Main question

What were the effects of the L’Aquila earthquake?

Questions

Study the information in Resource A and suggest reasons for the earthquake that struck L'Aquila in 2009.
Describe the pattern of the earthquake’s impacts as shown on the map in Resource A.

Suggest which of the earthquake’s effects (Resource B) are social, economic or demographic. Use a Venn diagram.

Resource C contains some statistics about the effects of the earthquake.

In which age groups were most deaths (graph 1)? Suggest reasons for this.
Describe the demographic impact shown in graph 2.

Resource A

L’Aquila

LʼAquila is the capital of the province of Abruzzo (Italy), with a population of 72,000. The city centre was full of historic buildings. It was a tourist destination and an administrative centre with a university.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 Richter struck at 3.32 am, 6th April 2009. The focus was shallow (8km) and the epicentre was very close to LʼAquila.

Italy lies near a converging margin where the African plate is subducted beneath the Eurasian plate. There is also a fault line running from North to South along the Apennines down the centre of Italy.
Resource B
Short term effects and responses.
- The land shook for 20 seconds. An area of 1000km2 area affected by faulting, landslides and rock falls. The earthquake was felt across central Italy and as far as Rome (90km away).
- Some liquefaction but little damage as a result. Landslides damaged some buildings.
- Many roads and streets closed. Some bridges collapsed.
- 308 people died (including 19 foreign nationals). 1,600 injured.
- Damage to 11,000 medieval and baroque buildings in the centre of LʼAquila. Damage also to modern buildings in the suburbs and in nearby towns and villages. Fires in buildings added to the hazard.
- Approximately 65,000 were made homeless.
- The government arranged emergency and medical support teams, food, water and shelter. The army, fire and ambulance services, engineers and volunteers from across Italy (e.g. Red Cross) assisted.
- 35,000 homeless people housed in tents in 150 camps. Another 10,000 were placed in hotels on the coast. Others were evacuated to friends and relatives across Italy.
Long term responses:
- Losses of approximately € 10 - 15bn
- Unemployment - businesses destroyed fewer tourists.
- The government is constructing new towns. By 2016 7,500 homes had been built.
- The population was relocated to the new suburbs and towns – no one lives in the old city, which once housed 20,000.
- The European Union has contributed € 500 million towards rebuilding. € 40 million to aid farmers.
- A new high-tech tunnel has been excavated under the old town to carry water, sewers, power and communication lines.
- 2012, six scientists and one government official sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for failing to respond to concerns a few days before the earthquake. In 2014 the sentence was overturned.
Resource C

1.

2.