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GEO 110:Study Guide for Exam 1
Natural Hazards/Monson
66
Geography
Undergraduate 1
09/24/2012

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Term
What are some reasons that hazards pose a greater risk today than historically?
Definition
More people, more wealth, population density, people living on a degreaded resource base
Term
What is a natural hazard?
Definition
Extreme geophysical and biological events. Floods, volcanic eruptions,hurricanes, etc
Term
What are the categories of the hierarchy of hazards?
Definition
Life
Property
Environmet (plants, animals)
Term
What is vulnerability to hazards?
Definition
High-risk with the inability to cope.
Term
Are LDCs or MDCs more resilient in a disaster?
Definition
LDCs. Indigenous socities particulary know how to handle the disaster and to recover from it.
Term
Are LDCs or MDCs more reliable in a disaster?
Definition
MDCs. They have mechanisms in place, such as levees, to minimize damage in a disaster.
Term
Who is more vulnerable to hazards in urban areas?
Definition
Those living in the slums, on slopes or around industrial sites.
Term
Who is more vulnerable to hazards in rural areas?
Definition
Those who live in areas of increasing environmental degradation are prone suffer from floods, drought, and famines.
Term
How is disaster frequency related to magnitude?
Definition
The worst kinds of disasters occur far less frequently that lessor disasters.
Term
How can consequences of hazards be minimized?
Definition
Use available technology to warn of impending disaster where possible; implement disaster preparation activities and educate the public about potential threats and how to act during a disaster.
Term
What is voluntary risk?
Definition
Chosing to do something that could harm you: sky diving, smoking, ariplane
Term
What is involuntary risk?
Definition
Earthquakes, floods, tsunmai, etc
Term
Are hazards predictable?
Definition
Yes. Be aware of the regional climate, earthquake threat, etc.
Term
What is risk tolerance?
Definition
The amount of risk that a society is willing to subject itself to.
Term
How can society adjust to hazards?
Definition
Land use planning, insurance plan, evacuation planning
Term
What are some examples of linkages between natural events and hazards?
Definition
Hurricanes can create lahar from ash. Earthquake can cause lanslides.
Term
What is a technological hazard?
Definition
Major accidents. Ship wrecks, structural colapses, industrial explosions, oil spills.
Sometimes natural leads to technological - snow storm causes car accident.
Term
What is a context hazard?
Definition
Global environment change.
Climate change, deforestation, sea-level rise, land pressure, impact of near-earth object,overgrazing.
Term
Paradigm of disaster: Anciently
Definition
Acts of God, rather than use of earth by humans. Early people adapted by avoiding dangerous places.
Term
Paradigm of disaster: Pre-1950
Definition
Engineering Paradigm. Build dams and stronger buildings to withstand nature
Term
Paradigm of disaster: 1950-1970
Definition
Behavioral Paradigm. MDC's look at how human behavior increases or minimizes risk. Work on predicting natural events and construct defensive control works.
Term
Paradigm of disaster: 1970-1990
Definition
Development Paradigm. Better land development
Term
Why do people in less developed countries suffer severely in natural disasters?
Definition
Poverty - poorly constructed builds, poor sanitation
Poor land use - poor farming, erosion, overuse, hillside construction, inadequate zoning laws
Effective responses limited by lack of resources
Term
Paradigm of disaster: 1990 - onward
Definition
Complexity Paradigm. Hazards are linked to disasters by unsustainable human practices. Use best practices from earlier perspectives such as engineering and humanitarian aid.
Term
What is the earth's crust?
Definition
The outer rock layer of the Earth. the boundary between the mantle and crust is the Moho.
Term
What is the Moho?
Definition
The boundary between earth's crust and the mantle. It keeps the lighter rocks above the more dense rocks.
Term
Who came up with the idea of continental drift?
Definition
Alfred Wegner
Term
Who discovered to key to plate tectonics?
Definition
Harry Hess. He mapped the ocean floor, discovered oceanic ridges and seafloor spreading.
Term
What is seafloor spreading?
Definition
The process that causes the seafloor to spread at plate boundaries as molten rock pushes its way to the surface.
Term
What are three types of plate boundaries?
Definition
Divergent
Convergent
Transform
Term
Describe a divergent plate boundary.
Definition
When the plates pull apart.
Term
Describe a convergent plate boundary.
Definition
When the plates push together.
Term
Describe a transform plate boundary.
Definition
When the plates slide past each other.
