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Geography U1 Physical > Global Hazard Trends > Flashcards

Global Hazard Trends Flashcards

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1
Q

what is the most widely used source for hazard/disaster stats?

A

Emergency Event Database, EM-DAT

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2
Q

Give 5 reasons why we should question disaster statistics

A
  1. no universal definition for disaster
  2. death toll reports may be inaccurate
  3. remote areas don’t get media attention
  4. 2005 Kashmir earthquake, many squatters, not official
  5. governments may influence data released, evil Thailand tsunami data 2004, tourism retained
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3
Q

Give 2 points with evidence to argue that disasters ARE becoming more frequent

A
  1. climate change raises the temp of oceans = more evaporation to prompt hurricanes
  2. more hydro-meteorlogical disasters over time
    - 1977 = 50 floods
    - 2002 = 175 floods
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4
Q

Give 4 points to argue that disasters AREN’T becoming more frequent

A
  1. globalisation & tech = more reported/ noticed
  2. population increase = more vulnerable people, so seems like more people dying from disasters
  3. more people live in hazardous places, low lying coasts/floodplains
  4. geophysical disasters proven to fluctuate over time
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5
Q

what is magnitude?

A

how much energy/ work done is given off by a natural event

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6
Q

what scale is used to measure hurricanes & volcanoes?

A 
hurricanes = saffir-simpson scale
volcanoes = explosivity index
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7
Q

what year did the boxing day tsunami take place?

A

2004

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8
Q

how many total people died in the boxing day tsunami?

A

289600

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9
Q

what was the magnitude of the boxing day earthquake?

A

9.3 richter scale, rare, occurs every 100 yrs

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10
Q

how much stronger was the boxing day tsunami earthquake compared to the 1995 kobe earthquake?

A

100 times stronger!

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11
Q

how high was the boxing day tsunami n places & why did it vary?

A
  1. sri lanka & indonesia, banda aceh 17m high waves
  2. maldives only 4m high waves
  3. because shallow earthquake beneath sea, shock waves sent out ripples, long shallow shoreline along 15 min travel to banda aceh meant ripples built up height
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12
Q

which were the top 3 affected countries from the boxing day tsunami?

A
  • indonesia
  • sri lanka
  • india
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13
Q

give evidence as to how the top 3 impacted countries were affected by the boxing day tsunami

A
  • indonesia: W Sumatra, 400 000 displaced, 70% coastlines ruined
  • sri lanka: 400 000 jobless, S&E coastlines (Ampara) were worst hit
  • india: 140000 displaced in Tamil Nadu, saltwater contaminated fresh water
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14
Q

how was the maldives affected by the boxing day tsunami?

A
  • 4m high waves = flooding
  • 20/199 islands ruined
  • sea wall, protecting Male, saved 1/2 of city
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15
Q

what 3 other countries were affected by the boxing day tsunami?

A

somalia, kenya, thailand

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16
Q

how to GHG emissions affect hurricane formation?

A

more GHG = global temp increase = sea surface temps increase = more evaporation = adds to storms rainfall & rotation of tropical storm

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17
Q

what was the avg. annual number of hurricanes in 1905-30 compared to 1995-2005?

A 
1905-30 = 6
1995-2005 = 15
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18
Q

what happened in years 2004 & 2005 that made them renowned for bad hydro-meterological disasters?

A

2004: ‘year of savage storms’
2005: Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma & Rita

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19
Q

what happened in 2006 that meant it didn’t follow increasing trend of hurricanes? what was the cause of this?

A
  • only 8 tropical storms, none above cat3 in Atlantic

- El Nino started in Pacific Ocean

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20
Q

generally, how does global warming & ENSO affect hurricanes?

A

global warming = large magnitude

el nino = frequency

21
Q

what is the definition of el/la nino/nina

A

changes in the circulation of warm 7 cold water in the Pacific due to atmospheric processes/ pressure changes

22
Q

how often does el nino/ la nina happen?

A

cycle starts every 2-7 years

23
Q

explain El Nino & the weather changes east & west of Pacific

A
  1. air pressure over W coast of S. America lower
  2. air pressure over N. Australia becomes higher
  3. east to west trade winds weaken
  4. warm water sloshes to south america
  5. no cold upwelling of water in south america coast = evaporation, flooding, mudslides
  6. no rain in Aussie = drought, bush fires, crop failure in India
  7. tornadoes in atlantic reduced
  8. more cyclones in hawaii
24
Q

how does drought in indonesia & india from el nino impact them?

A

drought = crop failures = main source of income lost, poverty, famine, no fresh water sources

25
Q

which places in South America suffer from flooding during El Nino?

A

California, Mexico, Peru

26
Q

how is peru affected by El Nino

A

no anchovy harvest due to no cold water

27
Q

how many..?

