Hazards Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the Eyjafjallajokull eruption?

A

2010

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2
Q

At what volcanic eruption index was the E15 eruption?

A

VEI3 - effusive but water got into magma chamber (volatile) from the melting glacials, increasing its explosivity.

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3
Q

What was the main secondary hazard of the E15 eruption?

A

Jokulhlaups - glacial floods from the magma underground melting the ice above ground

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4
Q

What were the primary impacts of the E15 eruption?

A

No deaths directly from eruption - but 2 died during travels to witness effusive phase

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5
Q

What were the major secondary impacts from the E15 eruption?

A
  • column of ash trending travellers and costing billions of dollars to travel business - covered all of Europe
  • ash fallout causing darkness
  • toxic levels of fluoride (livestock dead)
  • floods from jokulhlaups damaging infrastructure
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6
Q

How was the E15 eruption predicted/ monitored?

A
  • predicted that Katla volcano was biggest threat - but wrong
  • 56 seismic stations
  • 70 continuous GPS stations measuring ground displacement + earthquake activity
  • Icelandic meteorological office operates monitoring + early warning equipment
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7
Q

What was the preparation like for the E15 eruption?

A
  • from 2006, population of southern Iceland have had evacuation plants for Katla (“more active”)
  • instructions to keep livestock inside contracted this
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8
Q

What were the short-term responses of the E15 eruption?

A
  • 500 farm families immediately evacuated
  • emergency response plans enacted
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9
Q

What were the medium and long-term responses of the E15 eruption?

A
  • “no fly zone” declared by Civil Aviation Authority over Europe
  • temporary airport closures April/May
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10
Q

When was the Montecito mudslide in California?

A

2018

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11
Q

What were the physical causes of the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • huge rainstorm after a large wildfire - land is dry and loose, can flow easily
  • vegetation destroyed that absorbed extra water (debris flow 50 times faster after fire)
  • Ynez mountains made up of easily erodible rock (shale + sandstone)
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12
Q

What were the primary impacts of the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • 23 killed, 163 injured
  • 20,000 homes lost power
  • $177m in property damages
  • 130 homes destroyed
  • 30 miles section of Route 101 was shut
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13
Q

What were the secondary impacts of the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • $43m to clean up
  • 2 bodies never found in mudflow
  • clean up only started a week after the initial mudflow
  • significant parts of Cold Springs basin buried
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14
Q

What was the monitoring / prediction for the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • in 1969, Army Corps’ engineer issued dire warning to Santa Barbara county about mudslides - failed
  • there was a severe rainfall warning due to El Niño
  • people were not warned of the scale, occurred at 3 am
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15
Q

What was the preparation like for the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • Santa Barbara county failed to fully empty basins before disaster (Cold Spring basin could only capture 64% of debris)
  • there was a ‘voluntary’ evacuation zone
  • Cali. Dept. Of water resources issued limit on building in vulnerable areas (building continues in flood zones, money not allocated to basins)
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16
Q

What were some of the short-term responses for the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • 300 residents rescues via airlift
  • Debris cleanup started a week later
  • More than 1,250 firefighters dispatched for rescue
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17
Q

What were some medium and long-term responses for the Montecito mudslide?

A
  • Partnership for Resilient Communities calling for emergency measures + debris monitoring system
  • PRC raining $5m
  • California Geological Survey created landslide monitoring programme, collecting data on how vegetation affects soil stability after a fire
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18
Q

When did the Moore Tornado happen?

A

May 2013 - on ground for 39 min

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19
Q

What scale was the Moore Tornado?

A

EF5

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20
Q

What were the primary impacts of the Moore Tornado?

A
  • 1200 homes destroyed
  • 23 people dead, inc. 7 children
  • Briarwood elementary completely destoyed
  • 212 injured
  • $2bn in damages
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21
Q

What was the secondary impact of the Moore Tornado?

A
  • over $1bn in insurance claims
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22
Q

How was tornado Moore predicted / monitored?

A
  • National Weather forecasted ‘moderate risk of severe thunderstorms’
  • Morning issues severe thunderstorm warning for 30 counties in Oklahoma
  • Hook echo Doppler radar images of supercell thunderstorm - meteorologists issue warning
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23
Q

What was the preparation for tornado Moore?

A
  • only less than 1/10th had shelters - expensive
  • no community shelters
  • city has 24h warning centre
  • public readiness promotes through community services
  • Kelley elementary rebuilt with ‘safe hallways’ - tornado did not reach it
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24
Q

How effective was the PPM for tornado Moore?

A
  • not many people had their own safe shelters
  • sirens went off 12 min before tornado touched
  • 1/3 less people killed than 1999 tornado
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25
Q

What were the short-term responses for tornado Moore?

A
  • urban search + rescue teams deployed
  • convoy of hope charity on the ground in min - over 640 volunteers
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26
Q

What were the medium + long-term responses to tornado Moore?

