9.1 Hazardous environments
What is a natural hazard?
A naturally occurring process or event which has the potential to cause loss of life or property
What is a disaster?
A disaster is the realisation of this hazard
How does a natural event and vulnerable population interact?
Natural event: A low-level earthquake occurring mid-ocean may cause no problem to the population as there is no interaction between the two
If an earthquake occurs where there is population, then the result may be a disaster
e.g. 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, California where an earthquake impacted on the population of San Francisco.
What are the three classifications of hazards?
Geophysical hazards (geological processes), Hydro-meteorological hazards (atmospheric or hydrological processes), Mass movements
Expand on the classifications
Geophysical hazards: Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tsunamis
Hydro-meteorological hazard: Floods, Storms, Droughts
Mass movements: Avalanches, Landslides
Why are Mass Movements in an overlapping circle on their own?
Because these hazards could be placed under either group of processes