Natural hazards and their impacts: geo-hazards and atmospheric hazards

KGA171 The Global Geography of ChangePresented by Associate Professor Elaine StratfordSemester 1

Vulnerability

L vulnerare – to wound; capable of being wounded; open to attack or damage; assailable

Geographical imagination

Emotional geographies

Peter Monamy, Loss of HMS 'Victory', 4 October 1744

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Part 1

Revising Lecture 5.31. Name and explain Wirth’s categories of the urban.2. Describe Mumford’s understanding of the

relationship between spaces and people.3. What are six elements of city life that are seen as

positive? Are these exclusive to the urban?4. Describe and exemplify the dynamic relationship

between urbanization and industrialization.5. What did Ebenezer Howard mean by the town and

country magnet?6. What is a slum? How is the existence of slums a

geographical problem?7. Describe and explain the spatial patterns for (a)

urban population as a percentage of total population and (b) average annual urban growth rate.

8. Name and explain the salience of six characteristics of world or global cities.

9. Does the prevalence of small cities mean that sustainable development is more likely than if we all lived in mega-cities? Justify your answer.

10. Summarize the main objectives of Chapter 7 of Agenda 21.

11. What does William McDonough have to say about biological and technical nutrients and how might these relate to sustainable development in urban spaces?

A Woman Thinking

Learning Objectives

Module 6 Lecture 1• be able to

– explain why vulnerability is a key ‘emotional geography’ among human beings, especially in the face of natural hazards

– name, describe and exemplify a range of natural hazards

– name, describe and explain a range of management responses to hazards

KGA171• demonstrate knowledge of

geographical concepts, earth and social systems and spatial patterns of change

• create and interpret basic maps, graphs and field data

• identify and analyse different viewpoints to contribute to debates about global development

• communicate in reflective and academic writing, referencing literature when needed

Textbook Reading

Burton, I. & Kates, R.W. (1964) The perception of natural hazards in resource management, Natural Resources Journal 3(3) pp.412-441.Cutter, S.L. & Finch, C. (2008) Temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability to natural hazards, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(7) pp.2301-6.

Critical reading1.What is the author’s purpose?2.What key questions or problems does the author raise?3.What information, data and evidence does the author present?4.What key concepts does the author use to organize this information, this evidence?5.What key conclusions is the author coming to? Are those conclusions justified? 6.What are the author’s primary assumptions?7.What viewpoints is the author writing from?8.What are the implications of the author’s reasoning?[from Foundation for Critical Thinking]

Old Woman Reading a Lectionary, Gerard Dou

TYPES OF GEO-HAZARDSPart 2

Geo-hazards in specific environments

• Fluvial environments – erosion, sediment accumulation• Coastal environments – storm surges, sea-level rise,

inundation, erosion• Aeolian environments – wind erosion, dust storms,

desertification• Periglacial environments – avalanches, thermokarst• Glacial environments – glacier outburst floods, surges• Karst environments – sinkhole flooding, hidden cover

collapse

Land instability

Tsunamis

Wind erosion

Permafrost

Effects of volcanic activity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercalli_intensity_scale

Land subsidencedue to groundwater pumping

Broadscale subsidence

Karstic sinkholes

ATMOSPHERIC HAZARDSPart 3

Atmospheric hazards

• Areally-extensive storm activity– Tropical cyclones– Extra-tropical cyclones– Storm surges

• Localised strong winds– Tornadoes– Dust storms– Other localised winds

• Lacustrine storms (lakes)– Wind and waves

• Ocean hazards– Waves– Sea ice– Coastal erosion– Sea level rise

•Droughts– Short term impacts– Longer term impacts

•Precipitation-induced floods– Flash floods– Large regional floods– Changes caused by floods

•Other precipitation hazards– Thunderstorms and lightning– Hail– Snowstorms– Blizzards– Freezing rain

•Fires and vegetation– Bushfires

Source: Bryant E.A. 1991 Natural Hazards. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Global_tropical_cyclone_tracks.jpg

Interactions are complex

Source: Bryant, E. (1991) Natural Hazards. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Storm surges

Storm surge, attributed to Hurricane Eloise

Strong winds

Darwin, Australia after Cyclone Tracy

Flooding

Electrical storms

Winter storms

http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/freezing-rain.jpg

http://www.ffme.fr/ski-alpinisme/nivologie/photaval/photaval.htm

Dust storms

Drought

Bushfire

HAZARD MANAGEMENT(AKA MANAGING PEOPLE’S RESPONSES)

Part 4

Hazard management strategies

Mount Fuji: predictive ash-fall map

Hazard response

Responses to hazards

Human behaviour when disaster strikes

Event phase

The aftermath phase

Resettlement after disaster