Chapter 2

Question 1

Water is important because (5):

Answer 1

1. It expands by 9% when it freezes.
2. It is a polar molecule. While it does not have an electrical charge, it behaves as if it does.
3. It is a universal solvent. Given enough time, it will dissolve anything.
4. It is common on Earth in all three states - liquid, solid and gas.
5. It is essential for all life on Earth.

Question 2

The biggest problem with water is (arguably) that…

Answer 2

it is not evenly distributed.

Question 3

Uniformitarianism

Answer 3

The Earth formed and continues to form as the result of slow, consistent processes.

This principle also implies that the Earth is very old.

Question 4

Catastrophism

Answer 4

The Earth formed and continues to form a the result of short catastrophic events.

This principle also implies that the Earth is not that old.

Question 5

Actualism

Answer 5

The Earth formed and continues to form a the result of slow, consistent processes that are periodically interrupted by catastrophic events.

Question 6

Hazard

Answer 6

something that can cause problems or harm.

Question 7

Natural Hazard

Answer 7

Some natural place, event or process that can cause problems/harm.

Question 8

Catastrophe

Answer 8

A place, event or process that has caused problems/harm.

A significant catastrophe may be called a disaster.

Question 9

Hazard in British Columbia (steep mountainous terrain)

Answer 9

Steep mountainous terrain (avalanches/landslides)

Earthquakes (fault line locus)
A disaster/catastrophe happens when an avalanche occurs.

Question 10

Exposure

Answer 10

Refers to the proximity someone or something has to a hazard.

Question 11

Sensitivity

Answer 11

A measure of how someone or something may be affected by a particular hazard.

Question 12

Vulnerability

Answer 12

A combination of exposure and sensitivity. It takes into account a person’s or thing’s proximity to a hazard and their ability to deal with it to determine what will happen when catastrophic event takes place.

Question 13

British Columbia vs. El Salvador.

Answer 13

Hazard: mass wasting

For both these places mass wasting in the form of avalanches and flows is a significant hazard.

So both locations have a high degree of exposure. Sensitivity, however, is different. It is less in BC because we are aware of the hazard and can avoid it.

Sensitivity is higher in El Salvador because, despite awareness, steep terrain is harder to avoid. In El Salvador, there is less land - it is a small country - and land that is safer is often owned and/or controlled by others.

Question 14

What to do about risk?

Answer 14

1. Avoid it
2. Accept it
3. Transfer it (insurance for example - you pay someone else to assume the risk)

Question 15

Probability

Answer 15

The ability to predict something.

Question 16

Probability and accuracy of prediction.

Answer 16

When creating a graph that compares flood frequency with size there is often more information on smaller more frequent floods.

What is absent is information of the rarer, potentially larger floods.

The ability then to predict larger, more catastrophic floods is suspect at best.

What’s more is that when this larger, catastrophic event does occur, the prediction graph may ave to be re-written

Question 17

Predictions

Answer 17

It is not possible to predict a natural catastrophe. Predictions are of more precise events such as a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Vancouver Island the week of Jan 7 to 13, 2019.

Question 18

Forecast

Answer 18

It is possible to forecast a natural catastrophe. These are more general statements about a situation such as “there will be an earthquake in British Columbia in the next 50 years”.