Hazards - Hazards / disasters Flashcards
What is a natural hazard?
an event that can cause potential threat to human life or property/the built environment
What are the 3 types of hazards?
- geophysical
- atmospheric
- hydrological
What is a geophysical hazard?
caused by earth/land processes
Examples of a geophysical hazard:
- earthquake
- volcanic eruptions
- landslides
What is an atmospheric hazard?
caused by processes in the atmosphere
Examples of an atmospheric hazard:
- hurricanes
- tropical storms
- lightning
What is a hydrological hazard?
caused by movements of bodies of water
Examples of a hydrological hazard:
- coastal flooding
- drought
- storm surges
What is a disaster?
a hazardous event that causes large/unacceptable numbers of fatalities/damage
What does the Dregg’s model show?
the point at which a hazard becomes a disaster –> hazardous event meets a vulnerable population
What are the UN criterias for when a hazard becomes a disaster?
- 10+ people killed
- 100+ people effected
- declaration of a state emergency by the government
- a request for international assistance
What is hazard perception?
the different viewpoints of how dangerous hazards are and what risk they pose
What is hazard perception dependent upon?
- wealth
- experience
- education
- religion and beliefs
- mobility
What can human responses be to hazards? (2 categories)
active or passive
What is fatalism?
the belief that the hazard is uncontrollable, so any losses should be accepted as there is nothing to do/ to stop them - passive
What is prediction?
scientific research and past events to know when a hazard will take place - active
What is adaption?
living/adjusting to the hazard - active
What is mitigation?
reducing/stopping the effects of the hazard - active
What is management?
coordinated strategies to reduce the effect of a hazard - active
What is risk-sharing?
when the community shares the risk of the imposed hazard - active
What is the equation for calculation the risk of a hazard?
risk = frequency/magnitude (H) x vulnerability (V) / capacity to cope/adapt (C)
What is incidence?
the frequency of the hazard
What is distribution?
where hazards occur geographically
What is intensity?
the power of the hazard
What is magnitude?
the size of the hazard
What is the level of development?
economic development will affect how a place/area can respond to a hazard - HICs/NEEs/LICs
What is the Park Model?
a geographical representation of human responses to hazards
What does the steepness on the Park Model show?
how quickly an area deteriorates/recovers
What does the depth show on the Park Model?
the scale of the disaster
What is stage 1 of the Park Model?
Relief - hours/days
What is stage 2 of the Park Model?
Rehabilitation - days/weeks
What is stage 3 of the Park Model?
Reconstruction - months/years
What is the hazard management cycle?
a model that outlines the stages of responding to events, showing how the same stages take place after every hazard
What are the 4 stages of the hazard management cycle?
- prepardeness
- response
- recovery
- mitigation
What is prepardeness?
being ready for an event to occur
What is response?
the immediate action taken place after the hazard
What is recovery?
long-term responses to the hazard
What is mitigation?
strategies to lessen the effects of another hazard
