Tectonics EQ3 Flashcards
Why are increasing numbers of people affected by natural hazards?
- Population increase
- Population expansion in LED’s / newly industralised countries.
- Higher rates of rural to urban migration
- More infrastructure
- Aging population
Are hazard statistics always reliable?
- Variations in whether indirect deaths are counted or not (disease, famine etc)
- Remote places often go unrecorded/innaccurate.
- Declaration of disaster deaths may be subject to political bias
- Statistics are difficult to collect - especially in LICs
Case study for tectonic mega disasters have regional/global signifance.
Eyafjallajokull - 2010 eruption in Iceland - 313 airports in europe shut - airlines lost around $1.05Bn- airline stocks fell massively - demand for jet oil slumped.
Also hit producers of specialised crops such as flowers and fruit in Africa as they couldn’t export there goods.
Explain why hydro - meterological hazards could make a tectonic disaster worse?
Intense Rainfaill - leads to lahars
Steep slopes - rainwater erodes sediment and forms a slurry.
Eruptions may trigger lahards by melting snow and ice or ejecting water from a lake.
What are MULTIPLE HAZARD ZONES?
Places where a number of hazards combine to create an increased level of risk for the country and its population.
Often combines Vulnerable areas with Tectonic hazards and hydro meteorological hazards.
EG, The Philippines - RING OF FIRE - Typhoon alley (15/25 each year)
How can you Modify a hazard so it has fewer impacts?
- Modify the Loss
- Modify Vulnerability/Resilience
- Modify the Event
Can we predict and forecast tectonic hazards?
Earthquakes - CANT predict - kinda forecast. (animals / radon gas kind of)
Volcanoes - CAN predict through changes in magma chambers and gas emissions (SO2) as well as ground defomation and temp levels.
What is the hazard management cycle (4 stages)
A process goverments use to protect people from natural hazards.
Preperation - Response - Recovery - Mitigation
How can we modify against a Volcano?
Lava diversion/cooling/plugging.
Monitoring, prediction and EVAC systems.
Describe Park’s Hazard Response Model.
Demonstrates the phases of a natural disaster. Starts in “normality” until the rapid onset of an event occurs, initally QoL, level of economic activity, social stability etc drop massively compared to pre-disaster levels.
Then recovery beings with varying slopes depending on development of country/type of hazard/size of hazard etc. There is then a recovery to normal or potentially better QoL as time passes.
Difference between ADAPTATION and MITIGATION?
Adaptation - strategies designed to reduce the impacts of a hazard event.
E.G = Crisis mapping, Public education, EWS, Satellite comms, mobile phones.
Mitigation - strategies desgined to avoid, delay or prevent hazardous events. E.G = Land use zoning, Diverting lava, sea walls, GIS mapping, Lava cooling.
How can we modify against an Earthquake?
Asymetric Buildings - strengthen foundations
Earthquake education/drills - sept 1st Japan.
How can we modify against a Tsunami?
Coastal defenses
Warning and prediction systems
Provision of emergency kits
What are the 5 key players in Hazard management?
Aid Donors
NGOs
Insurers - pay out losses as a result of a natural disaster
Local Communities - Critical role in search and rescue - use of local knowledge (Thai elders warning villagers to move to high ground saving hundreds)
The Goverment
