A - The challenge of natural hazards Flashcards
Define natural hazard
A natural process which could cause death, injury or disruption to humans, or destroy property and possessions.
Define natural disaster
A natural hazard that has actually happened.
2 main types of hazards
Geographical - caused by land and tectonic processes, meteorological - cause by weather and climate
Define hazard risk
The probability of people being affected by a hazard in a particular area.
3 factors that affect the hazard risk
Vulnerability, capacity to cope, nature of natural hazards (predictability)
3 common primary effects
Kills / injuries, buildings / roads destroyed, crops / water supplies damaged
4 common secondary effects
Trigger of other hazards, blockages of roads / bridges, food / water shortages, country’s economy weakened
4 common immediate responses
Evacuate people, treat injured / rescue anyone, provide temporary supplies, aid from other countries
5 common long-term responses
Repair homes / buildings / roads / railways, rehouse people, reconnect broken connections, improve forecasting / monitoring / evacuation plans, boost economic recovery
2 types of crust
Continental - thicker (30-50km) / less dense, oceanic - thinner (5-10km) / more dense
3 types of plate margins
Destructive - oceanic plate is subducted and destroyed or both plates are risen, constructive, conservative
What plate margins do volcanoes occur at?
Destructive and constructive
How are volcanoes formed at destructive margins?
The denser oceanic plate is subducted and melts. A pool of magma forms which then rises through cracks in the crust called vents. The lava erupts and forms a volcano.
How are volcanoes formed at constructive margins?
The magma rises up into the gap created by the plates moving apart, forming a volcano.
What plate margins do earthquakes occur at?
Destructive, constructive, conservative (all 3)
How are earthquakes formed at plate margins?
Tension builds up as the plates move. The plates eventually jolt past each other, sending out shock waves - these vibrations are the earthquake.
How are eathquakes measured?
Using the moment magnitude scale - measures the amount of energy released (logarithmic scale) Magnitude 6 and below - slight damage to buildings, magnitude 7 and above - major damage and deaths.
5 reasons why people choose to live in a hazardous regions
Always lived there - do not want to leave families / jobs, effective monitoring / evacuation plans minimise risks, confident that their government would support them after a disaster, minerals from volcanic ash makes volcanic soil fertile - atracts farmers, tourist attractions - work in the industry
4 management strategies
Monitoring, prediction, protection, planning
Monitoring earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes - seismometers and lasers monitor Earth’s movement - give vital amount of warning, Volcanic eruptions - monitor signs (tiny earthquakes, escaping gas, change in the shape)
Predicting earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes - cannot be reliably predicted - scientists can forecast where they may occur from tectonic plates, Volcanic eruption - can be predicted if monitored closely
Protection from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Earthquakes - new buildings can use reinforced concrete that absorb an earthquake’s energy, existing buildings / bridges can use steel frames, automatic shut-off switches can turn off gas and electricity supplies - prevent fires, Volcanic eruptions - buildings can be strengthened, trenches and barriers to divert lava away
5 ways to plan for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Emergency services can prepare - practice rescuing people from collapsed buildings, people can be educated, governments can plan evacuation routes, emergency supplies can be stockpiled
Magnitude, date, plate boundary of the Chile earthquake
8.8, February 2010, destructive - nazca plate subducted beneath South American plate
5 primary effects for Chile
500 people died - 12,000 injured, $30B of damage, water/electricity/communications lost in many places, well constructed buildings left standing, 800,000 people affected
4 secondary effects for Chile
Tsunami was triggered - coastal areas were flooded, landslides blocked roads, fire broke out in buildings due to burst pipes
3 immediate responses for Chile
Rapid response with emergency services, main roads were repaired within a day, 30,000 emergency shelters were built
2 long-term responses for Chile
Reconstruction plan - help 200,000 households, foreign aid was not heavily relied upon - Chile had the funds for reconstruction / recovery
Magnitude, date, plate bounday of the Nepal earthquake
7.8, April 2015, Destructive - Indo-Australian plate subducted beneath Eurasian plate
6 primary effects for Nepal
9000 people died - 22,000+ injured, 800,000 buildings damaged or destroyed, 4 million left homeless, $5B of damage, roads and bridges destroyed, water tanks and pipes destroyed
3 seconday effects for Nepal
Triggered avalanches on Mount Everest - killed 18 people, mountain roads were blocked - preventing emergency aid from reaching remote areas, lack of clean water - outbreaks of typhus - killed 13+ people
4 immediate responses for Nepal
India and China sent teams to help residents rescue people trapped by debris - lack of tools slowed down efforts, recover dead bodies abd treat the injured, charities provided medicine, food, water supplies, Red Cross set up emergency shelters for 130,000 families
3 long-term responses for Nepal
The World Bank Group financed $500M worth of projects to build earthquake-resistant housing and repair roads, heritage sites reopened in June - encourage tourists, NGOs are working with residents to increase their resilience to disasters