Hazards Flashcards
how much money does Japan invest in earthquake resistant buildings and drills due to high hazard frequency
$7 billion disaster prevention budget
Constructive plate margin case studies
-Mid Atlantic Ridge = 16,000km long, contains some of the youngest rock, north american and eurasian plate move away
-Great African Rift Valley= 5,000km 50km wide, on contnental constructive, african plate is in the process of splitting into two; somali and numbian plates = also creating Mt. Kilimanjaro
destructive plate boundary
-Mariana ocean trench 10km deep caused by subducting pacific plate
-Japan island arc approx 100 volcanoes due to subducting pacific plate
-Himalayas fold mountains due to collision of Indian and Eurasian plate
Conservative plate boundary
-San Andreas Fault
California
-the pacific plate and north american plate are in contact moving in the same direction
-pacific plate is moving faster = 6km per year, N american is moving at 1km per year
-as Pacific plate is moving faster = illusion that they are moving in opposite direction = relative motion is opposite
How do intra-plate volcanoes occur?
-at hotspots = volcanoes located over stationary plumes in the middle of the plates, as thee plume = island chain is formed e.g Hawaii with 8 islands and 15 volcanoes
give examples of human induced earthquakes
- mineshaft collapse = 1989 Bristol 2.9 richter scale
2.Building collapse = NYC twin tower 2.0 richter scale
3.nuclear testing= N.Korea 6.3 Richter scale - Reservoir construction= 3 Gorges Dam China = 5.1 Richter scale, mass of water causes downwarpping of the crust = RIS reservoir induced siesmicity
5.Fracking = Texas 4.0 richter scale
Mt. St Helens eruption
1980:
-pyroclastic flows moved at 300mph
-massive landslide with debris flow between 112-193km/h
-subsequent vertical explosion sent volcanic ashes and gases 18km up into the air =about 540 million tons of ash deriving from eruption
what kind of economy is Montserrat, Caribbean vs Iceland
Iceland= developed country with strong economy, 31.02 billion USD GDP
Montserrat= LICs, one of the less economically successful of all Caribbean islands
the event of Montserrat eruption human vs physical factors:
physical:
-volcano in dormancy for over 300 years= unexpected eruption in 1995
-Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary, Atlantic plate is subducted under carribean plate= large amount of magma and andesitic lava
-in 1997 dome of volcano collapsed sending 5 million m3 hot rock and gases down the side = pyroclastic flows killed 19 people
human:
-LIC, GDP US$ $63 million
-most people work in primary sector/ agriculture = low economic levels
-corrupt misuse of aid money e.g $40 million from the UK
what were the impacts of Montserrat erruption
social:
-19 people died
-hundreds lost their homes
-fires destroyed many buildings e.g local government offices, police head quarters and petrol stations
-population declined= 8,000 of 12,000 inhabitant left the eruption and many haven’t returned
economic:
-total value in loss of people’s homes and investment = around $1 billion
-over 20 villages and 2/3 of homes on island were destroyed by pyroclastic flows
-businesses destroyed, tourists stayed away
-schools, hospitals destroyed
Environmental:
-large areas covered with volcanic material- capirtal city plymouth was buried under 12m of mud and ash
-vegetation and farmland were destroyed
-volcanic ash from the eruption has improved soil fertility
what were the short and long term responses and management
short term responses:
-installed monitoring systems after initial phase one= GPS measure the bulging of island, gas spectrometers detect sulphur dioxide and seismometers to detect earthquakes
-people evacuated from the south to the underdeveloped north
-temporary shelters and infrastructure
-$17 million in aid donated from UK
long-term:
-maintenance of exclusion zones and 3 year development plan to fund rebuilding
-$41 million in long term aid to develop the North
-new hospital has been adapted from a school in the north
-ports and airports eventually reopened
-tourism = 15% of GDP
the event of E15 Iceland 2010
human vs physical factors
Physical:
-conservative plate boundary between north american and eurasian plate= basaltic fluid lava
-eruption lasting 39 days
-10km high ash plumes, containing sulphur
-some earthquakes
flooding from jokullhaup river due to the melting of the glaciers
human
-HIC and GDP $31 billion = good management e.g diggers in position to dam and block rivers and lava, equipment worth half a billion invested in lava cooling equipment
what were the impacts of E15
social:
-700 people evacuated due to flooding from melted glacier
-ash contaminated drinking water supplies
-respiratory issues due to ash
-cancelled flights left many stranded
economic:
-stopped 10,000 jet engines just in europe
-horticulture lost $3 million a day
-airline industry lost $130 million a day
