Unit 1; Global Hazards

Question 1

Define a hazard

Answer 1

something that is a potential threat to human life or property

Question 2

Define Geophysical hazards and give examples

Answer 2

A hazard that is caused by land processes. Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslides

Question 3

Define Hydro-meteorological hazards

Answer 3

A hazards caused by climatic processes. Droughts, Floods, Tropical Cyclones and storms

Question 4

What is a disaster?

Answer 4

A hazard that becomes a reality in an event that causes deaths and damage to property and the environment.

Question 5

What is a risk?

Answer 5

The probability of a hazard event occurring.

Question 6

What is vulnerability?

Answer 6

A high risk combined with communities and individuals being unable to cope.

Question 7

What are the social risks from global hazards?

Answer 7

Death and severe injury
Disease
Stress
Loss of possessions 
Homelessness

Question 8

What are the economic risks from global hazards?

Answer 8

Economic losses
Infrastructure damaged
Property Damage
Transport routes damaged

Question 9

What are the environmental risks from global hazards?

Answer 9

Pollution
Loss of habitats
Crops are destroyed and damaged

Question 10

What is the disaster risk equation?

Answer 10

Risk = frequency/severity of hazard X level of vulnerability
/ (divided by) the capacity to cope

Question 11

Explain the risk equation

Answer 11

The risk of disaster increases as the frequency/severity of hazard increases and the people’s vulnerability increases, and the people’s capacity to cope is decreased.

Question 12

Why can similar hazards cause disasters of different degrees?

Answer 12

If the severity of a hazard is the same in 2 areas, one area may have a lower capacity to cope or more vulnerability (something like this will be evident between a LIC and HIC)

Question 13

What is the Albedo Effect?

Answer 13

Is how much solar radiation a surface reflects.

The effect is a measure of how much of the sun’s energy is reflected back into space

Question 14

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 14

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere due to heat (that would otherwise be radiated back into space) being trapped. This warms the Earth and allows life to survive.

Question 15

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

Answer 15

When the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase due to human activity such as burning fossil fuels, thus increasing the effect of greenhouse gases.

Question 16

Why is global warming important?

Answer 16

The rise in temperature can make other environmental problems worse.
Changes in the climate will affect the ecology and wildlife and could lead to the spread of diseases into new areas (eg Malaria)
Rising ocean temperatures may cause an increase in the frequency and magnitude of hurricanes.
It will affect eh feedback mechanism. –> eg glaciers melt, oceans become diluted by fresh water, impact on ocean circulation. More ice melting, higher albedo effect, more ice will melt faster.