A
  • Moore first American bank created partnership to address vital community needs to start recovery
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency set up community recovery centre, giving out aid
    But by May 2014 estimated $8.7m in recovery not met
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27
Q

When was the Hunga Tonga eruption?

A

January 2022

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28
Q

Where did the Hunga Tonga eruption happen? Why is this significant?

A

Islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga-Ha’apai, and they have no permanent inhabitants

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29
Q

What was the magnitude of the Hunga Tonga eruption?

A

At least VEI-5

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30
Q

Was the eruption of Hunga Tonga effusive or explosive?

A

Explosive - at O-O convergent plate boundary - addition of volatiles lowered the melting point, changing chemical composition of magma (andesitic to rhyolitic) making it more explosive

31
Q

What were the primary impacts of the Hunga Tonga eruption?

A
  • 4 killed in Tonga
  • Power + communications cut out as damage to undersea cables
  • massive amounts of volcanic ash released
32
Q

What were the secondary impacts from the Hunga Tonga eruption?

A
  • tsunamis in NZ, Japan, USA, Chile, Peru (killed 2)
  • contribution to global warming due to vast amounts of water vapour released
  • falling ash damaged coral reefs
  • oil spills due to shock waves
33
Q

Prediction of Hunga Tonga eruption? Effective?

A
  • Submarine volcano, so less studied + difficult to predict
  • volcanologists spotted activity 2 days before
  • not effective due to lack of technology
34
Q

Preparation for the Hunga Tonga eruption? Effective?

A
  • risk assessment conducted in June 2021 on population + land use
  • 2 days after eruption, NZ volcanologists estimated thickness of ash fall
  • locals alert + prepared, good education

-effective as small death toll considering magnitude

35
Q

Short-term responses for Hunga Tonga?

A
  • Fijian government issued tsunami warning
  • Australia evacuating beaches
  • Aus + NZ pledged $1m in aid
36
Q

Medium + long-term responses to Hunga Tonga eruption?

A
  • submarine internet cable repaired in 5 weeks
  • not much to respond to as preparedness really good
37
Q

When and where did Hurricane Harvey happen?

A

Late august / early September 2017, Texas USA

38
Q

What were some physical causes of Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • primary hazards like flooding results from 2 areas of high pressure blocking storm’s path upwards
  • storm drew up water vapour from Gulf of Mexico
  • flood defences overwhelmed
  • 2017 warmest year without El Niño, enabling Harvey to carry more moisture
39
Q

What were some primary impacts of Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • 88 deaths
  • 204,000 homes destroyed
  • vulnerable population hit hardest
  • drowning, disease, overcrowding, crime
40
Q

What were secondary impacts of Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • public health problems due to toxins released into air from refineries
  • long-term mental health impacts
  • mould exposure
  • persistent increase disease exposure
41
Q

What was the monitoring/ prediction like for Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • forecast models were used but they weren’t effective
  • flooding + rainfall not predicted
  • track of storm not accurately mapped
  • ‘improvement’ to US model made prediction worse, increasing hazard for local populations
42
Q

What was the preparation like for Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency working with coastguard to mitigate impacts
  • disaster response teams mobilised before in Austin
  • 50 Texan counties + all Louisiana put on state of emergency
  • oil refineries closed
43
Q

What were some short-term responses for Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • free school meals for 18 months
  • NGOs provided support
  • relief from foreign governments
44
Q

What were the medium + long-term responses for Hurricane Harvey?

A
  • FEMA + government support for rebuilding infrastructure
  • improved preparedness + assessment of risk using GIS
  • provision of long-term healthcare + support
  • provision of medicines by NGOs
45
Q

When was the Japan earthquake?

A

2011,

46
Q

What caused most of the damage from the Japan earthquake?

A
  • tsunami + Fukushima nuclear power plant damage
47
Q

How powerful was the Japan earthquake?

A

7.2 Richter scale, 5th most powerful earthquake

48
Q

What was the physical cause of the Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • pacific plate subducted beneath Eurasian plate, Eurasian plate lifted over 9m upwards
49
Q

What was the physical cause of the tsunami from the Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • focus of earthquake was located under ocean floor, all water suddenly pushed up
  • 40m waves at 800kmph
50
Q

What were the primary impacts of the 2011 Japan earthquake?

A
  • whole settlements erased by tsunami
  • Sendai airport rendered unusable in minutes
  • landline + mobile connections lost
  • electricity cut off
  • ~20,000 deaths
  • 65% of deaths 60 or over
  • 45,700 buildings destroyed
51
Q

Secondary impacts of the Japan 2011 earthquake

A
  • shutting down Sendai airport = limiting aid accessibility
  • increased risk of flu passing between elderly
  • 450,000 homeless, numerous hypothermic
  • 11 elderly died from hypothermia
  • high chance of epidemics
  • TSUMANI = Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster
    -radioactivity levels remained higher than normal for farming
52
Q

What were the methods of prediction / monitoring for Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • Japan’s latest seismic hazard map predicted magnitude of 7.7
  • expected only 4-5m tsunami
  • JMA issues first tsunami warning 3 min after earthquake
  • warning systems only triggered in Northeast Japan - magnitude of tsunami underestimated
  • japan has world’s densest seismometer network + most expensive early warning system
53
Q

What was the preparation like for the Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • japan has most advances preparedness, but susceptible to tsunami
  • densest seismometer network
  • tsunami wall completed in 2008, wall protects from 2-3m tsunamis every decade
  • Fukushima plant built to withstand wave of 5.7m
54
Q

What were the short-term responses for the Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • rescue workers and 100,000 of Japan self-defence forces dispatched
  • government declared 20km evacuation zone around Fukushima power plant, reducing radiation exposure
55
Q

What were the medium and long-term responses to the Japan 2011 earthquake?

