Concept Of Natural Hazards

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

Accepting that natural events are inevitable and adapting our behaviour accordingly

E.g. Communities in coastal areas building seawalls to adapt to rising sea levels.

Question 2

Atmospheric hazards

Answer 2

Hazards driven by processes at work in the atmosphere, for example, tropical storms, droughts

Question 3

Disaster

Answer 3

When there is a significant impact on people and property (10 deaths, 100 people affected, country declares national state of emergency and asks for international assistance)

E.g. Nepal Earthquake

Question 4

Fatalism

Answer 4

An acceptance that hazards are natural events that we can do little to control and losses have to be accepted

Question 5

Frequency

Answer 5

How often a hazard occurs

Question 6

Geophysical hazards

Answer 6

Hazards driven by the Earth’s own internal energy sources, for example, plate tectonics, volcanoes, seismic activity

Question 7

Hazard

Answer 7

The threat of substantial loss of life, substantial impact upon life or damage to property that can be caused by an event

Question 8

Hazard management cycle

Answer 8

A theoretical model of hazard management as a continuous 4-stage cycle involving mitigation, preparation, response and recovery

Question 9

Hazard perception

Answer 9

The way people understand a hazard. This can be affected by socio-economic status, education, religion/culture, family situation, personality, past experience.

Question 10

Hydrological hazards

Answer 10

Hazards driven by water bodies, mainly the oceans, for example, floods, storm surges, tsunamis

Question 11

Magnitude

Answer 11

The size of the hazard

Question 12

Mitigation

Answer 12

Actions aimed at reducing the severity of an event and lessening its impact, which can involve direct intervention or post-event support in the form of aid and insurance

Question 13

The Park Model

Answer 13

Also known as the disaster-response curve. Shows how hazard events have varying impacts over time. It shows how people’s quality of life is likely to change through different phases of a disaster, from Stage 1 (pre-disaster) through to Stage 5 (reconstruction)

Question 14

Predictability

Answer 14

How easy it is to accurately predict a hazard occurring

Question 15

Prediction

Answer 15

Attempts to use remote sensing and seismic monitoring to work out if any potential activity may lead to a disaster and need to be acted upon

Question 16

Preparedness

Answer 16

Increasing people’s awareness of the potential hazards associated with storms, wildfires, etc and through their actions minimise the likely impact of the hazard

Question 17

Prevention

Answer 17

Actions aimed at preventing large-scale events from starting (if possible), for example wildfires

Question 18

Primary effect

Answer 18

Effects that occur as a direct result of the hazard

Question 19

Regularity

Answer 19

Pattern of occurrence of hazard (eg a hazard occurring every 50 years)

Question 20

Risk sharing

Answer 20

Working together to reduce the risk and sharing the costs of hazard response - for example buying home insurance - only some people need to claim but the cost is shared by everyone

Question 21

Secondary effect

Answer 21

Effects that occur indirectly, as a result of the primary effect

Question 22

Spatial distribution

Answer 22

The arrangement of a hazard across the Earth’s surface (eg along plate boundaries)