CHAPTER 1: NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS: CATASTROPHIC EVENTS IN NATUREhttp://ask.usgs.gov/http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/glis/hyper/guide/disphttp://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/sites.htmlBak, Per, 1996, How nature works: The Science of Self-organized Criticality: Copernicus (Springer-Verlag), New York, 212 p.CHAPTER 1 - End of Chapter Answers1. Is the geological landscape controlled by gradual and unrelenting processes or intermittent large events with little action in between? Provide an example to illustrate.intermittent large events.streams run clear most of the year but get muddy and erode their channels during floods.2. Why do people live in geologically dangerous areas?for the view, experience a stream or the beach more closely, fertile land, cheap land.3. Contrast the general nature of catastrophic losses in developed countries versus poor countries.developed countries mostly lose buildings or property (money); poor countries lose lives.4. If people should not live in especially dangerous areas, what beneficial use is there for those areas?parks, natural areas, playing fields, golf courses5. When people or governmental agencies try to control the activities of nature, what is the general result?The problem is transferred to somewhere else or onto someone else.6. Some natural disasters happen when the equilibrium of a system is disrupted. What are some examples?landslide becomes soaked with watervolcano bulge collapses triggering an eruption7. Why are most natural events not perfectly cyclic?multiple independent variables affect most eventsoverlapping “cycles” give non-cyclic variation8. Give an example of a fractal system.Numerous small streams (e.g. viewed at a close scale such as part of a state), many larger streams (e.g. viewed over a larger area such as the U.S.), and very few giant rivers (e.g. the Mississippi as viewed on a world map) (or)Numerous small landslides, fewer large landslides, and only rarely a giant landslide9. When an insurance company decides on the cost of an insurance policy for a natural hazard, what are the two main deciding factors?the probability of an event occurrence (e.g. recurrence interval)cost of the probable loss (in dollars) from the event.10. What are the main reasons for the ever-increasing costs of catastrophic events?people moving into dangerous areas are not familiar with the hazards more-expensive property in dangerous sites1. Explain briefly, in the context of geological hazards, the main difference between uniformitarianism and catastrophism.* uniformitarianism is: slow, progressive, over a long time* catastrophism is: sudden, major events with time gaps in between2. Why are people who live on coastal beaches so poorly aware or concerned about hazards in those environments?* Most of them, including developers, real estate people, and governmental employees, havenever experienced a hurricane or major flood.3. What kind of natural hazards are not normally insurable?* landslides, ground settling, or swelling soils4. Why do many coastal communities not educate visitors and new residents about natural hazards in their areas?* They view such information as bad for tourism and bad for business.5. What is the normal relationship between number of occurrences of a particular type of event and the size of such events?* numerous small events, a few larger events, and only rarely a giant event6. When is a large event such as a major earthquake not a disaster?* when it happens in a remote area where it affects no people7. When people incur a significant loss from a natural disaster, who is most commonly to blame and why?* people themselves because they place themselves in the environment of such large natural events.8. What can happen to make a moderate-size event into a large natural disaster?* overlapping events that amplify the effect.9. If you erect a barrier for protection against some natural event, what detrimental effect can follow?Chapter 1 - Multiple choice questions14. What is the normal relationship between number of a particular type of event and the size of such events?15. When is a large event such as a major earthquake not a disaster?16. When people incur a significant loss from a natural disaster, who is most commonly to blame?17. What can happen to make a moderate-size event into a large natural disaster?18. If you erect a barrier for protection against some natural event, what detrimental effect can follow?CHAPTER 1: NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS: CATASTROPHIC EVENTS IN NATUREWeb Sites: Introduction and general hazard siteshttp://ask.usgs.gov/http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu http://disasterlinks.net http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/Earthshotshttp://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/glis/hyper/guide/disp http://geohazards.cr.usgs.gov http://geology.usgs.gov http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/ask-a-geologist/http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/sites.htmlhttp://www.fema.govhttp://www.iso.comhttp://www.paho.org/disastershttp://www.usgs.gov http://www.usgs.gov/themes/hazard.htmlReferences:Bak, Per, 1996, How nature works: The Science of Self-organized Criticality: Copernicus (Springer-Verlag), New York, 212 p.Bryant, E.A., 1991, Natural Hazards: Cambridge Univ. Press, N.Y., 294 p.National Committee on Property Insurance, 1989, Catastrophic Earthquakes: The need to Insure against Economic Disaster: 120 p. + appendix: Institute for Business and Home Safety, 73 Tremont St., Suite 510, Boston, MA 02108.Peitgen, H.-O., J. Jurgens, and D. Saupe, 1992, Chaos and Fractals: Springer-Verlag, New York, 984 p.CHAPTER 1 - End of Chapter Answers1. Is the geological landscape controlled by gradual and unrelenting processes or intermittent large events with little action in between? Provide an example to illustrate. intermittent large events. streams run clear most of the year but get muddy and erode their channels during floods.2. Why do people live in geologically dangerous areas? for the view, experience a stream or the beach more closely, fertile land, cheap land.3. Contrast the general nature of catastrophic losses in developed countries versus poor Correct answers are indicated by an asterisk, both in short answer and multiple choice questions.True or False questions can be easily prepared from multiple choice questionscountries. developed countries mostly lose buildings or property (money); poor countries lose lives.4. If people should not live in especially dangerous areas, what beneficial use is there for those areas? parks,
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