Why was the Northridge earthquake so destructive?

The Northridge earthquake produced extremely strong ground shaking, which caused the greatest damage in the United States since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The Northridge earthquake was caused by dip slip on a thrust fault—the overriding movement of one crustal block up and over a second crustal block (see p.

How much damage did the Northridge earthquake cause?

The Northridge earthquake was the costliest natural disaster to have occurred in the United States at the time, and is today the third largest economic loss caused by a natural disaster in the nation’s history. The damage cost estimate reached $20 billion in damages, and $49 billion in economic loss.

What was a big impact of the Northridge earthquake?

The earthquake caused many thousands of landslides over an area of 10,000 square kilometers, mostly concentrated in sparsely populated areas north of the San Fernando Valley. The landslides destroyed homes, roads, and utility lines, and blocked streams.

What types of damage happened during the Northridge earthquake?

The magnitude 6.7 earthquake damaged several buildings as well as destroying all communications, such as telephone lines and causing computer systems to shut down. The seismic event killed two CSUN students at the Northridge Meadows Complex along with 14 other residents.

What kind of earthquake was Northridge?

Northridge California Earthquake 1994 Summary

The magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake occurred on a “blind” or buried thrust fault, inclined to the south, rooted under the San Fernando Valley and extending north under the Santa Susana Mountains.

What is the biggest earthquake in Los Angeles?

The Northridge quake (named after the San Fernando Valley community near the epicenter) was one of the most damaging in U.S. history. It was 4:31 a.m. when the 6.7-magnitude quake struck the San Fernando Valley, a densely populated area of Los Angeles located 20 miles northeast of the city’s downtown.

What kinds of impacts did the devastating Northridge earthquake have on people and place in the Los Angeles area?

Fifty-seven people died, more than 9,000 were injured, and more than 20,000 were displaced from their homes by the effects of the quake. Although moderate in size, the earthquake had immense impact on people and structures because it was centered directly beneath a heavily populated and built-up urban region.

Is a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage/loss destruction and devastation to life and property?

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event, bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property. The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and influences the mental, socioeconomic, political, and cultural state of the affected area.

What type of earthquake was the Northridge earthquake quizlet?

What type of earthquake was the Northridge earthquake? A strong earthquake, but not a major earthquake.

What happened during the Kobe earthquake?

Beginning at 5:46am, the temblor lasted for 20 seconds, registered 6.9 on the Richter scale and packed a wallop of 240 kilotons of TNT. Over 50,000 buildings were destroyed or badly damaged and 300,000 people were left homeless.

Why Kobe earthquake was so devastating?

This was because it was built on easily moving ground which LIQUIFIED, allowing building to collapse and sink. The worst effected area was in the central part of Kobe including the main docks and port area. This area is built on soft and easily moved rocks, especially the port itself which is built on reclaimed ground.

What damage did the Kobe earthquake cause?

Jan 17, 1995 CE: Kobe Earthquake

The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster of 1995 was one of the worst in Japan’s history, killing 6,433 people and causing more than $100 billion in damages.

How much economic damage was caused by the Kobe earthquake?

The earthquake, which had registered 7.3 on the Richter scale, cost 6,432 lives, resulted in 43,792 injured, and damaged 639,686 buildings, of which 104,906 were completely destroyed [1]. The Kobe earthquake was responsible for one of the largest direct economic losses due to a natural hazard in recorded human history.

When the Kobe earthquake struck most of people in the region were probably?

The Kobe earthquake occurred at 05:46:53 AM JST early in the morning and hence most people were probably still sleeping.)

How did the Kobe earthquake affect Japan?

Structures irreparably damaged by the quake included nearly 400,000 buildings, numerous elevated road and rail bridges, and 120 of the 150 quays in the port of Kobe. The quake triggered approximately 300 fires, which raged over large portions of the city. Disruptions of water, electricity and gas supplies were common.

How long did it take to recover from Kobe earthquake?

12 MONTHS TO FOUR YEARS

In 2007, it was 85 percent of the 1994 level, a Kobe government report said. — Debris removal was completed by March 1998.

How much property damage was estimated in the Kobe earthquake?

The January 17, 1995, earth- quake that devastated Kobe, Japan, caused about $100 billion in prop- erty losses, making it the most expensive earthquake ever to strike an urban area. The earthquake killed 5378 people, damaged or destroyed about 152,000 buildings, and inciner- ated the equivalent of 70 U.S. city blocks.