DME: Natural Hazards Flashcards
Building regulations/codes
Laws enforced to prevent unsafe building design
Base isolating bearing
Steel/rubber shock absorbers in foundations
Cholera
Bowel infection which can be fatal from contaminated food/water
Cross braces
Diagonal steel bars to prevent deformation of walls
Dampers
Large weights, controlled to counteract movement
Earthquake
Sudden trembling or shaking of the earth
Emergency response
Fire, police and ambulance services
Epicentre
Location of earthquake at Earth’s surface above focus
Fault line
Fracture in rock caused by stress
Focus
Location of the earthquake within the crust
Hazard
Events causing loss of life, injury, disease, economic damage
High-tech companies
Research/production of computers/communication system
Inertia
Resistance to movement or change
Infrastructure
Services; transport, airports, schools, emergency services
Intensity
Degree of shaking at ground, measures damage caused
Liquefaction
Shockwaves cause water to rise, ground becomes unstable
Load capacity
Designed capacity of building to support a given mass
Long-term aid
Improve quality of life, providing housing, medical, schools
Magnitude
Size of the earthquake using Richter scale
Monitoring
Constant measuring of earthquake activity, small/large
Preparation
Planning for earthquake; education, emergency services
Prevention
Designing buildings/infrastructure from damage
Probability mapping
Mark percentage possibility of an area experiencing an earthquake
Reconstruction
Long-term rebuilding of houses, infrastructure, industry etc.
Recovery
Medium-term; reopen schools, clear roads, shops open etc.
Retrofitting
Adding structures to existing buildings to improve structural safety
Richter scale
Measures earthquake magnitude, logarithmic scale
Seismic
Shaking displacement caused by earthquake
Seismic waves
Vibrations caused by earthquake
Seismologist
Scientists who measure and research earthquake activity
Short term aid
Emergency response; rescue, treat, feed, house etc.
Tectonic hazard
Earth hazards (earthquakes/volcanoes) interact with people
