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.
Geography essay: seismic hazards (retry) Discuss the view that the impact of earthquake hazards depends primarily on human factors. (40 marks) JUNE 2011 I agree with the statement that the impact of earthquake hazards is primarily due to human factors. Although there are some non-human factors, the impact depends strongly upon population density, construction codes and emergency preparedness which are all due to human activity. Earthquakes are formed due to the movements within the earth and on the crust. The lithosphere is divided into 7 major plates, including the North-American plate, and several minor plates.
The scale or better known as magnitude of the earthquake effects these characteristics and determines the physical destruction. The local geology of the area such as whether building on reclaimed land can have huge toll on building destruction and impact on hazards. Along with this the proximity of the earthquake to the coast can have a huge impact on the hazards. If the earthquake occurs out at see the tsunamis can be just as devastating if not more destructive than the earthquake. It would result in services being unable to reach areas due to the flooding and many more lives could potentially be lost.
'The extent to which volcanic processes represent hazards depends on where and when they occur.' Discuss this statement. Volcanic processes become a hazard when they impact upon the human and built environments, killing and injuring people, burying and collapsing buildings, destroying infrastructure and bringing agricultural activities to a halt. Volcanic hazards are influenced by several factors including location, time and frequency of eruptions, and the materials ejected. It is the viscosity of magma that largely determines the nature and power of an eruption and the resultant severity of the hazard.
General economic standing: 4. Has the tectonic setting (which also influences the geography or landforms) influenced population concentrations? 5. General description of the earthquake or volcano in terms of tectonic setting, frequency or historic activity, why event occurred (volcano and subduction zone generally produce viscous lava and violent eruptions) or (earthquake and subduction zone are capable of producing large volume of crustal movement =large magnitude earthquakes and tsunami). a. Volcano: include the type of lava, where magma is derived, and why this setting produces hazards b. Earthquake: magnitude and amount of displacement or offset 6.
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.
Mass movements can be caused by increases in shear stress, such as loading, lateral pressure, and transient forces. Alternatively, shear strength may be decreased by weathering, changes in pore water pressure, and organic material. This paper presents a review of different parameters of slope’s stability under blasting-induced vibration. Similarity of blasting vibrations to earthquake motions has produced a predictable transfer of analytical techniques from earthquake engineering. This transfer allows quantifying the influence of blasting waves on the rock mass of the slope and on soil slopes.
a. strain buildup only b. location of foci c. magnitude of P-waves [pic] d. reoccurrence rates of earthquakes in an area and the rate of strain buildup 2. What are most earthquakes associated with? a. rift valleys b. mid-ocean ridges c. divergent plate boundaries [pic] d. plate boundaries 3. At what point in the graph would a rock be permanently deformed? [pic] a. at the start of the stress [pic] b. past
Japan is a country that lies a hundred km from where tectonic plates are clashing at a convergent boundary, with one plate being dragged beneath the other. These tectonic plates are very thick rating, from 10km to 50km and are in motion with respect to each other. In Japan, they tend to move at rates of eight to nine centimeters yearly hence the result is a collision, with one plate forced to go beneath the other. If enough stresses build up from this sticking, then finally there will be a sudden slip which produces an earthquake. Japan is well known for being particularly amenable to subduction zone earthquakes, with huge pressures brought to bear by the sticking tectonic plate zones nearby it, and the slipping results in many earthquakes, some of them very big for instance the Tohoku earthquake.