Several people have noted that the magnitudes of the recent quakes in California and Iran were both 6.5 - and that the destruction and loss of life in the former pales beside the devastation wrought by the one in Iran.
While the Iranian Red Crescent Society "has built up an enviable reputation for its disaster response capacities" (due to the unfortunate frequency of earthquakes in Iran), and they will perform heroically, we should not forget the most important factors in determining whether or not an earthquake will also be a disaster:
(These nearly perfect statements summarizing everything you need to know about the dangers inherent in earthquakes come from this lecture on "Minimizing the Impact of Earthquakes".)
UPDATE: The lecture linked above is no longer available. Try this one instead.
Posted by MartialIt sometimes seems to me that one definition of a "third-world" country is one in which a 6.5 earthquake kills 25,000 people. But one problem with that definition is that a 6.5 earthquake in Boston would probably kill 25,000 people as well. (It's hard to explain how weird East Coast cities look to a native Californian: all that brick!)
Of course, the difference is that in Boston there's no reason to expect such an earthquake any time soon, while in Iran they happen quite often.
Posted by: Dave Trowbridge on December 29, 2003 05:32 PMExperience shows that the safest home construction in earthquake areas in California is to use wood frame with plywood siding. This type of building allows for a lot of motion before collapsing and these construction materials are readily available in the U.S. They aren't in Iran. Brick walls and chimneys are frequently damaged during earthquakes in California as well.
Posted by: Mike on January 3, 2004 04:35 PMi wanted to find out about one earthquake in an MEDC and one in an LEDC and compare them but, although the web said you could tell me this, it has not been mention at all. please try to include some information on certain earthquakes to help with studies. with thanks, Emily