Has the risk of tectonic hazards increased?

Define risk

The exposure of the population to a hazardous event that may pose a threat to people or their possession including buildings or structures.

What are the factors that influence risk?

• Physical: Climate, frequency, magnitude

• Human: Population density, perception

What is the disaster risk equation?

Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability / capacity to cope

What is vulnerability impacted by?

Wealth, technical ability of a country education, age/experience, urban/rural

What is capacity of cope impacted by?

Governance, development, perception of risk, resilience.

Define resilience

An indication of how quickly a community can recover after an event that has put the community under stress or how well they are able to function.

The scale of physical exposure to earthquakes/volcanic eruptions?

• Frequency of tectonic hazards

• Magnitude of tectonic hazards

• Types of hazards generated by earthquakes and volcanoes in a particular location

• Number of people around

What is the link between frequency and magnitude?

At a global level, the greater the magnitude of an eruption or earthquake, the less frequently it occurs. The recurrence interval (time between two events)

Define vulnerability

The ability of a person or community to withstand exposure to and risk from a hard

What is the current trend in tectonic hazards?

• There has been an increase in the frequency and magnitude of some hazards such as floods and severe weather.

• Human activities such as deforestation can have a direct causative influence on hazardous events like floods

What is the arguments against the evidence of increased tectonic hazards?

The ability to record hazards, increased the numbers of reports

Why hasn’t been increase in volcanic eruptions and earthquakes?

Human activities don’t influence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

What are the main differences between volcanoes and earthquakes?

• Volcanoes can be monitored whilst earthquakes can’t be predicted

• Less people liver around volcanoes but earthquakes can hit densely populated cities

• Volcanoes can be slower events than earthquakes