hazards -multi hazardous case study (Philippines) nature of hazards+impacts Flashcards
(13 cards)
what hazards occur in the Philippines?
.tropical storms -typhoon
.earthquakes (landslides and tsunamis)
.volcanoes (flooding, droughts)
why is the Philippines vulnerable to tropical storms?
.because it is between 5-20° North of the equator, so is vulnerable to typhoons -they develop in the west of the Pacific Ocean, where SST is above 26°C and the Coriolis effect is strong enough to rotate the low-pressure system, trade winds then move the storms west towards the Philippines
how many typhoons do the Philippines experience each year?
.7-10
what is an example of tropical storm that hit the Philippines?
.typhoon haiyan in 2013 -most powerful cyclone to hit land
why do earthquakes occur in Philippines?
.philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate become locked together as the Philippine Plate is being subducted -causes the build-up and sudden release of pressure
.earthquakes can also occur at Fault Lines in the area -where the plate has cracked under pressure
what is an example of an earthquake in the Philippines?
.in 2013 Bohol earthquake -magnitude 7.2, killed over 200, injured 800 and caused damage to
thousands of buildings
why do landslides occur in the Philippines?
.landslides can be triggered by tectonic activity in the area from earthquakes, or by heavy levels of rainfall eg -in 2006 a landslide occurred on Leyte Island following 10 days of heavy rain and a minor earthquake (2.6) -buried a village and killed hundreds
why do tsunamis occur in the Philippines?
.submarine Earthquakes due to plates or fault lines can cause a tsunami eg -1976 a submarine earthquake of magnitude 7.9 caused a tsunami of 45m high - killing up to 8000 people
why do volcanic eruptions occur in the Philippines?
.Philippines is near to a destructive plate boundary whereby the Philippine Plate is being subducted beneath the Eurasian Plate
how many active volcanoes are there in the Philippines?
.over 20 active volcanoes
what is an example of a volcanic eruption in the Philippines?
.1991 Mount Pinatubo erupted violently, killing 500 people, and causing crop failure due to the falling ash (from the eruption) -Pinatubo can be deadly as 500,000 people live close within 40km
why does flooding occur in the Philippines?
.during the wet season, coastal floods can be caused by storm surges or rising ocean levels, and river flooding can be caused by heavy rainfall eg -in december 2010 floods in the Eastern Philippines followed heavy rainfall, which resulted in displacing 450,000 and killing 25
why do droughts occur in the Philippines?
.drought can occur when the wet season hasn’t brought enough
rain to last through the dry season, or when the dry season is particularly harsh eg -in 2005 drought affected Luzon Island, where there was decreased river discharge, which decreased economic activity in the area due to a lack of hydroelectric power
