Management of Tectonic Hazards Flashcards
define hazard
percieved natural/ geophysical event that has the potential to threaten both life and property
define disaster
the realisation of a hazard when it causes a significant impact on vulnerable population
when does a hazard become a disaster
The CRED (centre for research on the epidemology of disasters) states that a hazard becomes a disaster when 10 or more people die or 100 people effected
what does deggs model show
hazardous geophysical events such as floods earthquakes ect when together with vulnerable or susceptable population to economic loss due to where they live means its a disaster
what is the hazard risk formula
(hazard x vulnerability) / capacity to cope = Risk
what does the level of risk depend on
- linked to hazard itself eg magnitude and duration
- human factors eg capacity to cope
how can you reduce vulnerability
- putting protective measures in place eg defences
- providing aid to people in poor countries
- specialised infrastructure
what is resilience
the ability to protect lives/ livlihoods and infrastructure from destruction and restore areas after a natural hazard has occured
name some political factors which determine how vulnerable a country is
- the existence of building codes and regulations
- quality of communication systems
- level of gov corruption
- existence of disaster preparation plans
- quality of infrastructure
name some economic factors which determine how vulnerable a country is
- level of wealth
- lack of income opportunities
name some social factors which determine how vulnerable a country is
- people without access to education
- poor quality housing
- age of population
- communities with poor health care
name some environmental factors which determine how vulnerable a country is
- rapid urbanisation creates a need for more housing
- accessibility of area
- population density corresponds to poor quality housing
describe myanmars hazard and exposure score
significantly high natural hazard component due to potential for tsunami and earthquakes, floods and storms
describe myanmars vulnerability
moderate risk but relative low score
-been few natural shocks in recent years
describe myanmars coping capacity
poor coping capacity low level of internet/mobile phone signal access for older people and education is poor
describe the overal risk of myanmar to hazards
ranked 7th of 190 nations so disaster risk to elderly is very high
describe japans hazard and exposure score
subject to range of natural hazards
describe japans vulnerability
vulnerability is high compared to other wealthy nations due to aging population but is still low risk
describe japans coping capacity
coping capacity is good
the elderly tend to be educated
high internet connectivity
effective gov and low gender equality
describe the overal risk of japan to hazards
although exposed to hazards it is ranked 133rd of 190 nations thanks to strong coping capacity and lower levels of vulnerability
what is the PAR model
pressure and release model
- to protect people from hazard govs and organisations must first understand how vulnerable a country is +why
- tool used to work out underlying causes of disaster
-based on idea that when disaster occurs it happens when two opposing forces interact (1 side is hazard other is factors making people vulnerable)
what is the richter scale
what does it measure
0-9 scale used to measure the amplitude of waves created by earthquake
what is the mercalli scale
what is bad about it
- measures experienced impacts on a roman numeral scale of I-XII measures peoples experience from chairs moving or awakening
- relative and doesnt give statistical data so hard to directly compare
what is the moment magnitude scale
- modern measure showing earthquakes in terms of energy released.
- the magnitude is based on seismic movement calculated from: the amount of slip on fault, area affected and the earth rigidity factor
- used for larger earthquakes
what is the VEI
volcanic explosivity index
-relative measure of explosiveness of volcanic eruption
-which is calculated from volume of products (ejecta), height of eruption cloud and qualitative observations
(both quantitative and qualitative)
-an increase in one index indicates earthquake is 10x more powerful.
what does the n stand for in spearmans rank
number of items
what does the d^2 in spearmans ranks stand for
rank difference squared
when talking about factors influencing vulnerability and resilience of a community which 3 factors should you include
Development-
education, housing, healthcare, income oppertunities
Governance-
local, national
Geographical location factors-
pop. density, isolation/accesibility, degree of urbanisation
what does a tectonic hazard profile show
shows the characteristics of hazard (single or multiple) allowing comparisons to be made to help governments make disaster preparedness plans
factors such as the magnitude, speed of onset, duration, areal extent, spatial predictability and frequency of a tectonic event
advantages of displaying a tectonic event on a tectonic hazard profile
easy to follow, and compare between countries
helps with disaster plans for government
disadvantages of displaying a tectonic event on a tectonic hazard profile
comparing hazards may not be reliable as they have different impacts on people and communities
subjective and qualitative w/ no figures
why does an increase in population mean a more hazardous world
increased occupied living space means more concrete and impermeable building materials so flood risk increases
more people affected especially those on coasts
compare the death toll in Japan earthquake to economic cost
lower death toll in comparison 15,893
higher cost $240 billion
compare the death toll in Haiti earthquake to economic cost
compare the death toll in Haiti earthquake to economic cost
what is the overall trend with death tolls in natural disasters
where are numbers still high and by how much more
fewer deaths/ global number falling due to better protection systems, improved building codes, disaster preparedness plans
-3x higher in lower income countries
what is the overall trend with economic cost in natural disasters
increasing cost
in 1990 $20 billion
this increased by $100 billion a year between 2000 and 2010
explain why some disasters are more economically costly, while others are more costly in terms of human life
-level of economic development
japan-infrastructure costs more when damaged
-lack of resources-
haiti- majority live in poverty, many struggled with after effects of 2010 earthquakes cholera outbreak
killed 7000 affected 720,000
what characterises a tectonic mega disaster
- large scale spatially/ economically
- pose serious threats
- scale of impact may mean communities and gov need international support in immediate and long term
what is a multiple hazard zone/ disaster hotspot
places where a number of physical hazards combine to create an increased level of risk for the country + population
examples of multiple hazard zones
iceland, nepal, japan, usa, Philippines