  • people killed in ash wednesday bush fires
  • homes destroyed annually
  • people killed from bush fires in 2006-7
A
  1. 75 people killed
  2. 84
  3. 4
28
Q

what year did the ash wednesday bush fires occur?

A

1983

29
Q

give the two main reasons why bush fires start in australia

A
  • carelessness, cigarette stubs & BBQs

- lightning

30
Q

which 3 ways do bushfires spread?

A
  • ground fires: dry leaf litter
  • crown fires: eucalyptus trees, resin, treetops
  • spot fires: embers
31
Q

in which other controversial way does australia prevent bush fires besides educating locals?

A
  • controlled burning: reduce fuel for fires
  • Macedon Town, surrounded by Mt. Macedon National Park, full of eucalyptus trees
  • environmentalists claim that frequent burning doesn’t allow new seeds to develop enough to survive bushfires & so forests will diminish
32
Q

how does australia use education programmes to reduce effect of bush fires?

A
  • Victoria’s fire authorities
  • mass evacuation last resort
  • so release posters about how to fire-proof house
  • sprinklers installed in houses, recommended by police, in Macedon
33
Q

explain la nina

A
  1. lower air pressure in Aussie
  2. higher air pressure in S. America
  3. V. strong trade winds
  4. storm clouds over aussie & indonesia = flooding
  5. upwelling cold water in S. America = droughts in California
  6. more Hurricanes in USA
34
Q

what are the 4 main human factors increasing our vulnerability to hazards?

A
  1. rapid population growth
  2. land degregation
  3. urbanisation
  4. poverty & politics
35
Q

explain how rapid population growth increases our vulnerability to hazards

A
  • demographics = more elderly (Japan & Florida) & young (LICs)
  • pressure on land, people live in high-risk areas (Bangladesh, floodplains)
36
Q

explain how land degradation increases our vulnerability to hazards

A
  • deforestation: mangroves = coastal erosion
  • deforestation: farmland & climate change, soil erosion, flooding
  • marginal land = desertification, The Sahel
37
Q

explain how urbanisation increases our vulnerability to hazards

A
  • rural to urban migration = squatter settlements, informal & vulnerable to flooding & earthquakes
38
Q

explain how poverty & politics increases our vulnerability to hazards

A
  • poor LICs can’t afford tech to build earthquake-proof buildings
  • bangladesh relies on foreign aid to provide flood shelter
  • bridges & roads badly built so can’t reach affected areas
  • corrupt governements misuse international aid
39
Q

what happened in Haiti in 2004?

A
  • Hurricane Jeane, category 3 = flooding

- 3000 drowned

40
Q

why did the Haiti government increase its vulnerability to a relatively low magnitude hazard?

A
  • no reforestation
  • political instability: coup killed 300
  • no trees to protect against flooding
  • only 2% haiti is forest now
41
Q

how do we know that the bad government in haiti is what made the impacts so strong?

A
  • Dominican Republic, same storm, only 20 died
  • has red cross workers educate locals
  • civil defence system involves churches
  • government much more pro-active against hurricanes
42
Q

how many people died in Ampara, Sri Lanka, from the boxing day tsunami compared to a more sheltered north-west area?

A

10436 in Ampara

4 died in Puttalam

43
Q

what human factors made sri lanka more vulnerable to the boxing day tsunami?

A
  • Ampara, rapid coastal urbanisation
  • economy based on subsistence fishing/ tourism
  • many people uneducated, 60% less likely to die if Uni educated, can afford better housing due to better job
  • demographics: elderly, 15% who died over 50
  • 14% of deaths occurred in homes
  • double amount of women died than men, indoors
44
Q

why did thailand & sri lanka have no coastal protection from the boxing day tsunami?

A
  • destroyed mangrove swamps for hotels

- no buffer zone to absorb wave energy

45
Q

compare impacts in two places of the same size hazard, and explain why the impacts differed

A
  • 2003, 6.5, earthquake, Bam & cali
  • Cali has earthquake proof buildings so suffered less than Iran
  • Disaster Response Centre shock absorbers
  • iran doesn’t have enforcements of buildings regulations
  • iran = LIC // USA = HIC
  • Kobe, 1995 earthquake, Japan
  • Nagata = more densely populated
  • Nishinomiya = sparsely populated
46
Q

generally, which do LICs suffer more from disasters?

A
  • more death & disruption because can’t fund high-tech prevention techniques
47
Q

how do HICs suffer from disasters?

A

economic losses, more buildings to repair damage

48
Q

give an example of a economic loss in a HIC and high death in LIC from disasters

A 
HIC = Hurricane Rita, $10bill insurance losses in USA
LIC = cold weather killed 2,000 in Pakistan

Geography U1 Physical (7 decks)

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