Tectonic & Climatic hazards Flashcards
(29 cards)
Plate Boundaries
Constructive
Conservative
Destructive
Collision
Definition of a natural hazards
A natural hazard is an extreme natural event or process that causes loss of life and/or extreme damage to property and creates severe disruption to human activities
Conservative/Transform plate boundary
Plates slide past each other
Causes pressure + stress to build up
A quick release of energy causes sudden movements which create earthquakes
Constructive plate boundary
Caused by convectional currents in the mantle
Plates move away from each other
Magma then rises and causes volcanic eruptions
Destructive plate boundary
Convectional currents in mantle
Oceanic & continental plates move together
Pressure builds up and the thinner oceanic plate gets subducted and melts
Causes volcanic eruptions as magma then rises
Collision plate boundaries
Convectional currents in the mantle
2 continental plates of the same density and strength move towards each other
Pressure builds up causing buckling to form mountains + volcanoes
How to predict volcanic eruptions
Gas measurements - SO2 & CO2 levels increase
Seismic readings
Satellite imagery - measures ‘bulges’ as magma moves up the volcanoes
Temperature/acidity of soil - increases
Causes of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia
Dormant for 150 years Destructive Plate Boundary Nazca plate (oceanic) subducted under south American plate (continental)
Effects of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia
Pyroclastic flow (20 m. cubic metres of hot ash, rock +gas)
Lava flows
Huge Lahar (40m thick + moved at 50 km/h)
23,00 deaths
5000 injured
5000 homes destroyed
Secondary effects of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia
Hot lahars served as breeding ground for bacteria + many with minor cuts got infected & died
Blocked roads and people couldn’t be reached
Cost Colombia 20% of their GDP (7.7 bil.)
Responses to Nevada del Ruiz- Colombia
No evacuation
Inadequate rescue + emergency services
Locals had ignored warnings from American volcanologists ( no Colombian equipment)
Why there were inadequate response
LEDC
During the night ( hard rescue)
Large population
Roads + bridges destroyed
Causes of Mount Etna - Italy (2002)
Strato volcano
Destructive plate boundary
African plate slipped under Eurasian
Effects of Mount Etna - Italy (2002)
1,000 people evacuated 100 homes destroyed Forests destroyed Tourism effected 2 channels dug to divert lava Tax breaks for villagers $8 m. Given to the town Loss of agricultural land Columns of ash deposited material in Libya
Formation of Hurricane Katrina
Formed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida in August 2005
27*C
60m deep
Convection
Circular pattern - rotation of Earth
Before Hurricane Katrina
Satellite monitoring
400 army reserves
State of emergency called
1.2 mill. were issued with evacuation orders
57 emergency shelters set up e.g. Louisiana SuperDome
Levees built
Impacts of Hurricane Katrina
Levees breached in 53 different places 80% of city flooded 3m deep flooding 1,836 deaths 10,000 homeless Food & clean water shortages
Failures of Hurricane Katrina
Levees not high or strong enough for category 5
Not enough transport to evacuate all
Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 208
SE asia Population - 55 mill. LEDC GDP per capita - £1900 1/1000 have internet 32/50 poorest countries
Causes of Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 2008
Mangrove forests cut down for farming and tourism
Low lying land
Shallow continental shelf
No defences, no prediction, no evacuation
(Government refused help from foreign countries)
Impacts of Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 2008
1.5 mill. severly effected over 15,000 deaths 95% buildings destroyed Millions left homeless Sewage systems damaged - disease Crops destroyed - hunger, loss of income Electricity cut off Roads swept away Mosquitos - disease
Why the responses were so bad in Myanmar 2008
Poor responses - LEDC
No evacuation
Military government didn’t allow help in from abroad
Benefits of volcanic eruptions
Fertile soil Minerals Sulphur Mining Dramatic scenery attracts tourists Generates geothermal energy
Ways earthquakes are measured
Richter scale - measures magnitude of an earthquake (strength of shaking)
Mercalli scale - measures the damage caused by an earthquake