Tectonics EQ2 (1.2) Flashcards
how can a natural disaster be quantified ?
by the number of deaths and cost of damage or on human terms-over 500 deaths is a natural disaster
what is considered a mega disaster ?
- if the GDP falls by 5% or more
- over 2000 deaths
- over 20,000 made homeless
- over a year of foreign aid dependency
what is the hazard risk equation ?
(hazard x vulnerability) /
capacity to cope
what are the 5 types of vulnerability ?
physical- when people live in hazard prone areas in buildings that don’t offer protection
economic- when people risk losing their jobs and assets
social- when a household is unable to support the disadvantaged people living in it
knowledge- when people lack education or training
environmental- where the area that people are living in has increased hazard risk due to population pressure forcing them into more risky places
what are the 3 thing that can increase the scale of disaster in the pressure and release (PAR) model ?
oot causes e.g poor governance, weak economic system, low resources
dynamic pressure e.g lack of education, urbanisation
unsafe conditions e.g poor infrastructure, poverty
how does the Haiti PAR model look ?
root causes : -heavily in debt -corruption -poverty dynamic pressure: -lack of urban planning,disaster preparedness, educational systems, -rapid urbanisation -high pop density unsafe conditions: -soft soil where the buildings where built -poor infrastructure
what are the 3 types of impacts of tectonic disaster ?
social, economic and environmental
what is used to measure the magnitude of a tectonic hazard ?
moment magnitude scale
1= minor happens 1000 times per year, 9= massive one every decade
what is used to measure intensity of earthquakes ?
Mercalli scale I-XII
what is used to measure the magnitude of a volcanic eruption ?
volcanic explosivity index- sclae of 0-8 and measures eruption height, volume and duration
what is an example of a volcanic hazard in a developed country ?
volcanic eruption in iceland- Eyjafjallajokull
- VEI=4
- no injuries or deaths
- major disruption to air travel in Europe causing $1.7 bill damage
what is an example of an earthquake in a developed country ?
earthquake in Canterbury new zealand
- magnitude 7.1
- focal depth 10km
- 100 injuries but no deaths
- building damage due to liquefaction
- total damage of $40 mill
what is an example of a tsunami in a developed country ?
tsunami in Tohoku Japan
- magnitude 9
- 16,000 deaths
- $300 bill in damage
- 46,000 buildings damaged and 145,000 damaged
how do tectonic hazards compare in developed countries ?
- most deaths caused by tsunamis
- most damage by tsunamis
what is an example of a volcanic hazard in a developing country ?
eruption in Nyiragongo DRC
- VEI= 1
- 147 deaths
- 120,000 homeless
- $1.2 billion in damage
what is an example of an earthquake in a developing country ?
earthquake in Gorkha nepal
- magnitude=7.9
- 9000 deaths
- 22000 injured
- lost$5 mill
what is an example of a tsunami in a developing country ?
tsunami in indian ocean
- magnitude= 9.2
- 230000 deaths and 125000 injured
- 1.7 mill people displaced among 15 countries
- $15 bill in economic losses
how do the effects of tectonic hazards compare in developing countries ?
- more damage caused by tsunamis
- more people effected by tsunamis
- more deaths caused by tsunamis
what is a hazard profile ?
it is used to compare the impacts of tectonic hazards
what characteristics can present the greatest risk ?
- high magnitude
- low frequency as hard to predict
- rapid onset events with low spatial predictability
why was the Kashmir earthquake so destructive ?
- frequency:the last major earthquake there was 1905 so there was no living experiance of previous disasters
- spatial predictability:this is a seismic area and so people should have been educated about the dangers of earthquakes
how does HDI relate with death tolls ?
the lower the HDI the greater the death tolls
what countries are most at risk to hazards ?
LEDC’s because they are less developed and therefore more vulnerable. Also islands as they are more exposed and more isolated.
what are some factors to do with development that increase and decrease risk ?
increase:
- population growth and density
- ageing population
- urbanisation
decrease:
- emergency responses
- economic wealth
- hazard engineering
how does governance effect the vulnerability of a country ?
- planning of land use to prevent building in high risk areas
- environmental management
- corruption
- preparedness through awareness and education
what are some geographical factors of hazards ?
- population density
- degree of urbanisation
- isolation and accessibility in rural areas
why are developed countries with good governance less susceptible to disasters ?
- they have more advanced insurance
- more preparations and emergency procedures
- monitoring of volcanoes
- local planning systems for building
