Topic 1 - Tectonic Processes And Hazards EQ3✅

Question 1

Explain evidence for why we are living in a more hazardous world?

Answer 1

• risks seem to be increasing for many people - especially those in middle income and poorest groups
• increase in hazard vulnerability mostly due to human factors rather than physical (pattern indicates not a significant increase in tectonic hazards over last 50 years)

Question 2

Define rapid and slow onset?

Answer 2

Determines the rate and warning at which hazards materialise

Question 3

Define geophysical hazards - give some examples?

Answer 3

Tectonic hazards (earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis and landslides)

Question 4

Define meteorological hazards?

Answer 4

From the weather such as cyclones, storms or waves

Question 5

Define hydrological disasters?

Answer 5

Water hazards - floods or avalanches

Question 6

Define climatological disasters?

Answer 6

Droughts, heats and fires

Question 7

Define hydro-meteorological disasters?

Answer 7

Combination of water and weather, often flash flood events

Question 8

Define biological disasters?

Answer 8

Disease epidemics or insect viruses - eg bird flu

Question 9

Outline tectonic disaster trends since 1960 focusing on occurrence?

Answer 9

• tectonic hazards are becoming more common
• hydrological disasters are growing the fastest out of all natural disasters
• tectonic hazards have somewhat increased since 1980 - mainly fluctuate with spikes for example in 1997 and 2000

Question 10

Outline tectonic disaster trends since 1960 focusing on deaths?

Answer 10

• deaths from tectonic activity have increased - hydrological disasters cause far more deaths than any other hazard
• number of deaths from geophysical hazards appear to be stable - approx 10-30,000 deaths
• peaks in death toll are either large scale disasters or tectonic events in developing countries

Question 11

Outline tectonic disaster trends since 1960 focusing on cost?

Answer 11

• meteorological disasters are the most expensive natural disaster
• tectonic disasters have a increasing trend - however may be skewed by some major spike events

Question 12

Outline tectonic disaster trends since 1960 focusing on affected?

Answer 12

• number of people being victims from hydrological is highest out of all hazards
• number of people affected by geophysical disasters appear to be increasing - with average close to 5000 with spikes to 50,000

Question 13

Outline and explain the 4 biggest issues preventing accurate and reliable data sets regarding disaster statistics?

Answer 13

• do you include direct (primary) or indirect (secondary) deaths as well - for example aid workers who dies in Haiti would they be counted as primary deaths
• political bias may prevent accurate deceleration of data - 2004 tsunami in Myanmar the government did not want to show weakness by stating its losses - tourism is important in region, meaning numbers were reported lower
• no single organisation responsible for collecting data, so sources vary (also unlikely main focus is to recover and count bodies straight after disaster)
• trends can be upset by a cluster of mega-disasters (catastrophes) such as 2004, 11 and 15 in Nepal

Question 14

Summarise and outline what a mega disaster ‘catastrophe’ is?

Answer 14

• large scale - both spatial and economic, due to their scale they are complex to manage and often require international support
• high-impact and low probability events - due to low likelihood and high costs of preparing countries are often ill prepared
• have major influence on world and world regions - for example trade, finance and production

Question 15

Explain how mega disasters can have impacts on production and supply chains?

Answer 15

• high-value manufacturing is at risk due to its just-in-time (JIT) business model
• consequences of high-impact, low probability events means it spreads rapidly across economic and geographic boundaries - creating impacts which are difficult to plan fir
• 2011 Japanese earthquake saw a reduction of 5% in country’s GDP but saw wider impact for TNCS like Toyota and Sony (forced to halt production)

Question 16

Explain the acronym HILP and its relationship to mega disasters?

Answer 16

High-impact, low prob
- require rapid responses at a global level
- due to low probability and high costs of mitigation there is often low levels of preparation

Question 17

Explain some of the social impacts from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

Answer 17

• deaths from 46 countries - 500 died from Germany and Sweden - due to tourism
• killed 280,000 people - displaced over 500,000 people
• left 1.7 million homeless
• loss of livelihoods - destroyed businesses/fishing boats ext

Question 18

Explain some of the environmental impacts from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

Answer 18

• smaller slammer islands were completely destroyed - coastal villages completely destroyed (high levels of homeless)
• fires broke out and destroyed water pipes - led to pollution (human and chemical waste)
• many ecosystems destroyed (led to loss of tourism and food)
• coral reefs destroyed - increases vulnerability of shore lines and reduces possible medicine

Question 19

Explain some of the economic impacts from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

Answer 19

• damage to assets was 6 billion and damage to infrastructure was 4 billion
• distrusted trade routes - Bangladesh
• tourism impacted

Question 20

Explain briefly the context of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?

Answer 20

• huge tsunami
• high magnitude ext

Question 21

Explain some context for the 2010 eruption in Iceland - Eyjafallajokull?

Answer 21

• relatively small erruption
• first time volcano erupted In over 190 years - unprepared and unexpected
• impacted supply chain, manufacturing and transportation of perishable goods (wide international consequences)

Question 22

Explain 3 social impacts of the 2010 eruption in Iceland - Eyjafallajokull?

Answer 22

• ash eruption directly impacted flight paths - disrupting 100,0000 flights over Europe and to North America as winds directed ash (economic + social)
• tourists were stranded away from home - airlines lost 200 million/day (economic + social)
• sports affected - football teams could not travel to game + music bands could not reach California for a festival (social)

Question 23

Explain 4 economic impacts of the 2010 eruption in Iceland - Eyjafallajokull?

Answer 23

• tourism and business impacted - 3 billion lost (economic)
• fresh fish from Iceland had to be stored - reduced sales (economic)
• car parts could not reach European factories - BMW production down 7000 vehicles in a week (economic)
• perishable agricultural products rotted in UK warehouses - loss of 2 million per day (economic)

Question 24

Explain some context for the 2011 Japanese tsunami - tohoku?

Answer 24

• affected places around Pacific Ocean (destroying docks and boast)
• wave was 2m high

Question 25

Explain 3 economic impacts Of the 2011 Japanese tsunami - tohoku?

Answer 25

• decline in Japans manufacturing - specifically supply of semi-conductors and tech products
• damage to Fukushima reactors, released radioactivity - encouraged countries to rethink about safe energy (Germany switched from nuclear energy, closed all reactors and encouraged solar energy)
• worldwide availability and affordability of natural gas affected by japans increased demand

Question 26

Explain 5 social impacts Of the 2011 Japanese tsunami - tohoku?

Answer 26

• Displacement - thousands of families were displaced from their homes, and some were separated during evacuation
• 15,899 deaths (2,527 missing and presumed dead)
• 332,395 buildings destroyed or damaged
• 300 hospitals damaged, and 11 destroyed
• Over 4.4 million households without electricity

Question 27

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