Classification of tectonic events

Question 1

Disaster definition

Answer 1

A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society involving human, material, economic and environmental losses which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources

Question 2

Risk calculation

Answer 2

R = Hazard (H) x Vulnerability (V) / Capacity to cope (C)

Question 3

A place may be at high risk because…

Answer 3

Their ​capacity to cope​ is low.
- They are quite ​vulnerable.
- The hazard is large/ high intensity.

Haiti 2010 earthquake

Question 4

Degg’s model

Answer 4

A disaster will only occur when a vulnerable population (one that will be significantly disrupted and damaged) is exposed to a hazard. Degg’s model is a good representation of this concept. If the population is not vulnerable, the hazard will not have a significant effect, thus the event will not be disastrous​

Question 5

Park’s model stages

Answer 5

1- Relief
2- Rehabilitation
3- Reconstruction

Question 6

Pressure and release model (PAR)

Answer 6

used to analyse factors which cause a ​population​ to be vulnerable to a hazard. On one side of the model we have the ​natural hazard​ itself, and on the other side different factors and processes which increase a ​population’s vulnerability to the hazard. This vulnerability is often rooted in ​social processes​. These are dynamic and ever changing and are often unrelated to the hazard itself e.g. poverty, poor governance

Question 7

Tectonic hazard profile characteristics

Answer 7

▪ Frequency​ – How often it happens
▪ Magnitude​ – How extensive an area the event could affect
▪ Duration​ – How long the event lasts
▪ Speed of onset​ – How much warning time before event occurs
▪ Fatalities​ - Number of deaths caused
▪ Economic Loss​ - Value of assets damaged, lack of industry or economic productivity, insurance policies.
▪ Spatial Predictability​ - The predictability of where would be affected

Question 8

Questions to evaluate the effectiveness of a tectonic hazard model

Answer 8

● Can they be ​applied to every hazard? Are some hazards more complicated and require a more ​complex model​? It may be useful to apply each of your case studies to these models and see how they compare.
● Does the model take any ​aspects of hazards into account such as ​level of development​?
● Is there any ​timeframe​? Do the models accurately lay out the time taken for a full response and how this changes due to ​aspects of the hazard​ such as intensity?
● Could the model be ​less vague​/ include more steps that can be applied to all
hazards?

Question 9

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)

Answer 9

● Measures the ​relative explosiveness​ of a volcanic eruption.
● Based on the ​height​ of ejected material and duration​ of eruption.
● Scale goes from 0-8 and is ​logarithmic (increase of 1 on the scale indicated a 10 times more powerful eruption)

Question 10

The Modified Mercalli scale

Answer 10

● Measures the ​destructiveness​ of an earthquake.
● It is a ​relative​ scale as people would feel different amounts of shaking in different places.
● It ​subjective​ as based on if people wake up, if furniture moves, how much damaged structures receive.
● The scale varies from I to XII
I = Generally not felt by detected on seismographs XII = Nearly total destruction
● It doesn’t consider economic, social and environmental impacts.

Question 11

Moment magnitude scale

Answer 11

● Measures the amount of ​energy​ released in earthquake. ● Scale from 0-9.
● It’s a ​simple​ measure, so
environmental or social impacts must be inferred

Question 12

Richter scale

Answer 12

● Measures the ​amplitude​ of the waves produces during an earthquake
● Most widely used scale, as it’s
absolute
● Must infer social or environmental impacts, which can be misleading. The highest Richter scale earthquake readings won’t necessarily be the worst disasters.
● Like the VEI its scale is logarithmic​