Chapter 1

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Austin Community College District *

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1309

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Geography

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Apr 3, 2024

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Chapter 1 – Introduction to Natural Hazards 1. Difference between a Disaster and a Catastrophe:  A disaster is an event that causes significant disruption, destruction, and distress, often overwhelming the ability of affected communities to cope. A catastrophe is a more extreme and widespread disaster, often resulting in severe damage and loss of life. 2. Role of History in Understanding Natural Hazards:  History provides insights into past occurrences of natural hazards, helping us understand patterns, vulnerabilities, and potential impacts. Examining historical data aids in preparing for and mitigating future events. 3. Recent Trends in Worldwide Natural Disaster Occurrence:  Analyzing recent data allows us to observe trends in the frequency, intensity, and distribution of natural disasters globally. Understanding these trends is crucial for risk assessment and preparedness. 4. Basics of Risk Assessment:  Risk assessment involves evaluating potential hazards, their likelihood, and the potential consequences. "Acceptable risk" refers to the level of risk that a society or individual is willing to tolerate. 5. Magnitude-Frequency Concept and Human Impact:  The magnitude-frequency concept states that more significant events (higher magnitude) occur less frequently. Human activities can impact the frequency of natural disasters through factors like climate change, deforestation, and urbanization. 6. Links Between Natural Hazards and Physical Environment:  Various natural hazards are interconnected. For instance, earthquakes can trigger tsunamis, and hurricanes can lead to flooding. Understanding these links is vital for comprehensive hazard assessment. 7. Population Growth and Land Use Planning:  Human population is experiencing exponential growth. Poor land-use practices and increasing population density can compound the effects of natural hazards, emphasizing the importance of effective land-use planning. 8. Natural Hazards Providing Natural Services:

 Some events, often viewed as hazards, can also provide benefits or services. For example, volcanic eruptions contribute to soil fertility. 9. Links Between Climate Change and Natural Hazards:  Climate change can influence the frequency and intensity of certain natural hazards, such as hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires. Understanding these links is crucial for adapting to changing climate conditions. Linkage: In the context of natural hazards, linkage refers to the connections or relationships between different types of hazards. For example, a seismic event (like an earthquake) can be linked to secondary hazards such as landslides or tsunamis. Mitigation: Mitigation involves efforts to reduce or prevent the impact of natural hazards. It includes strategies and actions aimed at minimizing the severity of disasters, such as constructing earthquake-resistant buildings, implementing early warning systems, or preserving natural barriers. Precursor Event: A precursor event is an occurrence that precedes a significant event, indicating its likelihood. In the context of natural hazards, certain phenomena or indicators may serve as precursors, helping forecast potential disasters. Magnitude-Frequency Concept: The magnitude-frequency concept relates to the idea that more significant events (higher magnitude) occur less frequently, while smaller events (lower magnitude) happen more frequently. This concept is often used in the study of earthquakes, floods, and other natural phenomena. Forecast vs. Prediction: In the context of natural hazards: Forecasting involves estimating the likelihood of a future event without specifying its precise details. For example, meteorologists may forecast the likelihood of a hurricane. Prediction involves providing specific information about when and where an event will occur. In practice, precise predictions are challenging for many natural hazards. Urbanization: Urbanization refers to the process of population concentration in urban areas, leading to the growth and expansion of cities. The impact of urbanization on natural hazards is significant, as it can increase vulnerability due to factors such as population density, infrastructure development, and land-use patterns. Reactive vs. Anticipatory Response: Reactive Response: This involves responding to a disaster after it has occurred, addressing the immediate consequences. Emergency response and relief efforts are examples of reactive responses. Anticipatory Response: This involves proactively taking measures to prepare for and mitigate the impact of potential disasters before they occur. It includes activities such as risk assessments, planning, and implementing preventive measures.

Quizz chapter1 Which describes the recent trend in worldwide natural disaster occurrence? It has been decreasing steadily It has been decreasing exponentially It has remained constant It has been increasing steadily It has been increasing exponentially Something that is an acceptable risk to one person is also acceptable to everyone else. True False Events that used to be disasters in the past are now causing catastrophes. True False Why would urbanizing a location increase that location's potential for catastrophe? People might be forced to live in low lying or unstable lands susceptible to slides or floods. Urbanization would interfere with the drainage of the land making it more likely to flood, slide, or subside. Native plants would be removed, increasing erosion of land. Higher population density would cause damage to become greater. All of the above are reasons why urbanization might increase catastrophes. Chapter 2 What would you NOT expect to see at sites where one plate is subducting beneath another? earthquakes volcanoes magma creation of new seafloor all of the above occur where plates are sinking

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The crust of the earth is the thinnest layer of the earth. True False Why aren't volcanoes associated with continent-continent convergence? both plates are buoyant too sink into the asthenosphere the continental plate isn't hot enough to cause volcanoes volcanoes are never associated with convergent plate boundaries rising magma from melted plates can't break through continental crust volcanoes only occur on islands in the ocean and not on land Where are earthquakes generally found? convergent boundaries divergent boundaries transform fault boundaries hot spots earthquakes are found at all of the above locations Which of the following hazards would you expect to see at a transform fault boundary? volcanoes mid-ocean ridges earthquakes hurricanes all of the above The energy for plate tectonics comes from: the magnetic field of the earth heat from the sun gravity between the earth and moon ocean currents heat from the earth's core

Chapter 1

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