A
  • Red Cross opened appeal for aid funds hours after disaster - British people could donate
    AIMS: distribute relief items, 70,000 temp. homes for 280,000 people
  • 200,000 evacuated within 20km radius around Fukushima
  • April 2011, recovery programme established
  • reconstruction objectives set in place for vulnerable regions
  • JMA recently invested 2billion yen in tsunami relief+ earthquake monitoring systems
56
Q

When did Typhoon Haiyian happen?

A

2013, Philippines

57
Q

What was the reason for severity of typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • lack of knowledge around storm surges -> caused most destruction
  • difficult communication + transport between islands
  • warning announced but locals did not know what to do
58
Q

What were the primary impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • wind speeds of 195mph (category 5)
  • 6,300 deaths, 28,626 injuries
  • storm surge 5-6 metres
  • flooding in low lying areas + landslides
59
Q

What were the secondary impacts of Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • loss of property + businesses estimated at $1bn
  • landslides continues for over a month
  • 1.9m homeless, 6 displaced
  • looting + violence broke out
  • oil spill in Iloilo
60
Q

What was the prediction + monitoring like for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • storm surges predicted 2 days in advance
  • low resolution mapping = don’t depict inundation
  • JMA generated 96-hour storm surge forecast
  • extensive hazard maps produced on storm surge
  • education campaigns around understanding hazard maps took place
61
Q

What were some preparation methods for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • work + classes suspended
  • response teams put on standby
  • department of health prepositioned medicine
  • Philippine Navy placed on alert
  • Tacloban local government evacuated people near coast
62
Q

Was the prediction/ monitoring effective for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • No, lack of warning about storm surge + enforcing education
  • difficulty evacuating people due to remote villages
  • not everyone knew what a storm surge was
  • maps did not reflect flooding extent
  • daily concerns more important than hazards
  • large communities of informal settlers
63
Q

Were the preparation methods effective for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • incomplete action to prevent loss of life after storm surge warning
  • lack of education around storm surges and what actions to take
  • in other islands where residents evacuated 2 days before, many lives saved
64
Q

Short term responses for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • governments like USA, UK and NGOs donated $500m
  • Hundreds of evacuation centres set up
  • immediate help from medical assistance provided, reducing further casualties + spread of disease
65
Q

Medium + long-term responses for Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  • reconstruction of infrastructure like roads, bridges, airports by USA, EU, etc.
  • UN habitat led programmes for rebuilding
  • ‘cash for work’ = local people paid to clean rubble
  • more education on what to do during storm surge
66
Q

When was the Haiti earthquake?

A

2010, 7 magnitude

67
Q

Why were the effects of the Haiti earthquake so strong?

A
  • 80% of people were living in poverty
  • 4,000 people per 1 doctor
  • epicentre only 16 miles from Port Au Prince
  • shallow focus, at only 5 miles
68
Q

What were the primary impacts of the Haiti Earthquake?

A
  • 316,000 killed
  • 1m homeless
  • 250,000 homes destroyed
  • prison destroyed and 4,000 inmates escaped
69
Q

What were the secondary impacts of the Haiti earthquake?

A
  • 1 in 5 people lost their jobs in the long-term
  • spread of cholera, bodies piled up on street contaminating water (4,850 died)
  • airport extremely damaged,difficult to get aid into the country
70
Q

What was the monitoring/ prediction like for the Haiti earthquake?

A
  • there were only 2 monitoring stations, but no professional seismologists to monitor
  • bad communication systems to warn people
71
Q

What was the preparation like for the Haiti earthquake?

A
  • low level due to country’s high poverty, conflict, corruption
72
Q

What were the short-term responses to the Haiti earthquake?

A
  • Dominican Republic first the give aid
  • Iceland had emergency response team within 24h
  • aid ships had to be turned away from destroyed port
73
Q

What were the medium and long-term responses for the Haiti earthquake?

A
  • 1500 camps set up in Port-au Prince
  • duplication of aid, few spoke french - lack of coordination
  • by July 2010, 98% of rubble remained, 1.6m living in camps
  • world bank cancelled half of Haiti’s debt
  • cash for work programmes
74
Q

What were the consequences of the corruption in Haiti?

A
  • $13.5bn of air was donated
  • Canada gave $657m but only 2% was channeled to Haitian government
  • 10 years later, some families still displaced and in tents