-ash made soil more fertile= more crops
environmental:
-long-term effects on soil and water quality
-river became 100x its normal capacity
-fluoride deposits= contaminated crops
-rivers silted with ash
what were the responses of E15
short-term:
-700 locals evacuated
-exclusion zones created
-emergency services and airspace closure =100,000 European flights cancelled
long-term
-monitoring and research improved
-icelandic government rebuilt river banks higher than before
-european union developed intergrated strucutre for air traffic management
-economic support for affected famers and businesses
-
how was iceland and montserrat prepared for the volcanoes
iceland;
-diggers were in position to dam rivers and texts were sent to locals with a 30 minute warning
montserrat
-no emergency plans and after 1995 warning signs, no one evacuated as no one thought it was long-term
Haiti 2010 earthquake
physical vs human
physical
-located among complex set of plate margins, conservative strike-slip faults at Caribbean and N american plates
-7 on richter scale, shallow focus
just 15 miles from capital Port au prince
human
-one of the poorest countries, GDP $8 billion
-deforestation is high due to being a cheap fuel source = results in landslides
-Cite Soleil =impoverished shanty town/ slum with 200,000 - 400,000 residents = poor infrastructure, not prepared
-poor governance = no coherent emergency plan was in place, poor building codes
-86% live in slum conditions
what were the impacts of Haiti earthquake
primary
-200,000 people died, 3 mil affected, 300,000 injured
-1 million made homeless
-30,000 commercial buildings collapsed or severely damaged
secondary
-2mil left without food and water
-regular power cuts
-crime, looting
-by november 2010= cholera outbreak
what were the responses to Haiti earthquake
immediate
-slow arrival of aid due to damaged port
-USA sent rescue teams and 10,000 troops
-bottled water and purification tablets were provided
-235,000 people were moved away from Port au Prince
-$20 mil donated by UK government
long term
-over 1 million people lived in temporary shelters one year after earthquake
-by july 98% of rubble in Haiti remained uncleared
-aid money used to pay engineers to assess buildings that hadn’t collapsed
-The World Bank wiped half of its debt off giving the country 5 years before beginning of repaying remaining half
Japan Tohoku 2011 earthquake
physical vs human
physical
-9.0 magnitude earthquake, struck 70km from the coast of Sendai Bay
-generated a 40 meters tall tsunami
-caused by the rupture of a stretch of the subduction zone associated with the Japan Trench, which separates the Eurasian Plate from the subducting Pacific Plate
Human
-HIC developed country
-$34k GDP/ capita and 0.925 HDI
-high investments into aseismic infrastructure and preparedeness
what were the impacts of Japan earthquake
primary;
-700 people died from earthquake itself
-estimated cost of $235 billion (costliest natural disaster in history
-around 30 homes and buildings destroyed, 1000 damaged
-two nuclear power stations suffered fractures = shut down and loss of power
-Tohoku motorway damaged
-Fujinuma Dam failed and collapsed= 5 houses washed away 4 people killed
-liquefaction of the ground
secondary:
-tsunami wave up to 40 meters
-15,900 died, 2600 missing, 6000 injured due to tsunami
-450,000 people left homeless
-120,000 buildings destroyed
-Nuclear plant badly damaged= nuclear meltdown and explosion= radioactive contamination = 4 years later people still not allowed to return to the area
evaluate management and short and long term management of Japan earthquake
preparedness:
-87% of buildings in Tokyo are built to be earthquake proof - Skytree tower: oil dampers, reinforced concrete, dampers can absorb 50 percent of the energy from an earthquake
-sea wall to attempt to block tsunami waves= failed
short term;
-tsunami warnings were issued three mins after earthquake= technology allowed prediction= japan is 80-90% accurate
-within hours of tsunami, 100,000 members of Japan self-defence force were dispatched and search and rescue
long term;
-$190 billion on repair
-earthquake drills every year in schools and workplaces
failures:
-dam failed due to liquefaction
-2 nuclear power stations suffered from fractures- better protection needed
=corrupt media/publicity
Hurricane Katrina physical and human (preparedness) factors
physical:
-Hit south east USA (one of the wealthiest countries
-formed over the Bahamas
-moved north west and strengthened passing over warm water of the Gulf of Mexico
-category 3 hitting Louisiana and Mississippi
-storm surge 8.5m in Mississipi = broke levees in New Orleans
-200km/h winds and 200-250mm rain
human:
-$81,000 GDP per capita
-US coast guards positioned helicopters and boats around areas likely to be affected
-80% of New Orleans was evacuated
- the Administration has already approved more than $1.8 billion in assistance for hurricane recovery efforts.
