Earth tremor whyalla

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Tables Tables. Metadata Heading Subheadings Authors Abstract Seismographs are peculiar instruments, it appears, and although the instrument at the Adelaide Observatory is capable of picking up a record of Cancel. Loading article contents, please wait Line 0. Line 1. Line 2. Line 3. A movement. Advertiser and Register Adelaide, SA : , p. The following year a 6. The earthquake resulted in fatalities, 6 injuries and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, particularly in the central business district Giovinazzi et al.

The collapse of two multi-storey office buildings and associated fires led to fatalities. While the majority of injuries were minor, serious injuries occurred as a result of falls and being struck by rubble. Patients who were trapped under rubble suffered crush syndrome, characterised by severe shock and renal failure following crushing trauma to skeletal muscle.

Soft tissue injuries and bone fractures were common Ardagh et al. Christchurch has one hospital with an emergency department, which is located on the edge of the central business district. It sustained significant damage, including loss of power, emergency generator failure, and collapse of a section of the ambulance bay.

Damage to roads and communications failures contributed to difficulties in triage of patients. However, the hospital activated its well-developed and annually rehearsed incident plans, which ensured that staff were effectively managed, patients were identified using pre-labelled packs and wards were equipped with torches, headlamps and charged batteries.

The Loma Prieta and the Northridge earthquakes in California highlight the potential for road destruction during earthquakes. The earthquake caused 63 fatalities and 3 injuries, with 42 deaths among motor vehicle occupants and pedestrians resulting from the partial collapse of an elevated freeway ramp Pointer et al. The earthquake occurred when many residents were in their homes preparing to watch a World Series baseball match, leaving the usually heavily congested freeways relatively quiet.

Had this not been the case, the fatality and injury rates would have been much higher. Furthermore, two large sections of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge fell, resulting in one fatality and rendering the bridge unusable. The most common injuries sustained during the Loma Prieta earthquake included falls, cuts, abrasions, fractures, burns and being hit by falling objects.

While five local hospitals reported difficulties in treating patients due to staffing shortages and insufficient operating suites, most hospital resources were not overwhelmed.

Although hospitals near the epicentre experienced a near doubling in the number of patients presenting to the emergency department, off-duty doctors and nurses were able to deal with the influx. The familiarity with and preparation for earthquakes in the region resulted in rapid triaging and expedited paperwork, ensuring that the earthquake did not impact negatively on patient care Pointer et al.

The magnitude 6. The damage was widespread, including fires, downed power lines and traffic signals, and property and road damage. Over 12 residential properties, businesses and hospitals sustained structural damage, leading to the displacement of over 20 residents.

Schools experienced substantial non-structural damage such as falling lights, which would have resulted in fatalities had schools been in session. Disruptions continued for months due to damaging aftershocks and the collapse of freeway overpasses, which resulted in three major freeways remaining closed until they were rebuilt.

However, the emergency response to the earthquake was efficient and preparations such as the retrofitting of masonry buildings prevented more widespread damage Scientists of the US Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center The earthquake resulted in 57 fatalities that were mostly due to building collapse leading to asphyxia and crush syndrome. Over 7 injuries required hospitalisation that were primarily due to falls or being hit by objects Peek-Asa et al. Older individuals were more likely to be injured due to their decreased ability to move quickly to avoid falling debris and their lower tolerance to sustained injuries Mahue-Giangreco et al.

However, older individuals displayed the lowest levels of earthquake-specific negative thought patterns and those with prior exposure to earthquakes were less likely to experience post-earthquake depression Knight et al. Some work has already been done or is underway in South Australia that addresses the damage that could occur during an earthquake. An earthquake hazard mapping exercise has identified the areas of South Australia most likely to experience an earthquake and estimated the numbers of fatalities and injuries that would occur during earthquakes of various magnitudes and epicentre locations.

Currently, there are no sufficiently strong motion recorders installed in South Australia to determine the manner in which the earth might shake during an earthquake McCue It is not clear whether the movement would be different to earthquakes occurring in relatively similar locations. While the absence of these data leads to difficulties in predicting the impact that an earthquake of a given magnitude would have on existing structures, there are nonetheless important recommendations for Adelaide that can be drawn from the events reported on in this article.

Key recommendations are summarised in Table 2. Some areas of Adelaide, particularly the inner-city and eastern suburbs, have buildings of similar age and construction to Christchurch, with substantial numbers of unreinforced masonry buildings.

Due to the high level of earthquake hazard in New Zealand unreinforced masonry buildings have been seismically assessed and retrofitted where necessary, with most retrofitted buildings performing well during the Christchurch earthquake Wood et al. Following the Adelaide and Newcastle earthquakes a number of school buildings in Adelaide and Newcastle were strengthened and a hospital in Adelaide was relocated away from what was thought to be an active fault in the southern suburbs McCue It may be necessary to assess the economic viability of retrofitting unreinforced masonry buildings in Adelaide that may lead to high numbers of fatalities and injuries during an earthquake Greenhalgh et al.

Damaged roads and bridges may make it difficult to access essential services, including hospitals Ardagh et al. Thus, alternate routes or modes of transport should be part of emergency plans. Research has demonstrated that social capital, or the degree of trust and connection between community members, is a strong predictor of post-disaster recovery. Communities should focus on developing social infrastructure, such as community networks and organisations, which contribute to greater resilience and rapid recovery Aldrich Essential services, including hospitals, should have sound emergency power and communications systems and contingency plans in place.

Emergency operation plans should be developed and rehearsed, including well-defined hierarchical structures for the management of staff and volunteers Ardagh et al. Arrangements should be in place to enable effective co-ordination and communication between local and national service providers and for the endorsement and co-ordination of international disaster response teams. The stations are moved around the metropolitan area every two years. Health services should be prepared to deal with the pattern of injuries routinely observed during earthquakes, including crush syndrome, soft tissue injuries and bone fractures Ardagh et al.

Acute kidney injury is common in patients with crush syndrome and rapid provision of renal replacement therapy is important. Injured individuals are likely to attend the closest or most familiar health facility in the event of an earthquake and may present to facilities that would not normally receive seriously injured patients.

Thus, robust emergency plans should be in place for all healthcare providers, not only major hospitals. Longer-term recovery and rehabilitation should be considered, not only in regard to physical trauma, but also taking psychological impacts into account. Although psychological problems among earthquake survivors decline substantially over time, a minority continue to experience significant and persistent mental illness Lewin et al.

It is important that these individuals be able to access treatment and support services, not only immediately after the disaster, but throughout their recovery period. Earthquakes have ongoing and substantial effects on the lives of individuals and local businesses, rather than being events with a well-defined endpoint.

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