Lecture #1

Question 1

How many locations within North America are at risk of hazards?

Answer 1

Every location is at risk of at least 1 hazard

-Hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, draught (everyone)

Question 2

Examples of Non-natural disasters?

Answer 2

• Nuclear meltdown
• Toxic gas release
• Oil Spill
• O3 depletion
• Acid rain
• Infrastructure failures

Question 3

What are the 3 main processes in which natural hazards can arise?

Answer 3

1. Internal forces within the earth (driven by internal energy; plate tectonics)
2. External Forces on earth surface (driven by sun energy; any weather hazard)
3. Gravitational Attraction (driven by force of gravity; downslope movement)

Question 4

Hazard definition

Answer 4

A process that poses a potential threat to people or the environment

Question 5

Risk definition

Answer 5

the probability of an event occurring x impact on people or the environment

Question 6

Disaster definition

Answer 6

A brief event that causes great property damage of loss of life

Question 7

Catastrophe definition

Answer 7

A massive disatster

Question 8

What differentiates a hazard from a catastrophe?

Answer 8

It’s based on the size of the area affected

Question 9

Which hazards are more likely to be more catastrophic or less?

Answer 9

More: tsunami, earthquake hurricanes
Less: Landslide, wildfires, tornado

Question 10

What is the magnitude frequency concept?

Answer 10

There is an inverse relationship between magnitude and frequency

Question 11

What is the impact of a hazard dependant on?

Answer 11

Magnitude + Frequency

-also to a lesser extent geology, population density, land use

Question 12

What is a relatively safe place to be in NA?

Answer 12

The great lakes region

Question 13

Which cycles created and modified earths surface?

Answer 13

the geologic cycles

• tectonic cycle
• rock cycle
• hydrologic cycle

Question 14

What does the tectonic cycle involve?

Answer 14

Creation, movement and destruction of plates

Question 15

How many tectonic plates are there?

Answer 15

7 big ones

7 little ones

Question 16

Which process drives the tectonic cycle?

Answer 16

Earth internal energy

Question 17

What is the Asthenosphere?

Answer 17

The upper mantle which is composed of hot magma with some flow

Question 18

What is the Lithosphere?

Answer 18

Thin and brittle crust

Question 19

What are the 2 different kinds of crust?

Answer 19

• Oceanic (dense)

- Continental (thin)

Question 20

What are the 3 types of plate boundaries?

Answer 20

-Convergent
-Divergent
Transform

Question 21

What do transform boundaries create?

Answer 21

Transform faults

san Andreas

Question 22

What are hotspots?

Answer 22

Areas found away from plate boundaries where magma rises up from the mantle
-they’re random

Question 23

What geological feature is indicative of a hot spot?

Answer 23

When magma erupts from the surface to form volcanoes

-Hawaiian islands

Question 24

How do plume move?

Answer 24

They don’t move, but the plate moving over top causes the structure to move

Question 25

What are the 3 types of rock produced yet eh rock cycle?

Answer 25

- Igneous (came from ancient volcano) - Sedimentary (weathering + erosion) - Metamorphic (heat+ melting to form a new rock)

Question 26

Definition of the Hydrologic cycle

Answer 26

The movement and exchange pod water around the land atmosphere and oceans by changes in state

Question 27

What drives the hydrologic cycle?

Answer 27

Solar energy drives the movement of water

Question 28

What is the Residence time?

Answer 28

How long a molecule stays in the atmosphere

Question 29

What are the 5 major course themes?

Answer 29

1. Hazards can be understood through scientific investigation 2. Need to understand hazards to reduce risk 3. Hazards are linked to each other and the environment 4. Population + economic growth are increasing the risk of hazards 5. Consequences of hazards can be reduced

Question 30

Why can understanding a hazard be beneficial?

Answer 30

If we know how it works we can know where it will occur and know how to minimize effects and predict future events

Question 31

When do natural processes become hazardous?

Answer 31

When they distrust human activity or the environment

Question 32

What is the best solution against natural processes, since we can't control them?

Answer 32

Mitigate loss by preparation

Question 33

Prediciton definition

Answer 33

A specific time, date, location and magnitude of the event

Question 34

Forcast definition

Answer 34

A range or probability for the event (more general) | -some can be predicted and forecasted

Question 35

What is risk?

Answer 35

the probability of the event x consequences

Question 36

Consequences definition

Answer 36

Damage to people , property, the environment and the economy

Question 37

What is the acceptable risk?

Answer 37

The amount of risk that an individual or society is willing to take

Question 38

How is the risk of hazards increasing?

Answer 38

-more people living closer to hazard areas

Question 39

Which 2 countries account for 1/3 of earth population?

Answer 39

India and China

Question 40

Why are hazards becoming more expensive?

Answer 40

- More neighbourhoods are in more unusual places which are closer to hazard areas and more expensive to rebuild

Question 41

Economic losses are higher in which countries?

Answer 41

developed countries | -deaths are higher in developing countries

Question 42

Direct disaster effects?

Answer 42

Death, injury, property damage displacement of people | -lots of media attention

Question 43

Indirect disaster effects?

Answer 43

Crop failures, starvation emotional distress, loss of employment - effects are lingering - less media attention

Question 44

What are reactive approaches to hazards?

Answer 44

These involve recovery, search and rescue, providing emergency food water and shelter, rebuilding

Question 45

What are proactive approaches to hazards?

Answer 45

- good land use planning - strong building codes - insurance - Evacuation planning - Artificial controls (flood walls)

Question 46

Which is a better approach, proactive of reactive?

Answer 46

Proactive

Question 47

What are Natural Service Functions?

Answer 47

Natural events provide important benefits

Question 48

What does climate change have to do with hazards?

Answer 48

Frequency of some natural processes will increase

Question 49

Midterm Question: Which mountain chain is the site of a continent collision?

Answer 49

The Himalayan Mountains