Define Disaster.A major hazard event that causes widespread disruption to a community or region that the affected community is unable to deal with adequately without outside help.

Modified Mercalli Scale

To what extent were the citizens of Tohoku, Japan prepared for the earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011?

Plus side:-Tsunamui warning sirens and emergency broadcast in place to go to higher ground; some heeded this- Some communities heeded ancient landmarks warning to not build below a certain elevation

Negative side:- Inadequate tsunami breakwater protection – most geologists, engineers, and gov. officials did not expect such a large earthquake (9.0) and tsunami would be possible in the Tohoku region due to previously held theory that only young subducting crust could generate a megathrust e-quake + largest e-quake recorded in the region had been 8.2.

Tsunami – vertical movement of the oceanic floor due to an earthquake (i.e. megathrust e-quake in a subduction zone) which displaces a large volume of water generating a wave or series of waves

Type of earthquake hazard?

Secondary

Plate boundary and Margin?

Transform Plate Boundary; Conservative or passive eg San Andreas fault

Liquefaction – The process by which wet sediment becomes a slurry; may be triggered by earthquake vibrations. Type of earthquake hazard? Secondary

What type of fault was involved in the Jan. 1994 Los Angeles earthquake and a similar one with the Jan. 1995 Kobe earthquake?

Blind Thrust Fault

Identify two key factors which led to a dramatically higher death toll in the Kobe quake (6000) vs. the LA Quake (60)? - In Kobe, older wood frame homes shaken to pieces + heavy tile roofs built for protection against typhoons + heavy stone ornaments fell on individuals- in Kobe, the fault line extended underneath the city whilst LA it extended away

What factor contributed to potentially fewer casualties in both cases?- Early morning + LA Quake occurred on a holiday

Describe three management techniques to deal with earthquakes in Tokyo and some other major Japanese cities? -When p wave detected, bullet trains shut down- gas lines to individual homes will shut down during major shaking; monitored using smart meters- earthquake simulation rooms to experience Kobe magnitude quake- emergency supplies de-centralized to schools throughout Japan

Identify three ways in which the residents of Port-au-Prince Haiti were extremely vulnerable to the 7.0 quake that struck in Jan. 2010 killing over 220 000 people.

- Many buildings not constructed to withstand such an earthquake- LEDC government ill prepared and ill equipped to deal with such a hazard event- Existing widespread poverty as Haiti = poorest nation in W. Hemisphere- Shallow e-quake (focus depth – 13 km) along a strike slip fault similar to the San Andreas

Identify two specific adjustments made in China to avoid similar casualties and damage to the 7.9 magnitude Sichuan quake that struck in May 2008 killing over 68 000.

- Investing close to $100 billion in reconstruction in the quake zone using stricter building codes (1.45 million homes and about 3000 schools)- May 12 = declared “Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day” = education measure

What air mass is associated with the formation of hurricanes? Maritime Tropical (mT)Ocean temperatures must be at least at what temperature range at depth to help fuel a hurricane? 26-28°CTo at least what depth (+/- 5m) must these temperatures occur?

60m

During the formation of a hurricane there must be a lack of what in the atmosphere in order to sustain the growth of a hurricane? In contrast, this is absolutely necessary for the formation of tornadoes. Also explain what it is.Wind shear: winds approaching at different directions and levels in the atmosphere produce horizontal rolling of the air; would disrupt the vertical rising of air in the developing eye wall.

Describe three key processes involved in the formation of a hurricane?Convection: Warm air rising from tropical waters adds tremendous amounts of moisture to the air.Condensation: As warm air rises, it eventually cools, condenses, and forms clouds.Latent heat release: Condensation is an exothermic reaction releasing heat adding further buoyancy to the air and moisture carrying capacity.

What is the deadliest part of the hurricane and why?Eye wall; specifically the east side (in the northern hemisphere) where there is the lowest air pressure (i.e. where the air is converging and rising most violently) and the strongest pressure gradient = strongest winds + heaviest rains and possible tornadoes.

What cloud produces the torrential rainfall with a hurricane?

CumulonimbusWhy is the eye of the hurricane relatively calm and clear?As the violent updrafts in the eye wall approach the top of the troposphere, some of the air is forced to turn downwards into the eye; this gently subsiding air does not promote the growth of clouds.

