Tectonic Hazards- EQ2: Tectonic Disasters Flashcards
Natural Hazard
A naturally occurring process or event that has the potential to affect people and their livelihoods
Natural Disaster
When a natural hazard has exceeded a threshold meaning it has caused significant damage to a society or community
Degg’s Model
Venn diagram stating that a DISASTER is the intersection of a HAZARDOUS EVENT and a VULNERABLE POPULATION
Why is vulnerability important?
Direct link to resilience and a region’s capacity to cope with tectonic hazards. More vulnerable populations are more susceptible to worse impacts from tectonic hazards
Risk
Probability of a hazard causing harmful consequences
Resilience
Ability of a community to resist and recover from the effects of a hazard
Vulnerability
Conditions that increase the susceptibility of a community to a hazard or to the impact of a hazard event
Hazard-Risk Equation
risk=hazard x vulnerability/capacity to cope
Four factors that explain the complex relationship between risks, hazards and people
- unpredictability of hazards
-lack of alternatives
-dynamic hazards
-cost benefit
What is the Disaster and Risk Age Index and what does it show?
Highlights trends of ageing populations and acceleration of risk
Signals how age should be an important factor in understanding vulnerability and coping capacity of older generations
Pressure and Release Model explanation
Disaster is the intersection of vulnerability and a natural hazard
3 factors involved in the progression of vulnerability on the PAR model
-root causes
-dynamic pressures
-unsafe conditions
2 examples of root causes (PAR)
-limited access to resources
-ideologies
3 examples of dynamic pressures (PAR)
-lack of training
-local investment
-rapid changes(urbanisation, deforestation)
2 examples of unsafe conditions (PAR)
-fragile physical environment
-vulnerable society
Social impacts of tectonic hazards (3)
-death/injury
-destruction of homes
-displacement of people
Economic impacts of hazards (2)
-building damage
-economic losses (perhaps due to trade interruptions)
Why are the impacts of tectonic hazards often greater in LICs (4)
-poorer infrastructure
-less legislation and building regs
-overpopulation
-poverty
which creates a vulnerable society with a lack of ability to be resilient
Why are impacts of earthquakes generally greater than that of volcanoes (4)
-volcanoes are concentrated in narrow belts so less people are exposed to them
-volcanoes have a slower speed of onset
-volcanoes have a greater spatial predictability
-earthquakes cannot be predicted
3 scales to measure earthquakes
-Richter
-Moment Magnitude Scale
-Mercalli
How does the Richter Scale measure earthquakes?
Scale= 0-9
Measurement of amplitude of wave produced by an earthquake (absolute scale)
How does the Mercalli Scale measure earthquakes?
Scale= I-XII
Measures experienced impacts of an earthquake (relative scale)
How does the Moment Magnitude Scale measure earthquakes?
Scale= 0-9
Based on ‘seismic moment’ of the earthquake
What scale is used to measure volcanic eruptions?
Volcanic Explosivity Index
How does the VEI measure volcanic eruptions?
Scale= 0-8
Measure of explosiveness of a volcanic eruption (relative, includes qualitative observations )
What is a tectonic hazard profile?
Technique used to try and understand the physical characteristics of different types of hazards
6 characteristics compared in a tectonic hazard profile
-magnitude
-speed of onset
-duration
-areal extent
-spatial predictability
-frequency
2 difficulties with hazard profiling
-degree of reliability when comparing different hazard events
-hard to compare across all hazard types as they all have different impact
4 inequalities than can affect vulnerability and resilience
-education
-housing
-healthcare
-income opportunities
What is inequality?
Unfair situation or distribution of asset and resources
Why do less developed countries find themselves limited by the impacts of tectonic disasters?
-infrastructure, livelihoods and savings are destroyed
-death or migration of labour force means economy takes a huge hit
-worsen in development and it’s hard for LICs/ NEEs to recover
Why do more developed countries sometimes actually benefit from tectonic disasters?
-decision makers are more willing to allocate resources
-creates opportunities for reconstruction which can incorporate disaster prevention
Governance
Process by which a country/region is run
3 geographical factors that influence vulnerability
-population density
-accessibility
-degree of urbanisation
Economic governance
-decision-making processes that affect a country’s economic activities and its relationship with other economies
-major implications for equity, poverty and people’s QoL
Administrative Governance
-system of policy implementation
-disaster risk reduction by building regs, land use planning etc
Political Governance
-decision making to create policies
-including national disaster reduction and planning
