Himalayan Megaquake

Gr 9 Up—This episode examines the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. The earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks and resulting avalanches killed more than 8,000 people and wiped out entire villages, leaving millions homeless. Spreading out from the Himalayan region, the quake destroyed historic buildings in the capital of Kathmandu, demolished the base camp of Mount Everest, and devastated the villages of the Langtang Valley. Tragic stories about the loss of property and life are interspersed with examples of heroism involving doctors, nurses, firefighters, and everyday citizens who faced mortal danger to rescue survivors. Experts track the movement of tectonic plates using GPS satellites to predict future quakes, and engineers arrive in the country to study architecture and to train local builders to make quake-resistant homes. The program makes good use of computer animation to demonstrate the causes of earthquakes and to reconstruct models of the disaster's destruction. Picture and sound quality are excellent throughout.