-FEMA organised mortuary teams with refrigerated trucks
-26th August -National Hurricane centre (NHC) in florida issued hurricane warning
what were the responses to Hurricane Katrina (2005)
short term:
-emergency shelters= Louisiana superdrome sheltered 26,000 people
-coastgaurds, police, fire service and army rescued over 50,000 people
-police controlled looting and violence
long term:
-charities collected over $4billion of donations to provide aid to victim
-FEMA (federal emergency management agency) paid for hotel costs for 12,000 people displaced and provided housing assistance to more than 700,000 applicants
what were the impacts of Hurricane Katrina
social:
-2000 people were killed
-300,000 houses destroyed
-100,000 made homeless
-3million people without electricity
-18 schools destroyed in New Orleans
economic:
-230,000 jobs lost
-30 oil platforms in gulf of mexico destroyed
-$300 billion worth of damages
environmental:
-5,300 km2 of forest destroyed
-oil spills
-coastal conservation areas destroyed e.g Breton National Wildlife Refuge
cyclone Nargis (2008) physical and human (preparedness) factors
physical:
-formed in the Bay of Bengal
-approached coast of Myanmar
-strengthened to category 4 cyclone
-wind speed of 215km/h
-storm surges of 5m and storm waves added another 2m on top
human:
-$1,200 GDP per capita
-one of the least developed countries in the world
-doesn’t have a dedicated hurricane monitoring centre
-India weather agencies warned Myanmar’s government of cyclone 48hours before it hit
-no emergency preparation plan/evacuation plan
-most of mangrove forest (which protect the coast) cut down to make rice paddles
-corrupt government = initially refused to accept any foreign aid
what are the responses to the cyclone Nargis 2008
short-term :
-government initially refused to accept any foreign aid = once accepted UN refugee agency and charities sent shelters, water purification tablets food first aid
-at the time Myanmar was ruled by the Military = aid workers not allowed into country until 2 weeks after the disaster
long term
-Myanmar is making an effort to replant Mangrove Forest
-in 2010 Myanmar worked with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on several regional storm risk reduction programs and signed onto international agreements to boost its disaster reliency
-passed laws aimed at building national state and local disaster response mechanism- with help from the UN
what were the impacts of the cyclone Nargis 2008
social:
-more than 140,000 were killed
-450,000 housed destroyed
-2.5 million left without shelter
-4000 schools destroyed
-70% of people had no access to clean water
economic:
40% of food stores were destroyed
-6,000km2 of agricultural land was damaged
-$4billion total cost of damages
environmental:
-380km2 of mangrove forest destroyed
-14,000km2 of land was flooded = erosion and salination
what were the impacts of the California camp fire 2018
social:
-caused ~90 deaths
-17 left injured
-air pollution led to closure of surrounding schools, drinking water systems chemically contaminated
economic:
-destroyed 18,000+ infrastructure
-Paradise was almost completely destroyed, losing 95% of its structures
-$16.7 billion worth of damage
environmental:
-burned around 2 million acres
-smoke= widespread air pollution travelling up to 3000 miles
what were the responses to the California campfire 2018
short term:
-over 6000 fire fighters deployed from 100 different crews
-24 helicopters, 100 bulldozers
-red cross set up 10 shelters
-initial widespread confusion about reporting missing people limited search for victims
-north valley Animal Disaster Group worked with law enforcement to rescue and reunite pets
long term:
-The Bute county health officer declared the burned region uninhabited = strong warning issued against rehabilitation due to exposure to hazardous material
-in 2020, US National Academies convened a workshop to address questions related to post wildfire public health challenges
California campfire 2018 physical and human factors (preparedness)
physical:
-Northern California, Paradise = was experiencing a drought at the time
-Santa ana winds 50-60mph caused fires to travel towards developed areas = urban fire storm formed in town paradise
human:
-ignited by a faulty electrical wire= fire broke out, started in rural area
-in 2009, local country stated that roads and evacuation routes were inadequate = suggesting addition of a hard shoulder = deemed unnecessary due to new building codes
-wildfire alerts damages
-fire safe regulations= law requires home owners to do fuel modification to 100feet around buildings= defensible space for firefighters= protect homes
- ~ $3bn investment in wildfire prevention CAL FIRE operations
Australia 2019-20 wildfires physical and human factors
physical:
-flames reached 70 meters high
-fire season for 6 months = hottest driest year (climate change)
-rain fall 40% lower than average
-lightning and positive indian ocean dipole
-began in state of New South Wales
human:
-only 3% of disaster spending was on preparation
what were the responses to the Australia 2019-20 wildfires
short term responses:
-2,000 firefighters from US, Canada, New Zealand to help
-military personelle sent help
-state of national emergency declared
-wildfire service airdropped ~ 2000kg of vegetables to people left without food
-fire retardant dropped and irrigation systems installed
-emergency evacuation texts to 240,000 in victoria Jan 2020
longterm:
-The Morrison Administration has allocated billions of dollars in federal aid = to help rebuild
-firefighters managed to save 16000 structures
-review of building standards in brushfire zones to create resilient homes and larger buffer zones between forests and properties
-Australian Red cross donated $200 m
what were the impacts of the Australia 2019-20 wildfires
social:
-killed at least 30 people
-smoke caused 417 deaths
-80% of australians affected
-3,000 homes destroyed
-significant air pollution= air quality
economic:
– $69-159 bn economic losses
-decrease in tourism
environmental:
-burned over 12million acres
-25,000 koalas were killed
-emitted around 700million tonnes of CO2
-21% of Australia forest burnt
