Global Geohazards and Case Studies Review

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers significant natural hazards case studies including the Nepal and Turkey-Syria earthquakes, Hurricane Sandy, Typhoon Haiyan, the Caracas basin hazards, and the Alberta and Australian wildfires.

Nepal Earthquake Magnitude and Depth

Occurred on 25th April 2015 with a magnitude of $7.8$ on the Richter scale and a depth of only $15\,km$.

Indian/Eurasian Destructive Plate Boundary

The tectonic setting where the release of pressure between two continental plates caused the 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC)

An organization that launched an appeal for the Nepal earthquake, helping $310\,000$ people with the UK public donating $\pounds41\,million$.

Strike slip fault (Turkey/Syria 2023)

The cause of the magnitude $7.8$ earthquake between the Anatolian and Arabian plates near Gaziantep on February 6, 2023.

Turkey Syria Earthquake Economic Cost

The total economic cost was $\$84.1\,billion$, with Turkey needing $\$34.2\,billion$ for direct physical damages and Syria needing $\$5.2\,billion$ for losses.

Hurricane Sandy Meteorological Cause

The storm unusually curved back towards the USA due to blocking high pressure over Greenland, which prevented movement over the Atlantic.

Hurricane Sandy Size and Surge

A massive storm measuring $1,600\,km$ across, which produced a highest surge of $4.23\,m$ in New York and rainfall of $31.88\,cm$ in Easton, Maryland.

Super Typhoon Haiyan

A category $5$ storm that hit the Philippines on 8th November 2013, with wind speeds in excess of $195\,mph$.

Storm Surge (Haiyan)

The primary cause of death for many of the estimated $6500$ people killed, leading to the destruction of $90\%$ of the city of Tacloban.

Cash for Work Programme

A long-term response used in the Philippines and Nepal (by Oxfam) where people were paid to help clear debris and rebuild their homes.

Caracas Hazard Susceptibility

The city is situated at the base of a valley with slope angles exceeding $80\%$ and is built on alluvial fans prone to liquefaction during earthquakes.

Barrios (Caracas)

Shanty towns constructed illegally on hazardous valley sides where population density reaches $25\,000/\text{km}^2$ and residents often adopt a fatalistic view of hazards.

Risk Zoning (Caracas)

A management method where the government designates high-risk areas of steep valley sides as 'no build zones' to manage landslide risks.

Fort McMurray (Alberta) Wildfire Causes

Triggered by a $12$-month long drought, temperatures of $32\,^\circ\text{C}$, and strong winds of $45\,mph$ drying the ground.

Alberta Wildfire Oil Impact

The fire led to a loss of $1\,million$ barrels of oil per day ($25\%$ of Canada's production), costing Alberta $\$70\,million$ per day.

Multi-Hazardous Area (Philippines)

A group of $7000$ islands at risk from geophysical hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis) and hydro-meteorological hazards (typhoons, floods).

1991 Eruption of Mt Pinatubo

A major volcanic event in the Philippines that killed $500$ people and led to global atmospheric cooling and impacts on hemispheric crop production.

Positive Indian Ocean Dipole

A climatic phenomenon that caused higher-than-average rainfall in eastern Africa while leading to droughts in south-east Asia and Australia in 2019/20.

Australia 2019/20 Bushfire Severity

Fueled by Australia's hottest and driest year on record, the fires lasted over $240\,days$ and resulted in the loss of an estimated $1\,billion$ animals.

Australia Bushfire Smoke Impact

In December, smoke in Sydney reached air quality levels measured at $11\times$ the 'hazardous' level.