nature, forms and potential impacts of hazards Flashcards
what is a hazard
a hazard is a threat which may be either natural or human which has the potential to cause loss of life, injury, property damage, socioeconomic disruption or environmental degradation.
what is a natural hazard
they are a naturally occurring event which are perceived to be a threat to people, the built environment and the natural environment.
what are are the three types of natural hazard
geophysical, hydrological,and atmospheric
what is a geophysical natural hazard
-caused by earth processes
-can be caused by internal earth processes if tectonic activity or by external processes of geomorphological origin involving mass movement
-examples are earthquakes, volcanic activity and mass movement.
-they are difficult to predict and impossible to stop
what is a hydrological natural hazard
-caused by the occurrence, movement and distribution of surface and underground water
-examples are floods, mudslides, and landslides
-usually the consequence of extreme weather events, or are a secondary effect of a natural disaster.
what is an atmospheric natural hazard
-processes operating in the atmosphere resulting in extreme weather or atmospheric conditions
-examples are hurricanes, tornadoes, drought and extreme cold
-there will usually be some advanced notice but due to the unpredictable nature of the weather it would mean that nothing can be done to stop the disasters
how are hazards characterised
-magnitude
-frequency
-duration
-spatial conditions
-speed of onset
-temporal spacing
what does the UN class a disaster as
-10+ people are killed
-100+ people are effected
-state of emergency is declared
-international assistance is called for