1 Natural Disasters And Humanity Flashcards
(22 cards)
Actions taken by humans to minimize the possible effects of a natural disaster
Mitigation
Growth in a compound fashion that, given time, leads to incredible numbers
Exponential growth
The maximum population size that can be supported under a given set of environmental conditions
Carrying capacity
An event of process that destroys life and/or property
Natural Disaster
A source of danger to life, property, and environment. The probability that a dangerous event will occur.
Natural hazard
The financial damages, resulting from the event, including both direct and indirect impacts
Economic loss
A death caused directly or indirectly by the disasters effects
Fatality
The pattern of how people are spread across an area
Population distribution
Describes how many people are located within a specific area
Population density
Areas outside of urbanized areas, encompassing all population, housing, and territory, not included within a city for town
Rural
A densely populated area with high levels of infrastructure, characterized by concentrations of people, buildings, and economic activities
Urban
How are humans affected by natural disasters?
Physical harm, psychological trauma, economic disruption, and the spread of disease
Why do natural disasters occur (some causes)?
Tectonic activity, weather and climate change
Where do many natural disasters occur (any tends by location)?
Midwest: tornadoes
Asia and pacific: floods, cyclones, earthquakes
How do humans respond to natural disasters?
Personal emotional and behavioral reactions, community-level actions, and professional emergency response efforts
What can be done to influence the impact of those disasters?
Focus on awareness, education, preparedness, and warning system
Where did the greatest economic loss from disasters occur over the last 30 years?
North America, Florida, and Texas
Where does the greatest fatality rate occur?
Eastern European countries, Ukraine
How does the dynamic aspect of the earth affect disasters?
Internal forces, like plate, tectonics, and the mantle convection, drive geological, events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in tsunami. External forces, such as the sun’s heating and the moon’s gravity, influenced weather, climate, and other hazards like floods and hurricanes.
How has human population changed over the last 10,000 years?
A massive increase, from an estimated 5 to 10 million people around 10,000 BC to billions today
Describe the relationship between population numbers, population distribution, and disasters.
Higher population densities, particularly in urban areas, tend to increase vulnerability to disasters
Have we reached the carrying capacity of earth and how is it related to natural disasters?
Yes. Reaching or exceeding this capacity can exacerbate natural disasters by increasing resource stress and reducing environmental resilience
