Living With The Physical Environment - Natural Hazards Flashcards
Natural Hazards
A natural event that poses as a threat to humans and/or property
Atmospheric hazards
Tornadoes
Droughts
Geological hazards
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Flooding hazards
Avalanches
Tsunami’s
Hazard risk
Chance of being affected by a natural hazard
Factors affecting risk
Urbanisation
Poverty
Farming
Climate change
Earthquakes
A sudden or violent movement within the earth crust
Volcano
A large landform, formed by a series of volcanic eruptions
Convection currents
Heat-driven cycles that occur in the mantle
Constructive plate margins/boundaries
Two plate boundaries move apart
As a gap appears magma forces its way
upwards breaking through the overlying crust
This causes earthquakes
E.g. Azares
Destructive plate margins/boundaries
Two plates are moving towards each other
When the two plates meet, a trench forms
The denser plate is subducted beneath the less dense
Friction causes strong earthquakes
One plate melts, forming magma that breaks through the surface to form a steep-sided volcano
E.g. Andes
Collision plate margins/boundaries
Two plates are moving towards each other
The two plates collide and the crust uplifts forming folded mountains
This process causes earthquakes
E.g. San Andreas Fault
Conservative plate margins/boundaries
Two plates move past each other
Friction causes earthquakes
E.g. The Himalayas
Nepal case study - Facts
Date - 25/4/2015
Magnitude - 7.9
Plate boundary - destructive
Nepal case study - Primary effects
Social - 9000 died, 20000 injured, 8 million (1/3 of the population) affected
Economic - cost $5 billion, 50% of shops destroyed
Environmental - no power or water supplies