Natural Hazards

Question 1

What is a natural hazard?

Answer 1

A natural event or process which cause damage to people or property

Question 2

What is your case study for a tectonic hazard in an LIC?

Answer 2

Nepal Earthquake, 2015

Question 3

What is the primary and secondary effects of the Nepal Earthquake 2015? (At least 1 effect)

Answer 3

Primary Effects:
- 8,841 deaths
-16,800 injured
- 1 million homeless
- Historical buildings destroyed, e.g. Dharahara Tower

Secondary Effects:
-Avalanche on Mt Everest killed 19 people
-Tourism decreased
- Food shortages

Question 4

What were the immediate and long term responses of the Nepal Earthquake, 2015?

Answer 4

Immediate Response:
- 225,000 tents given out by Red Cross
- India sent search & rescue teams
- UNICEF distributed medical supplies

Long term Responses:
-$274M donated in aid
- UNESCO rebuilt cultural buildings
- Mt Everest re opened in August for tourists

Question 5

Facts about Nepal Earthquake?

Answer 5

• 28th April 2015
• 7.8 Magnitude
• Epicentre 80 km away from Kathmandu

Question 6

What is your case study for a tectonic hazard in an LIC?

Answer 6

L’Aquilla Earthquake, 2009

Question 7

What are the primary and secondary effects of the L’Aquilla Earthquake?

Answer 7

Primary effects:
- 308 deaths
- 1500 injured
- 67,500 homeless

Secondary Effects:
- Aftershock triggered landslides
- Uni students decreased
- House prices and rent increased

Question 8

What were the immediate and long term responses of the L’Aquilla Earthquake?

Answer 8

Immediate:
- Italian Red Cross sent out 7 dog units and search & rescue teams
- Hotels provided shelter for 10,000 people

Long term responses:
- Residents didn’t have to pay taxes in 2010
- 6 scientists found guilty of manslaughter

Question 9

Facts about the L’Aquilla Earthquake?

Answer 9

• 6th April 2009
• 6.3 magnitude
• struck at 3am

Question 10

What’s your case study for a Tropical Storm?

Answer 10

Typhoon Haiyan, 2013

Question 11

Facts about Typoon Haiyan?

Answer 11

• 8th November 2013
• category 5 typhoon
• wind speeds up to 314 kmph

Question 12

What are the primary and secondary effects of typoon haiyan?

Answer 12

Primary effects:
- 6,190 deaths
- 4.1 million homeless
- 1.1 million tonnes of crops destroyed

Secondary effects:
- 800,000L oil leak
- looting
- contaminated ground water

Question 13

What are the immediate and long term responses of Typhoon Haiyan?

Answer 13

Immediate Responses:
- 800,000 evacuated - president televised a warning
- 250,000l of water with food packs distributed

Long term responses:
- Mangroves replanted
- Build back better scheme set up

Question 14

What is your case study for extreme weather in the UK?

Answer 14

Cumbria Floods, 2015

Question 15

What were the causes of the Cumbria floods?

Answer 15

• Steep gradient - England highest peak
• Extreme precipitation - 341mm in 24 hrs
• Confluence of River Derwent and Cocker
• Floodplain development

Question 16

Impacts of Cumbria flood (social, economical and environmental)

Answer 16

Social:
- 43,000 homes suffered power cuts
- 40 schools closed

Economical:
- Insurance companies had to pay £325M to residents
- £500M in damages

Environmental:
- loss of habitats

Question 17

Management strategies of Cumbria floods

Answer 17

• Government pledged £2.3B to improve flood defences by 2022
• increase river dredging

Question 18

What is your case study of a small ecosystem?

Answer 18

Epping Forest, East London and Essex

Question 19

Name the producers, consumers and decomposers of Epping Forest

Answer 19

Producer: Oak trees, grass, moss
Consumers: fox, rabbits, mice
Decomposers: 700 species of fungi

Question 20

Why is biodiversity high in Epping Forest and how is Epping Forest interdependent?

Answer 20

• there is a complex food web composed of thousands of species
• Nutrient recycling a represents balance

Question 21

What’s your case study for a Tropical Forest?

Answer 21

Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

Question 22

What are the cause of deforestation?

Answer 22

• Commercial Farming (large scale)
  Accounts for 80% of deforestation in Brazil
• Logging
• Urbanisation + Road building
• Mineral Extraction
  Carajas is the largest iron ore mine
• Energy ( HEP- dam flooded 45k hectares of the rainforest)

Question 23

What are the impacts of deforestation?

Answer 23

• Removal of carbon sink
• loss of indigenous tribes
• soil becomes vulnerable to erosion
• loss of biodiversity

Question 24

What is your case study of a hot desert?

Answer 24

Western Desert, USA

Question 25

What are the opportunities of development in the Western Desert?

Answer 25

• mineral extraction (copper)
• energy
• tourism
• farming

Question 26

Challenges to development in the Western Desert?

Answer 26

• Extreme temperatures
• inaccessibility
• water supply

Question 27

What’s your case study of a fragile environment?

Answer 27

The Sahel region, North Africa

Question 28

Causes of desertification?

Answer 28

• Climate change
• Population growth
• Overgrazing
• overcultivation
• removal of fuel wood

Question 29

Management strategies of Desertification?

Answer 29

Bunds: low stone walls that allow water to infiltrate soil

Afforestation: GREAT GREEN WALL

Appropriate tech: fuel efficient stoves