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Geography > Hazards > Flashcards

Hazards Flashcards

1
Q

Definition of a hazard

A

A perceived natural event with the potential to threaten both life and property, and only a hazard if it affects people.

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2
Q

What kind of hazards are there? (3)

A

Geophysical
Atmospheric
Hydrological

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3
Q

What is a geospatial hazard

A

originates from Earth’s internal processes

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4
Q

What is a atmospheric hazard

A

caused by atmospheric processes

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5
Q

What is a hydrological hazard

A

caused by water/ linked to the water cycle

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6
Q

Geophysical hazard examples

A
  • lava flows
  • earthquakes
  • tsunamis
  • volcanic eruptions
  • some land slides
  • liquefaction
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7
Q

Examples of atmospheric hazards

A
  • storm surges
  • hurricanes/cyclones/tropical storms
  • acid rain
  • high winds
  • fire
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8
Q

Examples of hydrological hazards

A
  • glacial flooding
  • coastal flooding
  • river flooding
  • mud flows
  • some land slides
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9
Q

What is a disaster?

A

The realisation of a hazard when it causes a significant impact on a vulnerable population. The hazard exceeds the capacity and resilience level of the popualtion

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10
Q

What is meant by vulnerability?

A

The risk of exposure to hazards combined within an inability to cope with them

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11
Q

Why are densely populated areas at greater risk to natural hazards?

A
  • mostly on the coast, so also affected by hydrological hazards
  • densely populated meaning more people affected by area
  • impermeable surfaces so heavily affected by hydrological hazards
  • more high rises that can fall and cause even more damage and building collapse, so death
  • more people to treat if disease outbreaks
  • hospitals are often on the most vulnerable land, so less access to healthcare for injuries/diseases/deaths
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12
Q

How does magnitude affect the damage caused by a hazard?

A

Bigger the magnitude (explosivity, wind speed), the bigger the damage

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13
Q

How can characetristics of a natural hazard affect the damage causes (4 marks)

A

Write it out

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14
Q

How does frequency affect the damage caused by a hazard?

A

More frequency doesn’t allow the country/place to recover from the previous one, especially if they don’t have access to fund protective infrastructure, or ask for loans from other countries

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15
Q

What is the definition of RISK

A

The probability of a hazard occurring and creating loss of lives/livelihoods

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16
Q

What is the definition of RESILIENCE

A

The degree to which a population or environment can absorb a hazardous event and yet remain within the same state of organisation

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17
Q

Describe the location of Vanuatu

A

South Pacific Ocean, very close to the equator, North of New Zealand

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18
Q

How does the location of Vanuatu affect the location that it is likely

A

An island -> hydrological hazards
Right next to a plate boundary
Isolated from other countries
Unlike the Philippines, a single storm can cause widespread destruction

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19
Q

Why do people live in hazardous locations?

A
  • geothermal power
  • cheaper sites/land
  • volcanic ash makes the soil fertile, so good for farming
  • people have sentimental/cultural attachments
  • tourism is a good income for local
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20
Q

What different types of hazard perceptions are there (how people perceive hazards)

A

Fatalism
Adjustment
Fear

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21
Q

What is the hazard perception of Fatalism, and give an example

A

That hazards are natural events and are apart of God’s Will
Nothing can be done to prevent them, they are inevitable
Losses are accepted and people remain where they are

e.g. Harry Truman, Mount St Helen’s who refused to leave his home on the flanks of Mount St Helen as he had lived there his whole life

e.g. When Hurricane Milton hit Florida, many did not leave their homes including a mna called ‘Liutenent Dan’ who remained in his boat on a dock near Tampa

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22
Q

What is the hazard perception of Adjustment/Adaption, and give an example

A

People see they can prepare for and survive natural hazards by prediction, preparedness and/or prevention

e.g. Japan and California having seismic design used in most of major buildings

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23
Q

What is the hazard perception of Fear, and give an example

A

People feel so vulnerable to natural hazards that they can’t face living in the area and move away to regions perceived to be safe from hazard

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24
Q

What are wild fires

A

uncontrolled fires that occur away from urban areas.

