Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Causes and Impacts - Gorkha Earthquake

In April 2015, there was a severe earthquake in Nepal. This is an example of a disaster in a developing country.

Causes

Causes

  • The earthquake was a magnitude 7.9 and happened 90 km north-east of Kathmandu, in the middle of the collision zone where the Indo-Australian plate meets the Eurasian plate.
  • The geological structure of valleys in Nepal increases the risk of earthquakes. Pre-historic lakes filled many of the valleys so the sediment is soft.
  • The depth of soft sediment reaches 600m deep in the Kathmandu valley. So seismic waves that pass through this material are amplified, causing structures to swing violently.
Impacts

Impacts

  • There were 9,000 deaths and 22,000 injured.
  • Economic losses amounted to US$5 billion.
  • There were many landslides down the steep mountain slopes with killer snow and ice avalanches triggered on Mt. Everest (killed 20 people).
  • Many rural villages were totally destroyed – over 450,000 houses were damaged.
  • More than 2.8 million people were displaced from the Kathmandu Valley, and there was an increase in the trafficking of homeless girls into the sex trade in South Asia.

Responses

In April 2015, there was a severe earthquake in Nepal. This is an example of a disaster in a developing country.

Aid

Aid

  • An estimated 1 million people needed emergency food assistance.
  • The Asian Development Bank provided US$200 million of aid for reconstruction.
  • Locations high in the Himalayan Mountains could not be accessed for many days and relief aid was slow arriving.
  • There was severe gender discrimination in the receipt of aid with thousands of women going without.
Geopolitics

Geopolitics

  • Nepalese government aid was hindered by political turmoil before and after the event.
  • More geopolitical issues arose as neighbouring countries (e.g. India and Indonesia) competed with each other for greater influence within Nepal.
Jump to other topics
1

Tectonic Processes & Hazards

2

Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change

3

Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change

4

Globalisation

5

Option 4A: Regenerating Places

6

Option 4B: Diverse Places

7

The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)

8

The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)

9

Superpowers (A2 only)

10

Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)

11

Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)

Practice questions on Gorkha Earthquake

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
    Gorkha 2015 responses:Fill in the list
Answer all questions on Gorkha Earthquake

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium