Section A: Challenge of natural hazards

• Natural hazard

  Natural process which could cause death, injury or disruption to humans, property and possessions
• Geological hazard

  Hazards caused by land and tectonic processes
• Meteorological Hazard

  Hazards are caused by climate and weather
• Haiti Earthquake on a conservative plate margin
• Haiti had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale
• Haiti Earthquake was 15miles away from the capital
• Haiti had a shallow focus of 13km deep
• Haiti Primary effects

  • 300,000 people died
  • 250,000 homes and building collapsed
  • $7.9 of damage
• Haiti secondary effects

  • 1.5million in temporary accommodation
  • 2million people without food and water
  • outbreaks of cholera
  • lots of looting and crime
• Haiti immediate responses

  • $1.1 billion in charity donations
  • Countries sent search and rescue
  • USA sent 10,000 troops
• Haiti Long term responses

  • New homes built to higher standard
  • world bank waived debt for 5 years
• Christchurch was on a conservative plate boundary
• Christchurch Earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3
• Christchurch Earthquake was only 10km away
• Christchurch had a very shallow focus of 5km
• Christchurch Primary Effects

  • 185 deaths
  • 3,000 injured
  • 50% city’s buildings damaged
  • water and sewage pipes damaged
  • $28 billion damage
• Christchurch Secondary Effects

  • Businesses closed for a long time
  • Couldn't hold rugby world cup matches
  • Schools closed for 2 weeks
• Christchurch immediate responses

  • $6-7million international aid provided
  • Aid workers came to help
  • Areas were zoned to asses damage
• Christchurch Long term responses

  • Water and sewerage were restored to the city
  • Temporary housing provided and 10,000 affordable housing built
• Earthquakes can happen at destructive plate margins
• Constructive Plate margin

  Two plates moving apart cashing magma to reach surface through gap
• Conservative Plate Margin

  When plates slide past each other in same or different directions
• Causes of earthquakes

  • when 2 plates become locked causing friction to build up
  • Pressure will then be released and move into new position
  • movement causes seismic waves to travel from focus to epicentre
• Epicentre

  The point directly above the focus, where the seismic wave reach first
• Seismic Waves

  Energy waves travel out from the focus
• Focus

  The point at which pressure is released
• Ash cloud

  Small pieces of pulverised rock and glass which are thrown into the atmosphere
• Lahar

  Volcanic mudflow which usually runs down a valley side on the volcano
• Pyroclastic Flow

  fast moving current if super heated gas and ash. They travel at 450mph
• Volcanic bomb

  A thick lava fragment that is ejected from the volcano