Natural Hazards and Their Management

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering essential vocabulary and concepts related to natural hazards, their causes, impacts, and management strategies.

Natural Hazards

Natural processes that pose risk to life, property or the environment.

Geophysical Hazards

Hazards originating from Earth’s internal processes, such as earthquakes and volcanoes.

Atmospheric Hazards

Hazards arising from atmospheric processes, e.g., storms and hurricanes.

Hydrological Hazards

Hazards involving water, such as flooding and tsunamis.

Hazard Perception

How people view and react to hazard threats.

Fatalism

Accepting hazards as unavoidable.

Prediction

Forecasting hazard events using monitoring and data.

Adjustment

Changing behavior or infrastructure to live with hazards.

Mitigation

Reducing severity of impacts via planning and preparation.

Risk Sharing

Sharing risk through insurance and community support.

Level of Development

The degree to which a society can predict, plan, and recover from hazards.

Park Model

Graph showing human response over time after a hazard.

Hazard Management Cycle

Model showing four stages: mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery.

Internal Energy Sources

Sources of energy within the Earth, such as radioactive decay.

Earth's Structure

The Earth is composed of inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust.

Plate Tectonic Theory

Theory explaining crustal movement and interactions between tectonic plates.

Tectonic Plates

Large sections of Earth’s crust that move.

Plate Movement Causes

Movement caused by convection currents, slab pull, and ridge push.

Gravitational Sliding

Movement where plates are pulled downslope by gravity.

Ridge Push

Magma rising pushes tectonic plates apart.

Slab Pull

Dense plates are pulled into the mantle due to gravity.

Convection Currents

Heat-driven currents in the mantle that cause plate movement.

Plate Margins

The three types of plate margins: destructive, constructive, conservative.

Destructive Plate Margins

Involve subduction and volcanic activity.

Landforms at Destructive Margins

Common landforms include fold mountains and ocean trenches.

Constructive Plate Margins

Characterized by seafloor spreading and mid-ocean ridges.

Landforms at Constructive Margins

Common landforms include rift valleys and ocean ridges.

Conservative Plate Margins

Plates slide past each other without crust creation or destruction.

Landforms at Conservative Margins

Includes fault lines and transform faults.

Magma Plumes

Rising columns of magma from deep in the mantle.

Vulcanicity

All volcanic activity and associated processes.

Volcanic Hazards

Different forms such as lava flows, lahars, and pyroclastic flows.

Nueé Ardente

Fast, dense clouds of hot gas and ash from explosive eruptions.

Lava Flows

Molten rock flowing from a volcano, posing hazards.

Mudflows (Lahars)

Mudflows of volcanic debris and water, which can be devastating.

Pyroclastic Flows

Hot, fast flows of gas, ash, and rock from volcanic eruptions.

Ash Fallout

Fine ash particles falling from volcanic eruptions.

Volcanic Gases

Toxic emissions from volcanoes that can lead to acid rain.

Tephra

Solid fragments ejected by volcanic eruptions.

Spatial Distribution of Volcanic Hazards

Determined by plate boundaries and hotspots.

Magnitude and Frequency of Volcanic Hazards

Influenced by eruption style and plate type.

Regularity of Volcanic Hazards

Generally irregular and harder to predict than earthquakes.

Primary Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Includes death, damage to infrastructure, and ash fallout.

Secondary Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Include disease, crop failure, and economic loss.

Environmental Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Can cause landscape change and habitat loss.

Social Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Displacement, injury, and loss of life.

Economic Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Tourism decline and crop loss.

Political Impacts of Volcanic Hazards

Include government disruption and emergency responses.

Short-term Responses to Volcanic Events

Evacuation and emergency aid.

Long-term Responses to Volcanic Hazards

Rebuilding and policy changes.

Risk Management for Volcanoes

Preparedness and land-use regulation.

Nature of Seismicity

Refers to earthquakes caused by sudden stress release.

Seismicity and Plate Tectonics

Results from movement along plate boundaries.

Seismic Hazard Forms

Include earthquakes, tsunamis, and liquefaction.

Shockwaves in Earthquakes

Seismic waves radiating from the earthquake's focus.

Tsunami

Large sea waves caused by undersea earthquakes.

Liquefaction

When ground loses strength and behaves like liquid.

Landslides Triggered by Earthquakes

Caused by ground movement leading to slope failure.

Spatial Distribution of Seismic Hazards

Concentrated along plate boundaries.

Magnitude and Frequency of Earthquakes

Influenced by fault type and plate movement rate.

Regularity of Seismic Hazards

Generally irregular and difficult to predict.

Primary and Secondary Impacts of Earthquakes

Building collapse and tsunami impacts.

Environmental Impacts of Seismic Hazards

Include ecosystem damage and pollution.

Social Impacts of Seismic Hazards

Deaths, injuries, and homelessness.

Economic Impacts of Seismic Hazards

Infrastructure loss and repair costs.

Political Impacts of Seismic Hazards

Emergency response pressure and government instability.

Short-term Responses to Seismic Hazards

Rescue and medical aid.

Long-term Responses to Seismic Hazards

Reconstruction and disaster education.

Risk Management for Earthquakes

Hazard zoning and building codes.

Tropical Storm Causes

Formed by warm ocean waters.

Hazards Associated with Tropical Storms

Include high winds, storm surges, and flooding.

Storm Surges

Rising seawater pushed ashore by winds.

Coastal and River Flooding

Overflow due to intense rainfall from storms.

Landslides during Tropical Storms

Occur when soil is saturated and collapses.

Spatial Distribution of Tropical Storms

Primarily in tropical oceans around the Equator.

Magnitude and Frequency of Tropical Storms

Determined by sea temperatures and weather patterns.

Regularity of Storm Hazards

Predicted seasonally but varies in strength.

Primary and Secondary Impacts of Tropical Storms

Wind damage and flooding.

Environmental Impacts of Storm Hazards

Coastal erosion and water contamination.

Social Impacts of Storm Hazards

Displacement and health risks.

Economic Impacts of Storm Hazards

Property loss and business disruption.

Political Impacts of Storm Hazards

Policy shifts due to response strain.

Short-term Responses to Tropical Storms

Evacuations and emergency supplies.

Long-term Responses to Tropical Storms

Infrastructure rebuild and resilience plans.

Risk Management for Storm Hazards

Forecasting, risk mapping, and emergency planning.

Wildfires

Uncontrolled fires in natural vegetation.

Conditions for Intense Wildfires

Drought, wind, and high temperatures.

Vegetation Increasing Wildfire Risk

Includes resinous trees and dry grasses.

Natural Causes of Wildfires

Lightning and spontaneous combustion.

Human Causes of Wildfires

Such as campfires and arson.

Primary Impacts of Wildfires

Death and property damage.

Secondary Impacts of Wildfires

Soil erosion and reduced water quality.

Environmental Impacts of Wildfires

Loss of biodiversity and greenhouse emissions.

Social Impacts of Wildfires

Displacement and respiratory issues.

Economic Impacts of Wildfires

Rebuilding costs and tourism loss.

Political Impacts of Wildfires

Pressure on governments and agencies.

Short-term Responses to Wildfires

Firefighting and evacuations.

Long-term Responses to Wildfire Hazards

Reforestation and planning.

Risk Management for Wildfires

Prevention and adaptation strategies.

Multi-Hazard Environment Case Study Purpose

To explore how multiple hazards interact and affect people.