Which one of the following air pressures would most likely be associated with a hurricane?a) 1200 mB b) 1030 mBc) 1013 mBd) 950 mBe) 730 mBf) 510 mB

d) 950 mB

What scale is used to express hurricane intensity? Saffir-Simpson Scale?What is the minimum sustained wind speed in km/h (+/- 5 km/h) for a Category One hurricane? 118 km/h

What category of hurricane is evident based upon the following description?

What categories are considered “major” hurricanes? 3 and above

-Some complete roof structure failures on small residences- Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down-Complete destruction of mobile homes-Extensive damage to doors and windows-210-249 km/h sustained winds

Category 4

Which way do hurricanes rotate in the northern hemisphere and why?Counter-clockwise due to the Coriolis effect caused by the rotation of the earth.

Name four pieces of technology used to measure and track hurricanes?

Satellite images, doppler radar, computer models, scientific research aircraft, ocean buoys with instrumentation, weather balloons

What phenomena kills the most people with hurricanes? Storm surge

% of deaths due to storm surge? And, what is it?

A rise of the sea due to the winds of the storm and low atmospheric pressure.

90%

What category was Hurricane Katrina when it struck New Orleans? Category 3Why did 75% of the city end up flooded?- Storm surge amplified up the industrial canal (5.4 to 7.5 m) overtopping and then scouring the levees = first flood-Two canals from Lake Pontchartrain undermined and gave way = second flood- City shaped like a bowl with an avg. of 2.1 to 3m below sea level; pumps overwhelmed and no place for the water to go- Wetlands (flood protection) destroyed

New Orleans

Digitate or Bird’s Foot Delta

Mississippi r.

Lake Pontchartrain

How many people did not leave even though there was a “mandatory evacuation” order? 100 000

1300-1800 deaths due to Hurricane Katrina

Type of Delta?

How many homes declared damaged beyond repair (+/- 1000)? 60 000

Which way do hurricanes rotate in the northern hemisphere and why?

Economic Impact (+/- $10 billion)?

Approx. $125 billion

Hurricane Mitch: 11 000 – 12 000 deadEconomic Impact (+/- $1 billion)? $5 billionIn Nicaragua, what was a secondary hazard of the hurricane that caused much damage and many deaths?

Intense rain filled the crater lake atop the Casita volcano and part of the walls collapsed – mud flows / lahars buried villages.

Which biome is most vulnerable to periods of extended drought and / or desertification and especially where?

Savanna biome on the edge of the desert.(Horn of Africa + Sahel)

What % of Somalia’s population has been displaced by the 2009-2011 drought and resultant food crisis?

25%

Which two countries have had to deal with an influx of Somali refugees?

Kenya and Ethiopia

What is a natural factor that contributed to the drought in Somalia?

La Nina

What is a political factor exacerbating the impact of the drought?

Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shebab controls much of southern Somalia and prevents international aid from getting to the people.

Define an arid area – two key characteristics

-Potential Evapotranspiration exceeds Precipitation for a significant portion of the year resulting in a large negative water balance in soil moisture budget.

- Less than 250 mm of precipitation per year

Note: You do not want to say that a desert area is vulnerable to drought as it is already in a near perpetual state of drought. It is those areas near the edges of large deserts that are most vulnerable to drought.

Define a semi-arid area in terms of avg. annual precipitation.

250- 600 mm

List three causes of deserts- High pressure / Anticyclone dominates (i.e. 30ºN and S) High = Dry

- Rainshadow / leeward side of mountains

- Continental interior

- Nearby cold ocean current

- Offshore wind

-On the descending branch of a convection current / hadley cell

What phenomena causes drought in Australia?

El Nino

How can food aid sometimes increase vulnerability (for instance, this has became an issue in Ethiopia?

- Sustained food aid creates dependence on handouts; shifts focus away from improving agricultural practices locally- Ethiopian farmers can’t compete with free food

What is a potential solution to this dilemma?

- Pay Ethiopians to work on rural public works projects (eg roads and irrigation); money can be used to buy local food or if necessary, food from outside the country

In times of drought, over 9 million Ethiopians have received food aid from which specific organization?

United Nations World Food Program

List three US states directly impacted by the BP Oil Spill?

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida

1) Periodic drought is a period of at least _____ consecutive days during which the avg. daily rainfall does not exceed 0.2 mm. 2) In the Gulf, in terms of employment, which industry was hit the hardest by the BP Oil Spill?

3) Approximately, how many barrels of oil were spilled?A) 1 000 000B) 3 000 000C) 5 000 000D) 7 000 000E) 9 000 000

1) 29

2) Tourism

3) 5 000 000