Natural Hazards

Question 1

What are natural hazards?

Answer 1

Natural hazards are extreme natural events that can cause loss of life, extreme damage to property and disrupt human activities.

Question 2

Where do natural hazards occur?

Answer 2

Some natural hazards, such as flooding, can happen anywhere in the world. Other natural hazards, such as tornadoes, can only happen in specific areas. And some hazards need climatic or tectonic conditions to occur, for example tropical storms or volcanic eruptions.

Question 3

How is human impact crucial?

Answer 3

Human activities can influence how often certain natural hazards occur and how severe they are. Understanding when, where, why and how natural hazards occur can help us to understand how to minimise their impact on our lives.

Question 4

What are climatic conditions?

Answer 4

The usual type of weather that occurs in an area.

Question 5

What is a climatic hazard?

Answer 5

A hazard that occurs in a region with certain weather conditions.

Question 6

What is marginal land?

Answer 6

Land that is difficult to develop and yields little profit.

Question 7

What is meant by tectonic?

Answer 7

Tectonic activity refers to movements of the Earth’s crust, such as an earthquake or volcano.

Question 8

What is a tectonic hazard?

Answer 8

A hazard created when the Earth’s crust moves.

Question 9

What is urbanisation?

Answer 9

A growth in the urban population, usually resulting in the extension of towns or cities.

Question 10

What are the two categories of natural hazards?

Answer 10

Natural hazards can be placed into two categories - tectonic hazards and climatic hazards.

Question 11

When do tectonic hazards occur?

Answer 11

Tectonic hazards occur when the Earth’s crust moves. For example, when the plates move, friction can cause them to become stuck. Tension builds until the plates release, which leads to an earthquake.

Question 12

When do climatic hazards occur?

Answer 12

Climatic hazards occur when a region has certain weather conditions, for example heavy rainfall can lead to flooding.

Question 13

Tectonic hazards include…?

Answer 13

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes and Mountain avalanches.

Question 14

Climatic hazards include…?

Answer 14

Flooding, Tornadoes, Tropical storms (hurricanes) and Droughts

Question 15

How do the effects of hazards?

Answer 15

Hazards can have economic, social and environmental consequences. For each hazard event the risks, or probability, of a particular consequence occurring can vary greatly.

Question 16

How does the effects of hazards depend on particular factors?

Answer 16

This depends on certain factors. For example in a developing country, the death toll tends to be high but the short-term economic costs are often relatively low, whereas in a developed country, the death toll tends to be low but the short-term economic costs can be extremely high.
The long-term situation is more complex. Developing countries can be slower to repair damage to roads and buildings. This can lead to a reduction in tourists and therefore a long-term loss of valuable income.

Question 17

What are hazard risks due to?

Answer 17

Hazard risks are increasing due to population growth, urbanisation, pressure on marginal land and changes to the natural environment.