Hazards Flashcards

1
Q

how much money does Japan invest in earthquake resistant buildings and drills due to high hazard frequency

A

$7 billion disaster prevention budget

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2
Q

Constructive plate margin case studies

A

-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

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3
Q

destructive plate boundary

A

-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

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4
Q

Conservative plate boundary

A

-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

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5
Q

How do intra-plate volcanoes occur?

A

-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

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6
Q

give examples of human induced earthquakes

A
  1. 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
  2. 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
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7
Q

Mt. St Helens eruption

A

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

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8
Q

what kind of economy is Montserrat, Caribbean vs Iceland

A

Iceland= developed country with strong economy, 31.02 billion USD GDP

Montserrat= LICs, one of the less economically successful of all Caribbean islands

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9
Q

the event of Montserrat eruption human vs physical factors:

A

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

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10
Q

what were the impacts of Montserrat erruption

A

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

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11
Q

what were the short and long term responses and management

A

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

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12
Q

the event of E15 Iceland 2010
human vs physical factors

A

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

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13
Q

what were the impacts of E15

A

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

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14
Q

what were the responses of E15

A

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
-

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15
Q

how was iceland and montserrat prepared for the volcanoes

A

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

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16
Q

Haiti 2010 earthquake
physical vs human

A

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

17
Q

what were the impacts of Haiti earthquake

A

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

18
Q

what were the responses to Haiti earthquake

A

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

19
Q

Japan Tohoku 2011 earthquake
physical vs human

A

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

20
Q

what were the impacts of Japan earthquake

A

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

21
Q

evaluate management and short and long term management of Japan earthquake

A

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

22
Q

Hurricane Katrina physical and human (preparedness) factors

A

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

23
Q

what were the responses to Hurricane Katrina (2005)

A

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

24
Q

what were the impacts of Hurricane Katrina

A

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

25
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
26
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
27
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
28
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
29
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
30
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
31
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
32
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
33
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