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25
Q

What is a GIS and what is it used for

A

A geographic information system, used for

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26
Q

What is the overall distribution of wildfires

A
  • Madagascar
  • Northern Australia
  • Northern Brasil
    Mostly on the equator where there is a high density of vegetation, however none in the desert and they do spread up to latitudes of 60 degrees N (north Russia) and 40 degrees South (south Africa)
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27
Q

What zones do we see most wildfires appear

A

Semiarid
Tropical wet and dry
Coniferous forest
Mediterranean
Savana

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28
Q

Ignition sources for wildfires

A

Lightning
Discarded cigarettes
Matches
Glass + Sunlight
Power lines
Electrical sparks

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29
Q

What are the stages of wildfires

A

Stage 1 : preheating (before the fire lights, pyrolysis)
Stage 2 : flaming combustion (after ignition, wood cracks, releasing more resin, oils and gases)
Stage 3 : Glowing combustion (after ignition, wood burns slower, fire consumes wood)

30
Q

What is pyrolysis

A

Wood breaks down chemically, releasing gases, oils etc.

31
Q

What is the El Nino effect

A

Warm water moves east in the Pacific Ocean, meaning that the coast of west and south america become warmer.
It also changes the pressure, brining low pressure

32
Q

Why is geographical relief important when discussing how fire will spread

A

heat rises, so this preheats this grounds above, fire will heat at higher grounds quicker as heat rises

33
Q

Why is time of day important when discussing how fire will spread

A

fires catch most likely between 12-16:00
The ground has been preheating in the mornings up until this time, and humidity is at its lowest level of the day

34
Q

Factors that influence how people perceive the threat of a hazard (4 marks)

A
  • technology (ability to predict and prepare for the hazard coming)
  • past experience (possible PTSD, having had disasters before they may predict and know how to cope better)
  • religion and cultural backgrounds (more of an attachment to a place and so less likely to move or will return afterwards)
  • employment status (if highly employed, you’re less likely going to want to move away and have to switch jobs for a lower wage)
  • other mentions: family, values, community, level of wealth, level of education, capital access
35
Q

What is mitigation

A

the reduction in the amount and scale of threat and damage caused by a hazardous event

36
Q

What is Integrated Risk Management

A

The process of considering the social, economic and political factors involved in risk analysis; determining the ‘acceptability’ of damage and distribution; deciding on the action to be taken to minimise damage/disruption

37
Q

What is Risk Sharing

A

Pre-arranged measures that aim to reduce the loss of life and property damage through public education and awareness programmes, evacuation procedures, the provision of emergency medical, food and shelter supplies, and the taking out of insurance.

38
Q

Sketch a deterioration graph

A

sketch it

39
Q

outline the global atmospheric circulation graph

A
  • polar, ferrel and hadley cell
  • air rises between polar and ferrel, and air sinks between ferrel and hadley
40
Q

What is a storm

A

An intense low pressure system

41
Q

Hazards associated with storms

A

storm surges
coastal flooding
high wind
landslides/mud flows

42
Q

What is a storm surge

A

typically up to 3 metres of a surge of water
caused by the combination of intense low atmospheric pressure

43
Q

Differences between continental crust and oceanic crusts

A

Continental crust is thicker (30-70km thick) and oceanic crust is thinner (6-10km thick)

Continental crust is older (>1,500 million years), oceanic crust is younger (<200 million years)
Continental crust is less dense than oceanic

Continental crust is permanent, oceanic crust is temporary (relatively)

44
Q

What are the two kinds of crust of the earth

A

Continental and oceanic

45
Q

What are the different layers of the earth and a fact of each

A

The core ~6000°C
The outer core - made up of iron and nickel
Mantle - makes up ~84% of earth mass
Crust - made up of two kinds

46
Q

What are some theories behind the movement of tectonic plates

A

Radioactive decay in the core causes the movement. This creates huge convection currents which rise towards the surface, drag continents apart and cause them to collide.
This also is driven by sea-floor spreading. Later theories include more emphasis on the influence of the cooling lithosphere in plate movement (slab pull and ridge push).

