Hazards Flashcards
Describe mount Java
Most active volcano in Indonesia
Stratovolcano
Thousands of people farm on the fertile flanks, at risk from eruption
What happened in the 2010 mount Java eruption
More than 5000 EQs were recorded underneath the volcano so an Evacuation of 20,000 was advised
Pyroclastic flows down the flanks of the volcano followed a series of eruptions
Fires, respiratory failures and blast injuries caused 350 deaths
350,000 were displaced
Abajarían problems due to thick ash
What is E15, Iceland
Shield volcano formed at a constructive margin between NA and Eurasian plates, a hotspot along the mid Atlantic ridge contributed to its creation
Behaves like a stratovolcano due to the ice cap that covers it. When lava erupts and interacts with the ice it produces a phreatomagmatic eruption
What happened in the 2010 E15 eruption
Very little interest at first but lava combined with water which created intense flooding and lahars
5000 residents evacuated
Water supplies contaminated
Plume of volcanic ash and gas over 10km high spread across Europe grounding 100,000 flights
50,000 farmers unemployed
Describe the Boxing Day Tsunami and its impacts
Epicentre was 240km off major city Sumatra, Indonesia
Third largest EQ in history, ranking 9.2 on the richer scale
General trend was that countries further away from the epicentre did not experience intense impacts, the only exception being Sri Lanka which suffered more damage than Thailand.
Large tsunamis affected 15 countries, 290,000 were reported dead or missing
500,000 in Indonesia were forced into refugee camps
Economies were devastated, 44% of those living in Aceh lost their livelihoods
What were the physical factors that contributed to the damage seen in the Boxing day tsunami?
Located near a 900m faultline where the Indian plate subducts under the Burma plate, a destructive margin.
Islands such as Phi Phi were engulfed as they had sea on either side of them due to wave refraction.
What were the human factors that contributed to the damage seen in the Boxing day tsunami?
No effective tsunami warning system in the Indian ocean, and most affected countries were LDEs.
No adequate MPPP due to lack of development
Mangrove swamps along the affected coats were removed due to economic/touristic reasons, and this exemplified the effects of the tsunami
29 million lived less than 2km from the coastal areas affected
What were the immediate responses to the Boxing day tsunami?
Internation relief efforts were established, involving 160 organisations and UN agencies, and military troops (e.g. Australian air force focussed on air traffic at Banda Aceh)
What were the long term responses to the Boxing day tsunami?
Large scale reconstruction programmes were impletmeted to encourage tourism and stabilise economies
Thousands of tents remained a year after the incident
Sirens/radio warnings were implemented in a new system (rural/isolated areas may still be underprepared)
Native coastal communities were driven out for new developments for example Andhra Pradesh
Tsunami awareness education began in school
Describe the 2010 Port au Prince EQ and its impact
Located in the Carribeean on the island of Hispaniola alongside the Dimincan Rebuplic
Sesimiucally acrive area, interceted by two conservative faultlines where the NA platre is sliding against the Caribbean plate
Lies in Atlantic Huriicane path
Magnitude 7 EQ after decades of built up tension was realsed
Shallow focus of 13km
Epicentre was 24km off the capital
200,000 died
2 million displaced and many living in shelters 6 years later
180,000 homes damaged and 5,000 schools destroyed
What were the physical factors that contributed to the damage seen in the 2010 Port au Prince EQ?
Multihazradous zone, located along 2 faultlines and hurricanes sweep Haiti annually
Unstable soil prone to liquefaction
EQ happened mid-afternoon so people were spread out in public transport etc
What were the human factors that contributed to the damage seen in the 2010 Port au Prince EQ?
Port au Prince is the most densely populated area in Haiti
The poorest country in the Western world, most of the population lives below the poverty line
Unprepared due to unstable government
NDMRS Operations Centre, the main fire station and many government buildings were destroyed this mean that emergency crews and civil servant could not respond
What were the immediate responses to the 2010 Port au Prince EQ?
Aid were slow to arrive due to damaged port
US sent 10,000 troops
UK’s disaster relief committee raised over £100m
UN peacekeepers accidentally introduced cholera to the water and killed a further 9,200
4 million received food aid
90% of those displaced had access to health clinics
140,000 people received agricultural inputs fro spring planting
What were the long-term responses to the 2010 Port au Prince EQ?
