the bridge was following an external force that caused the four pillars of the bridge to tilt. The 11-mile long bypass through the bridge remains closed for an unknown time. The tilting pillars were because of a shifting force on the earth surface, but the engineers had not yet identified the source. Engineers and workers are using shovels, and high-powered sensors to discover the main cause of the shifts on the ground (Nann, and Jeff 1).
After Continue reading...

Imagine a typical day doing the usual chores of gathering supplies like water, cloth or food. The market is busy with bartering for things taken for granted in northern continents. Children were running and playing among refuse materials on dirty streets. Conditions were poor. Then suddenly, the entire ground and every standing structure began to shake and fall. At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world was crumbling around the people of a nation that was already hurting. A devastating 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January of 2010. Four years later, a helicopter tour would reveal that Continue reading...

Introduction

Haiti is a western hemisphere country in the Caribbean, which is located on the western side of the Hispaniola Island. The republic of Haiti gained its independence from the French in 1804. However with all the natural resources endowment and a huge labor base, Haiti is the poorest country in the region with the most unstable government. On 12th January 2010, Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0. The earthquake’s death toll was more than 250,000. Most of the residential and commercial buildings were damaged severely or destroyed. The infrastructure was crippled, Continue reading...

Present day Haiti presents an interesting case study of nationhood in the Western Hemisphere. Compared with the rest of Latin America, Haiti stands out. Also in terms of the development index for the Western Hemisphere and the world, Haiti ranks on the bottom rung of many metrics. In 2012 the GNI per capita was just $760, and significant basic services, health care, education, were unavailable to many of its citizens (The World Bank, 1). In order to understand the present condition of Haiti today, it is important to travel back along its history to better understand why current conditions Continue reading...

The Importance of an Emergency Management Plan: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery

It may not come as a surprise to say that, as humans reach out in search of food and shelter, it is the environment around them that is being abused. As man’s needs grow, so too does the pressure on the environment grow, as a result of which, an ecological imbalance is created unconsciously. And once an ecological imbalance occurs, a series of events are triggered that culminates in large scale loss of life and property. There is no doubt the importance the environment has on life on this planet, but man himself, pressed for space, finds no Continue reading...

Reflection

Learning is a continuous process of observing, acquire, understanding things, even the tiny things that may not keep importance as such, but give you a great deal of learning. I, as all human beings, have been through intense learning process, aiming to develop skills and acquire a perfect skill set of a law student. To attain this perfection, I strive to learn all types of skills that suit my profession at the best. Learning does not always mean to be from the educational perspective, it also holds outside the school. As I chose my profession in law, and got Continue reading...

[University]

Sunshine Skyway Bridge Disaster of 1980 – An Engineering Failure

Highway bridges on navigable waterways are at risk from vessel collision. Since they are primarily built to let vessels pass through, design considerations should include the probability of a major collision of its structural members from a passing vessel. There are several factors why vessels may come in contact with a bridge’s structural member. The deviation of a vessel from its path may be caused either by human error, mechanical error or may result because of adverse environmental conditions. Indeed, the collision of M/V Summit Venture with the pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was due to Continue reading...

1) Who are the stakeholders of this project?
The project to build the island of Palm Jumeirah had multiple stakeholders in the project. However, the original and the main stockholder of the project was Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who devised the plan to help diversify his country’s economy by expanding the tourism industry. The fact that the oil in the country was running low, Dubai needed a new source of income. Therefore, the stakes were high for the economy of Dubai, making Dubai in general a Stakeholder as well. The project began to sprawl into multiple Continue reading...

Impediments to disaster prevention are the obstacles or abstractions that prevent the process of risk mitigation from taking place. With the increasing incidents of risks, everybody is looking for the best way to curb the serious risks that take place year in year out. Since Close to everybody is at risk and disaster may hit at any time, it is very important that we looked for the best ways to mitigate disaster. Very many of such disasters have already hit different places including the big cities not forgetting the ones that have occurred in the United States most recently ( Continue reading...