47
Q

What is a constructive / divergent plate boundary and why is it called this

A

Plate boundaries move apart, and new OCEANIC crust is formed

48
Q

What is a destructive/convergent plate boundary and why is it called this

A

Denser, oceanic crust sub ducts under a continental plate, and the oceanic crust gets destroyed
OR two plates move towards each other

49
Q

What is a continental convergence and why is it called this

A

Two continental plates moving towards each other

50
Q

What is a conservative plate boundary and why is it called this

A

Two plates slide past each other and there is no creation of destruction of the crust

51
Q

What is the aesthenosphere

A

The upper layers of the mantle where liquid magma can be found

52
Q

What is lava

A

hot molten rock erupted from a volcano or fissure, forms igneous rocks

53
Q

What are the 3 different kinds of lava

A

Basaltic, Andesitic, Rhyolitic

54
Q

Features of basaltic lava

A
55
Q

features of andesitic lava

A
56
Q

features of rhyolitic lava

A
57
Q

What are hot spots

A

A small area of earth’s crust where an unusually high heat flow is associated with volcanic activity

58
Q

Explain the formation of hotspots

A
  • areas of the mantle have unusually high heat flow (radioactive decay)
  • magma plume rises to the surface
  • magma seeps through cracks and faults in the overlying crust and we get volcanic eruptions, forming volcanic islands (Hawaii)
  • it is often made up of basaltic lava, and creates shield and fissure volcanoes
  • the plume is stationary and does not move from its position, but the plate as a whole moves over the hotspot
  • volcanos become inactive as they move away fro the hotspot
59
Q

Key economic impacts on storm Kristine (Philippines)

A

60,000 hectares of crops washed away
112,000 hectares of agricultural land affected
cost of damage reached over $102 million

60
Q

Key environmental impacts of storm kristine

A

caused multiple landslides and mudslides
heavy rainfall led to lahars
storm surge in east luzon

61
Q

Key social impacts of storm Kristine

A

151 deaths
900,000 displaced
closed 38,000 schools
Department of Health anticipated an increase in leptospiriosis

62
Q

priot factors that make philippines general vulnerable to hazards (storms)

A

Most populated island is Luzon, which was the most affected
11th storm of the year, so limited capacity of time for recovery
lots of poverty
productive agriculturally for grain and rice

63
Q

Outline the preparation and mitigation of the Philippines for storm Kristine
(relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction)

A

530,000 people evacuated prior to the storm
Several dam opened spillways as a precaution
Only 50 rescue boats
After, over 3200 households affected received hygiene and water kits
Two major flood control projects have in Luzon are set to get hefty budget hikes

64
Q

Key social impacts of Hurricane Maria

A

65 deaths, estimate of over 6500 indirect deaths
All means of communication were impossible due to all power lines destroyed
Disrupted the lives of over 350,000 students

65
Q

Key economic impacts of Hurricane Maria

A

Over £73 billion in damages
80% of the islands crop value was wiped out
Most small and medium businesses suffer form destruction and deceased tourism

66
Q

Key environment of hurricane Maria

A

30% of trees destroyed
A significant carbon sink was destroyed
Scientists estimated that this storm killed 2x more trees than ever before

67
Q

Outline the preparation and mitigation for Hurricane Maria
(relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction)

A

NHC monitored the hurricane and hurricane hunters shared information to agencies involved in affected areas
Mercy Corps (NGO) distributed nearly $300,000 in emergency cash.
Mercy Corps partnered with World Central Kitchen to deliver more than 25,000 meals to hard-hit communities
Hundred of farmers, fisher folk, and beekeepers have also jump started their livelihoods with training and supplies from Mercy Corps

68
Q

What are some negatives and issues with our case studies rehabilitation for BOTH

A

Maria: 2 months after the storm, 60% of households were still without power and ~20% without water
Only 5,000 tarps delivered after 9 days when 10s of 1,000s were needed

Kristine: Not enough rescue boats, they had 50 and needes at least 200 more
Easy for disease to spread
These boats later became another problem as there were not enough to appeal to social media help signals

69
Q

S waves vs P waves

A

P waves are faster than S waves
P waves arrive at the detector first
P waves travel through the mantle and core, but S waves travel through the mantle but not through the core

70
Q

Body waves vs Surface waves

A
71
Q

What is the global/spatial distribution of earthquakes

A

Deepest earthquakes (700km) occur on the west coast of Chile/Peru, and the Tonga trench which lies east of Australia
Shallower earthquakes occur all around the ring of fire, as well as each plate boundary and more concentrated in the ROF and Europe.

Geography (4 decks)

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