Better quality houses built
Ports needed rebuilidng but that required a lot of investment so it is still behind
economic activities moved form the capital to areas at less risk of damage from EQ
Describe Hurricane Katrina and its impacts
Formed over the Bhamas and hit SE USA
Catgroy 3 when it hit Mississippi and Lousiana
200km/h windspeed
Storm surge of 8.5m
Delta right at sea level so easily flooded
1800 killed
300,000 houses destroyed
3 million without electricity
Some of the main ways out of New Orleans were blocked off as bridges collapsed
Water supplies poluted and 5 died
230,000 jobs were lost
30 oil platforms and ports in the Gulf of Mexico were destroyed
Total cost was $300bn
Coastal habitats such sd teutle beaches destrpoyefd
Describe the repsonses to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane warning sysetm gave few days warning for evacuation
FEMA and other organisations prepared for the storm by positioning the coastgurad
FEMA organised teams and supplies and mandatory evacuation orders were issued
Emergency shelters were set up for those who had not evacuated, the Lousiana Superdome sheltered 26,000
Emergency services rescued 50,000
Charities raised $4bn
Describe Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar and its impacts
Category 4 cyclione wind speeds of 215km/h Storm surge heights of 7m Irrawaddy delta was flooded 140,000 killed 450,000 ho,es destroyed 43% of freshwater sourced to local s was contaminated 40% of food supplies destroyed millions lost their livelihood Total cost $4bn 380km2 magroves were destroyed flooding caused rosion and salimiation of land
Describe the repsonses to cyclone Nargis
Myanmar doesnt have a dediczted cyclone wanring system, India’s weather agencies warned them however the severity of the storm nor when it would hit was relayed
No evacuation procedures
Government refused aid at first due to corruption but they eventually relented and accepted aid from the UN hpwwver the delayed response increased loss of life
Mangroves were previously chopped down so little protection
Describe the Alberta wildfire, Canada 2016
600,000 ha of land was burned
No one was killed but one of the most economically taxing diasters in Canadian history
Fire ignited in Fort Mcmurray, initslly under control, but wind resulted in a blaze tore through the fort
Envionrmental favourable conditions, warmer weather, dry vegetation
Intensity of the fire created its own weather pattern, creating its own ignition source through lightning, this positive feedback testified to the intensity of the fires
Fire was linked to a strong el nino effect that resulted in unusakly warm spring
Describe the impacts of the Alberta wildfire, 2016
90,000 forced to flee
water supplies contaminted to assist firefighters
Boreal forest damaged
dry peat soils at risk of getting reignited
toxins such as burning mercury from trees created pollution that spread to Mexico
debate about climate change expanindg fire season
jobs restricted
$9bn worth of damage
Describe the responses of the Alberta wildfire, 2016
90,000 evacuated > no deaths Aid from Canadian armed forces Aif from USA and Russia Helicopters and water bombers $50 million inn donations
Describe the black saturday bushfire, 2009
In febuaray, severe fires burned in Victoria for a months
Fires followed 10 years of drought and strong winds
lack of management contributed to the intensity of the fire, there was a large amount of dry litter to fuel the fire and faulty firelines
Describe the impacts of the black saturday bushire, 2009
173 died 400 injured 2000 homes destroyed 4300km2 land destroyed millions of animals killed 60 businesses destroyed long term illnesses such as smoke inhalation and depression $4bn
Describe the resopnses to the black saturaday bushfire, 2009
Beaureu of Meteriology predicted how fires would spread and gave people the option to evacuate or stay and defend their home
More than 20,000 firefighters and volunteers helped
$400 million was donated to rebuild the community but fire proof buildings are expensive so not everyone finished rebuilding
plans to improve warning systems
Where did pyroclastic flows kill dozens?
Fuego volcano, Guatemala
What volcano released tonnes of SO2?
Mt Pinatubo ejected 20 million tonnes of SO2 in 1991
What happened during the Mt Sinabung eruption?
In 2010, it erupted and blanketed cities in North Sumantra with ash
What happened in Armeno 1985?
Lahars killed 20,000
What type of volcano is found in Laki, Iceland?
Fissure
What type of volcano is Mt St Helens
Composite
Name a volcano found at a hotspot
Shield volcano E15
Example of tsunami
Boxing day tsunami reached 51m in North Sumatra and caused flooding 5km inland.
Example of an avalanche
2015 Nepal killed 15, injured 61
Example of liquefaction
Earthquake-triggered liquefaction damage to the docks at Port-au-Prince in Haiti
What winds in california worsen wildfires?
Santa Ana winds
Describe fires in the USA
Forest fires in the western US have been occurring nearly five times more often since the
1970s and 80s. Such fires are burning more than six times the land area as before, and
lasting almost five times longer
Arguments against climate change affecting fires
between 1998 and 2015 globally burned area
declined about 24 percent. However, this may also be down to agricultural productivity and land
use change as there are less areas that can be burned, i.e. less forestry.
In Alberta 2013, how mant more fires were caused by humans and not naturally?
76%
Who is smokey Bear
70 year old fire prevention mascot in the USa
Fire prevention method in texas
Regu;ar clearing od dry brushwood to take away fuel
Describe a wildfire risk share
Insurance chemes in austrialia, black saturday fire lost $1380 million in insurance
Example of estinguishing fire doing more harm
Mountain oine bug is an invasive species in alberta that should’ve been killed inwoildfire, but sirvied and has affected 93,000 ha of forest