Term
Evidences of continental drift
Definition
-The continents match up like a puzzle
-Similar species of plant and animal were found on other continents
Term
Evidences of plate tectonics
Definition
-Ocean trenches near island chains or continental coastlines
-Extensive mountain ranges
-Earthquake concentration zones
-Earthquake epicenter disribution along specific lines
Term
Some things that affect earthquake consequences
Definition
-Magnitude
-Depth below surface
-Distance from populated area
-Characteristics of rock or earth material
-Construction
Term
Where do earthquakes occur?
Definition
Fault zones
Term
How common are strong earthquakes?
Definition
About 17 per year
Term
How common are major earthquakes?
Definition
About 1 per year
Term
Mercalli earthquake scale are determined by...
Definition
the intensity percieved by people near the quake and the damage to buildings
Term
Marcalli scale ratings
Definition
1 - 12.
1 not felt
12 damage to all
Term
Primary Waves
Definition
Caused by compression. Travels thru solids and liquids.
Term
Secondary Waves
Definition
Slower than P-waves. Travels like waves in a rope held by two people. Only travels thru solids.
Term
Secondary Hazards
Definition
Fire, liquefaction, mass movement, tsunami
Term
Ways to reduce earthquake hazards
Definition
-Estimate historical seismic records
-Structural protection
-Increased insurance and relief measures
-Locate critical facilities away from danger zones
-Educate people about saftey procedures
-Create awareness
Term
Why are earthquake damages often worse in less developed countries?
Definition
There is no real enforcement of the building code.
Term
Benefits of fault lines and earthquakes?
Definition
-valuable mineral deposits often develop along faults
-underground water and oil become available at fault lines
-Scenic landforms
Term
How do earthquakes and landslides cause tsunamis?
Definition
By displacing lots of water in an area and generating energy as the water rushes back into place.
Term
How to mitigate the effect of a tsunami?
Definition
Use of detection equipment to warn people.
Study runup maps
Create tree line near ocean border, which creates a wall to slow down runup.
Build homes near water on stilts.
Term
Hawaii's ancient tsunami
Definition
Caused by collapse of part of the Mauna Loa createsd such strong waves that coral and limestone from the sea were thrown 1,600 feet above sea level.
Term
How is magma formed?
Definition
Through decompression and the addition of voltiles and heat
Term
Describe the characteristics of a shield volcano.
Definition
-Wider than they are high.
-Created by hot spots
-Slow lava flow, low viscosity
-Hawaiian islands
Term
Describe the characteristics of a composite volcano.
Definition
-tall, narrow at the top
-Highly viscous magma
-Very explosive eruptions
-Mt. Ranier
Term
Magma's Viscosity
Definition
-high amounts of silica make it hot and runny
-low amounts of silica make it not as hot, and slow moving
Term
Tuff /Ash Cone
Definition
Exposive eruptions from a vent where magma interacts with groundwater or the sea.
Volcani gasses eject small ash particles, where it piles downwind.
Diamond Head
Term
Cinder cones
Definition
Less than 1000 feet tall
Heavy volcanic material
unconsolidated rock particles
pumice and tephra
Easily erodes
Term
How are volcanoes useful?
Definition
-creates fertile soils
-internal heat can be an energy source
-brings new mineral to the surface
-health spas/hot springs
-creates new land
Term
How to minimize volcano risk
Definition
-evacuate
-build strong building to hold weight of ashfall
-build bridges to handle the mudflows
Term
What is a caldera?
Definition
A gigantic depression formed during the explosive ejection of magma and subsequent collapse of the upper cone.
Term
What is a fissure?
Definition
A vent thru which lava flows without and explosion. Flat with no caldera.
Snake River Plain in Idaho
Term
What is a geyser?
Definition
The release of steam from underground boiling groundwater.
Term
What are some volcano hazards?
Definition
Lava flow
Ash fall
Pyroclastic Activity
Poisonous gas
Mud flow & Mass movement
Term
From the movie...
Definition
A man from AZ went to study Mt. Galares in Columbia. Was injured by the pyroclastic activity. Earth's ocean cover 80% of volcanic activity. Mt. Tambora exploded in 1815.
Term
Where do volcanoes mostly occur?
Definition
Continental Subduction zones
Oceanis subduction zones
Rifts in the earth surface (oceanic ridges)
Hot spots.
Term
Paradigms of disaster
Definition
Acts of God
Engineering
Behavioral
Complexity
Term
The geologic cycle includes these cycles
Definition
tectonic cycle
rock cycle
hydrologic cycle
biogeochemicalcycle
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