Non-explosive eruptions tend to produce mostly lava flows, which do not represent a particularly serious hazard to people, however they will destroy farmland and buildings. Ash clouds are explosive eruptions that blast solid and molten rock (called tephra or pyroclastics) into the air with tremendous force. Ash clouds pose a considerable threat to aircraft, can cause buildings to collapse and can also cause death by asphyxiation. Pyroclastic flows are a potential product of volcanic activity; clouds of incandescent gas, ash and rocks with temperatures up to 800°C and speeds of over 200kph. They can cause widespread destruction, such as the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens.
Discuss the view that the impact of earthquake hazards depends primarily on human factors. (40 marks) Although earthquakes are a manifestation of a physical process associated with plate tectonics the hazards they produce are partly determined by human factors such as population density, urbanisation of the population, poverty and earthquake mitigation strategies such as local building codes, education of the population. However, human factors are not the only factors that turn earthquakes into hazardous events. Physical factors such as earthquake magnitude, frequency, local geology and liquifaction are also important as well exposure to tsunami or on low lying coasts also play an important part. A hazard can be defined as natural phenomena that produce negative effects on life.
Analyse the factors that cause differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40 marks) Volcanic hazards pose a risk to people and their property in both primary and secondary form. A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust which lava, ash and gases erupt. A volcanic eruption can cause many deaths, illnesses, destruction of infrastructure, crops and livestock, all which will affect the economy and GNP of a country. There are many factors involved which cause differences in the severity of the destruction caused by a volcano, such as, locations of settlements, monitoring, plate boundaries and the economic status of a country, however these are different for each volcano around the world. I will be discussing factors that cause differences in hazards posed by volcanoes.
Earthquake hazards are the results and the effects caused by an earthquake that can pose a threat, cause damage or harm both living and non-living things. However, an earthquake has never been reported of killing someone as it shakes the ground violently it’s the hazards that derive from earthquakes that cause deaths, destruction and total chaos. There are thousands of earthquake hazards but the main and most common hazards can be distinguished between human factors and physical factors. Physical factors are those that can be caused by earthquakes or effected by them such as Tsunamis, flooding from leaves breaking, shaking which can lead to building damage/collapse and potentially many forms of pollution including radiation. The scale or better known as magnitude of the earthquake effects these characteristics and determines the physical destruction.
The planet moves whenever the two plates get tangled together. The energy that moves the plates become saved and whenever that energy is ultimately releases it triggers the planet earth in order to shake (Nelson, 2011). Earthquakes are measured with a seismometer, which is also known as a seismograph. A seismometer measure as well as notes the moves under the Planet’s surface which includes seismic waves triggered by earthquakes. A seismometer permits seismologists to produce a map of the Planet’s inner surface.
Discuss the view that the impact of the earthquake hazards depends primarily on human factors? An earthquake, a sudden violent shaking of the ground can be caused by a number of things from seismic activity and resulting in varying impacts. The cause of an earthquake are a result of built up pressure under the earth’s crust, the pressure comes from the movement of the tectonic plates, they can occur on any plate boundaries. Although the majority of the earthquake hazards come from the physical factors, human factors can determine the severity of the event. The impacts created from an earthquake can come from the physical factors of the size, the location of the epicentre and the surrounding areas such as a ground type and the lithology of the rocks.
To what extent to you agree with the view that the hazards resulting from earthquakes and volcanic activity cannot be managed but merely adapted to. Earthquakes and volcanic activity are both nature disasters that human can’t control when or where it will happen and it may cause lots of death and economic loss. There is no way that we can stop it from being happened but we can definitely try to adapt it by many different ways. Firstly, volcanoes are found at destructive and constructive plate margins. At destructive plate margins, the oceanic plate goes under the continental plate due to it’s more dense, which is a process known as subduction.
This could be because Bristol has already undergone a regeneration process. This would mean that employment was quite good due to new businesses moving into the area, which would in turn lead to more money in the local economy. This is called the multiplier effect, and if a city manages to achieve it then they can be seen as successful. This could also be compared to London, as the levels of household deprivation are very similar. This could be due to the size of the city, as the population in London is huge and therefore the results are varied.
Scientists have since seen these patterns as precursory to eruptions at many other volcanoes, including the 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens. At Mount St. Helens the value of an extensive system of seismic sensors has greatly improved our ability to determine the location and depth of earthquakes, and our ability to understand the physics of magma systems underground. The lack of short-term seismic or other geophysical indications in the hours and days prior to the May 18, 1980, debris avalanche, as well as prior to many short discrete explosions both before and after May 18, underscores that fact that scientists and public officials will not always have warning sufficient to issue short-term predictions of impending eruptive activity. Today, seismic
The OPA established plans to handle future oil spills easier. The OPA would also establish plans to prevent the oil spills, and respond to the accidents more rapidly than previous oil spills. Provisions were created to allow the federal governments to respond with resources and money in a future case of an oil spill (EPA, 2011). The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 enforces strict penalties for individuals, which do not comply with the laws. The OPA enforces the industries and the government to have new guidelines for contingency plans.