GEOL 118 Topic #1a (after class) Introduction to Natural Disasters - I

Natural Hazard = natural Earth process that poses a threat to human life or property

Natural Disaster = natural Earth process that has caused significant deaths, injuries, or destruction

Catastrophe = massive natural disaster requiring significant time + money for recovery

these natural events become disasters only when they cause problems to society.

Examples of Natural Disasters (GC = potential global catastrophe + possible mass extinction, i.e., global death; H = human activity can make disaster more common or > size + energy)

1) Geologic type - main emphasis of GEOL 118 (Geology = scientific study of solid Earth).

Earthquakes (EQ) H
Volcanoes GC (if very large)
Tsunamis H - giant seawave due to EQ over open ocean (+ other causes)
Landslides H
Floods H (overlap with Meteorology)
Subsidence + Sinkholes H (for both)
Coastal Erosion - H
Meteorite Impacts (overlap with Astronomy - scientific study of other planets, stars + universe) GC

2) Meteorologic type (Meteorology = scientific study of Earth's atmosphere, climate, + weather) - coverage of bold items

Hurricanes H
Monsoons H
Tornadoes H
Thunderstorms, Lightning + Hail H
Global Warming GC (for significant warming) H
Global Cooling/Ice Age GC (for significant cooling) H
Heat Waves H
Droughts H
Snowstorms/Blizzards H

3) Other Natural Disasters ­ no coverage

Insect infestations H
Disease GC H (e.g., bubonic plague of Middle Ages)
Wildfire H

Anthropogenic Disasters - from human interaction with environment; no coverage except for population growth + global warming.

Population Growth GC
Exposure to hazardous substances, e.g., toxic + radioactive chemicals, asbestos, coal dust, oil spills
Human-induced global change, e.g., global warming (GC), acid rain, ozone layer depletion, + pollution
Accidents, explosions, terrorism, + war

During next class (Friday, Aug. 25), students will be asked to share personal stories related to Natural Disasters.