TECTONICS: Tectonic hazards into disasters

Question 1

Define hazard

Answer 1

A perceived natural event that has the potential to threaten both life and property

Question 2

Define Risk

Answer 2

The probability of harm or loss taking place

Question 3

Define a natural hazard

Answer 3

An event caused by environmental processes and would occur without the presence of humans

Question 4

Define a disaster

Answer 4

The realisation of a hazard that causes a significant impact on a vulnerable population

Question 5

What is meant by vulnerability?

Answer 5

The ability to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from a disaster

Question 6

What factors affect vulnerability?

Answer 6

• Level of development
• Population density
• Size of hazard
• Preparation and planning

Question 7

Define resilience

Answer 7

The ability to protect lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure from destruction, and to restore areas after a natural disaster has occured

Question 8

What did the United Nations suggest about what makes a disaster?

Answer 8

• over 2000 deaths
• over 200,000 made homeless
• GDP of a country is reduced by at least 5%
• dependence of aid from abroad for a year or more after an event

Question 9

Factors affecting ability to cope

Answer 9

• Location of settlements
• Knowledge of threat
• ability to react
• Resilience
• Community adaptation
• Preparedness
• Technology for warning systems

Question 10

What can the Hazard risk equation also tell us about hazards?

Answer 10

Can explain why hazards such as Nepal (2015) earthquake and New Zealand (2016) earthquake can be similar in magnitude but have such different impacts

e.g. almost 9,000 people died in Nepal and only 2 dies in New Zealand

Question 11

What is the Pressure and release (PAR) model? what does it take into account?

Answer 11

Takes into account the socio-economic context of a hazard

• demonstrates how there are a range of factors which increase vulnerability
• and show why some areas lack resilience

Question 12

Draw out the PAR model

Answer 12

1. Root causes
   (e.g. weak governance w/ limited access to power structures and resources. And dysfunctional cultural, political and economic systems)
2. Dynamic pressures
   (e.g. Lack of local organisations, training, skills development & communication)
   (Marco-Forces: rapid population change, urbanisation, financial mismanagement and degradation of natural systems)
3. Unsafe living conditions
   (e.g. Physical: Dangerous location, low quality infrastructure, poor building quality)
   (Socioeconomic: special groups at risk, low income)
   (Institutional: lack of public preparedness, endemic diseases)

Disaster: Risk= Hazard x vulnerability

4. Hazard
   - Flood
   - Tsunami
   - Earthquake
   - Drought

Question 13

Define mitigation

Answer 13

Finding ways of being prepared for possible tectonic hazards so that their impacts can be prevented or reduced.

Question 14

Test yourself on the physical flashcards on volcanic eruptions, earthquakes & Tsunamis in Developed and Developing/Emerging countries

Question 15

What does magnitude measure?

Answer 15

The energy released at the source (focus)

• The Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS) is measured using seismographs
• Goes from 1-10

Question 16

What are the 2 main scales for measuring the magnitude of an earthquake?

Answer 16

Moment Magnitude scale
- more accurate (so used for larger earthquakes)
- uses the energy released by all shock waves & the area of rupture and movement
- is a logarithmic scale (each lvl 10x greater than lvl below)

Richter scale
- uses the arrival times of the p & S waves, the amplitude of the S wave and distance from epicentre
- is a logarithmic scale (each lvl 10x greater than lvl below)

Question 17

What scale measures the intensity of an earthquake?

Answer 17

Mercalli scale
- uses the amount of damage caused by the earthquake (seismic) waves

Usually stronger the magnitude= higher the intensity

Question 18

What scale is used to measure the size of explosive volcanic eruptions?

Answer 18

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
- is a logarithmic scale (each lvl 10x greater than lvl below)
- useful way of comparing the energy released and type of eruption

Question 19

What is the hazard risk equation?

Answer 19

Hazards x Vulnerability/capacity

Question 20

What do hazard event profiles do?

Answer 20

Compare all physical processes shared by hazard events

Question 21

What do hazard profiles usually include info about? (there are 6)

Answer 21

1. Magnitude (size of hazard)
2. Speed of onset (how quickly does it happen?)
3. Areal extent (how big and area does it cover?)
4. Duration (how long does it last?)
5. Frequency (how often does it happen?)
6. Spatial predictability (Is there a pattern to where this happens?)

Question 22

Advantages of hazard profiles

Answer 22

Compare:
- different hazards
- same hazard with different processes (e.g. volcano on destructive & constructive plate boundary)
- same hazards with different human vulnerabilities (e.g. earthquake in developed/developing country)

• can also plan for future events
• useful when looking at one hazard
• help governments decide which areas most money should be spent on to improve resilience

Question 23

Disadvantages of hazard profiles

Answer 23

• other factors may have greater influence on the impact
• focus on physical factors when human factors may be the most important
• multi-hazard events not easily represented on a hazard profile
• are subjective

Question 24

People are more vulnerable and less resilient if they lack access to…? (4 things)

Answer 24

1. Education
2. Housing
3. Healthcare
4. Income

Question 25

Whats does the HDI stand for and measure?

Answer 25

Human development Index - measures level of development

Question 26

What is linked with a low HDI? (4 things)

Answer 26

• lower education levels (lower awareness of risk & less perception of hazard)
• poor quality housing
  (unregulated buildings & use of poor construction materials)
• lack of access to healthcare
• poor access to clean water and a healthy diet

Question 27

What is meant by governance?

Answer 27

The way in which a country or region is run

Question 28

What is the difference between national and local governance?

Answer 28

National= how the whole country is run
Local= local areas are run

Question 29

What does a weak or poor governance lead to?

Answer 29

Increased vulnerability - impacts the area’s ability to cope with a hazard event

Question 30

How can corruption have an impact on an area during a hazard?

Answer 30

• money is not spent on preparation
• construction companies can get around building regulations or land use zoning by bribing officials
  EXAMPLE: Turkey - corruption related to construction led to increased deaths in the Izmit earthquake (1999)

Question 31

What should governments do to to help reduce the impacts of a hazard? (PEEP)

Answer 31

Plan - for hazards using techniques such as hazard mapping & land use zoning

Educate - the population about the risks and how best to protect themselves

Predict - events as they don’t have the technology and equipment available

Prepare- by ensuring that stocks of water, food, medical equipment and shelter are available

Question 32

What geographical factors impact the vulnerability of an area?

Answer 32

1. Population density
   Higher= harder to evacuate & buildings more tightly packed which increases impact if some collapse
2. Accessibility/isolation
   More inaccessible/isolated an area is= more difficult to reach and supply aid, less likely people will have good communication, poorer infrastructure & fewer facilities such as medical assistance
3. Urbanisation
   Increasing no. of people in cities= higher concentration of people & buildings (e.g. developing countries have large numbers of poorly constructed houses on steep slopes so are vulnerable)