Tectonic Hazards- EQ2: Tectonic Disasters

Question 1

Natural Hazard

Answer 1

A naturally occurring process or event that has the potential to affect people and their livelihoods

Question 2

Natural Disaster

Answer 2

When a natural hazard has exceeded a threshold meaning it has caused significant damage to a society or community

Question 3

Degg’s Model

Answer 3

Venn diagram stating that a DISASTER is the intersection of a HAZARDOUS EVENT and a VULNERABLE POPULATION

Question 4

Why is vulnerability important?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Risk

Answer 5

Probability of a hazard causing harmful consequences

Question 6

Resilience

Answer 6

Ability of a community to resist and recover from the effects of a hazard

Question 7

Vulnerability

Answer 7

Conditions that increase the susceptibility of a community to a hazard or to the impact of a hazard event

Question 8

Hazard-Risk Equation

Answer 8

risk=hazard x vulnerability/capacity to cope

Question 9

Four factors that explain the complex relationship between risks, hazards and people

Answer 9

• unpredictability of hazards
  -lack of alternatives
  -dynamic hazards
  -cost benefit

Question 10

What is the Disaster and Risk Age Index and what does it show?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Pressure and Release Model explanation

Answer 11

Disaster is the intersection of vulnerability and a natural hazard

Question 12

3 factors involved in the progression of vulnerability on the PAR model

Answer 12

-root causes
-dynamic pressures
-unsafe conditions

Question 12

2 examples of root causes (PAR)

Answer 12

-limited access to resources
-ideologies

Question 12

3 examples of dynamic pressures (PAR)

Answer 12

-lack of training
-local investment
-rapid changes(urbanisation, deforestation)

Question 13

2 examples of unsafe conditions (PAR)

Answer 13

-fragile physical environment
-vulnerable society

Question 13

Social impacts of tectonic hazards (3)

Answer 13

-death/injury
-destruction of homes
-displacement of people

Question 13

Economic impacts of hazards (2)

Answer 13

-building damage
-economic losses (perhaps due to trade interruptions)

Question 13

Why are the impacts of tectonic hazards often greater in LICs (4)

Answer 13

-poorer infrastructure
-less legislation and building regs
-overpopulation
-poverty
which creates a vulnerable society with a lack of ability to be resilient

Question 13

Why are impacts of earthquakes generally greater than that of volcanoes (4)

Answer 13

-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

Question 14

3 scales to measure earthquakes

Answer 14

-Richter
-Moment Magnitude Scale
-Mercalli

Question 14

How does the Richter Scale measure earthquakes?

Answer 14

Scale= 0-9
Measurement of amplitude of wave produced by an earthquake (absolute scale)

Question 15

How does the Mercalli Scale measure earthquakes?

Answer 15

Scale= I-XII
Measures experienced impacts of an earthquake (relative scale)

Question 15

How does the Moment Magnitude Scale measure earthquakes?

Answer 15

Scale= 0-9
Based on ‘seismic moment’ of the earthquake

Question 16

What scale is used to measure volcanic eruptions?

Answer 16

Volcanic Explosivity Index

Question 16

How does the VEI measure volcanic eruptions?

Answer 16

Scale= 0-8
Measure of explosiveness of a volcanic eruption (relative, includes qualitative observations )

Question 16

What is a tectonic hazard profile?

Answer 16

Technique used to try and understand the physical characteristics of different types of hazards

Question 17

6 characteristics compared in a tectonic hazard profile

Answer 17

-magnitude
-speed of onset
-duration
-areal extent
-spatial predictability
-frequency

Question 17

2 difficulties with hazard profiling

Answer 17

-degree of reliability when comparing different hazard events
-hard to compare across all hazard types as they all have different impact

Question 18

4 inequalities than can affect vulnerability and resilience

Answer 18

-education
-housing
-healthcare
-income opportunities

Question 18

What is inequality?

Answer 18

Unfair situation or distribution of asset and resources

Question 18

Why do less developed countries find themselves limited by the impacts of tectonic disasters?

Answer 18

-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

Question 19

Why do more developed countries sometimes actually benefit from tectonic disasters?

Answer 19

-decision makers are more willing to allocate resources
-creates opportunities for reconstruction which can incorporate disaster prevention

Question 19

Governance

Answer 19

Process by which a country/region is run

Question 19

3 geographical factors that influence vulnerability

Answer 19

-population density
-accessibility
-degree of urbanisation

Question 20

Economic governance

Answer 20

-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

Question 20

Administrative Governance

Answer 20

-system of policy implementation
-disaster risk reduction by building regs, land use planning etc

Question 20

Political Governance

Answer 20

-decision making to create policies
-including national disaster reduction and planning