Natural Hazards Chapter 1 – Flashcards
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What forces drive internal and external earth processes?
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Internal - Geological External - Solar, Atmospheric, Spatial
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Which natural hazards are likely to be more deadly, more likely to cause property damage, and more likely to become catastrophes?
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Most deadly - tornadoes and windstorms Most property damage - expansive soils Catastrophes - Floords, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. Landslides and drought = lower chance of catastrophe
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Why is history so important in understanding natural hazards?
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What kinds of information must be assembled to make hazard predictions?
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Describe the components and interactions involved in the geologic cycle.
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The Tectonic Cycle - creation movement, destruction of tectonic plates. Creates and distributes minerals The Rock Cycle - biggest of the cycles. The Hydrologic Cycle The Biogeochemical Cycles - the transfer or cycling of a chemical element or elements through the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. EX: breathe in, out of carbon
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Explain the scientific method as it is applied to natural hazards
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Explain why calling something a "natural" hazard may act as a philosophical barrier to dealing with it.
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Calling something natural implies it is unable to be prevented or messed with
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Explain why two 10-year floods might occur in the same year.
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What is a precursor event? Give some examples.
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An event that happens before a hazard happens. The surface of the ground may creep prior to a landslide, Volcanoes sometimes swell or bulge before an eruption, etc.
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Explain the magnitude-frequency concept.
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The magnitude-frequency concept is generally an inverse relationship between magnitude and frequency. Examples include the larger the flood, the less frequent they are
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How do risk and acceptable risk differ?
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Risk = the product of the probability of that event occurring times the consequences should it occur. Acceptable risk = The risk society or individuals are willing to take.
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Explain how population growth increases the number of disasters and catastrophes.
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More people, more urbanization = more risk
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Describe the differences between direct and indirect effects of disasters
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Direct effect = people killed, injured, dislocated, or otherwise damaged by an event Indirect effect = responses to the disaster; emotional distress, money, etc.
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What are the stages of disaster recovery? How do they differ?
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1. Emergency work 2. Restoration of services and communication lines 3. Reconstruction
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Describe four common adjustments to natural hazards.
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Land use planning Insurance Evacuation Disaster preparedness
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What are natural service functions?
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Sometimes hazards also provide us with important benefits, like the flooding of a river providing nutrients to the floodplain
