Natural Hazards

Question 1

What is a natural hazard?

Answer 1

A natural hazard is a naturally occurring event that might have a negative impact on people or the environment.

Question 2

What are the two types of natural hazard?

Answer 2

Geological
Meteorological

Question 3

What is a geological hazard?

Answer 3

A type of natural hazard that is caused by land and tectonic processes. For example: volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches.

Question 4

What is a meteorological hazard?

Answer 4

A type of natural hazard caused by weather and climate. For example: tropical storms, extreme weather, floods, heatwaves.

Question 5

What is hazard risk?

Answer 5

The probability that exposure to a hazard might lead to a negative consequence (for either people, the environment, or property).

Question 6

List some factors affecting hazard risk (human)

Answer 6

-Population density
-Government
-Living in certain areas (marginal land, near volcanoes, fault lines e.g. San Francisco on the San Andreas fault line)
-Level of development (capacity to cope)

Question 7

List some factors affecting hazard risk (physical)

Answer 7

-Time of incident
-Time between incident
-Time of year (for seasonal hazards)
-Frequency
-Magnitude