Fragile Systems 1 Flashcards
Define disaster
means “The stars are evil”
substantial event causing
1. physical damage
2. loss of life
3. drastic change to environment
What is abundant in Earth’s core?
- iron
- nickel
- oxygen?
What is abundant in Earth’s crust?
- oxygen
- silicon
- aluminum
What is abundant in Earth’s ocean?
- oxygen
- hydrogen
- chlorine
What is abundant in Earth’s atmosphere?
- nitrogen
- oxygen
- argon
Stratification
layers that are created when
less dense materials float on top of denser ones
stratification of earth system
atmos
ocean
crust
mantle
outer core
inner core
what defines the disaster?
the strata
Disaster scales
key to communicating disaster info
- use common standardized terms
SI units of time, distance, mass
sec, m, g
Metric prefixes
Tera
Giga
Mega
Kilo
deca
centi
mili
micro
nano
pico
define force and work
Newton, N (kg m/s^2)
1N is like a breeze
Work (J) is force x displacement
what are the 4 types of energy
Potential
- work needed to raise object against pull of gravity
Kinetic
- motion
Sensible
- what we can feel, aka temperature
Latent
- a kind of potential energy
- hidden. heat energy in bonds
- released as sensible heat during phase changes
how are disasters associated with concentration or dilution of energy?
disasters release lots of energy, causing catastrophic changes
Return period
average number of years between disaster events of the same magnitude
RP(M) = time span ÷ number of cases
Where does energy come from for an earthquake? Impact?
- potential
- kinetic
intensity vs frequency
more intense occur less frequently
Hazard
any event that has the potential to cause harm
Risk
- the probability that a hazardous event might occur
- chance of potential loss
vulnerability
a weakness that could be affected by disaster
i.e. whether we are exposed
relationship btwn hazard, risk, and vulnerability
Hazard x Vulnerability = Risk
Overpopulation
exceeds carrying capacity
carrying capacity
population that can be sustainably supported in a given domain (like earth)
Population and relation to disasters
more ppl = more vulnerable
Fragile system is
the human population
- natural disasters are normal in the earth system
