Name Learning Unit 1 Introduction to Natural Disasters Review Questions This assignment is designed to assess your understanding of Unit 1 and includes some of the Questions for Review at the end of Chapter 1 from your text plus a few additional questions Each question can be answered in one to two sentences Please limit yourself to a maximum of three sentences Access the assignment complete it with ANSWERS IN A DIFFERENT COLOR FONT as a separate file and send it back for evaluation and grading through the assignment tab by or before the due date 1 What are some reasons people live in geologically dangerous areas People live in these types of areas is because of cultural or economical reasons such as scenic views farm land or just to simply get away 2 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 while events like an earthquake can have a rapid impact on a landscape mostly landscapes are carved out slowly over time by things like erosion or floods 3 Some natural disasters happen when the equilibrium of a system is disrupted What are some examples A great example of this is an earthquake which occurs when there is a collision between tectonic plates and sticking of two faults building immense pressure 4 Contrast the general nature of catastrophic losses in developed countries versus poor countries It is not seen as more catastrophic when a disaster occurs in a poorer country this is because it is much cheaper to rebuild and there is a smaller population In richer more developed countries they could have a much greater loss to their economy due to the damages and with a much larger population there will be a higher loss of life 5 What are the main reasons for the ever increasing costs of catastrophic events It is because of the growth in population Due to this more people move to areas that are more prone to natural disasters 6 If people should not live in especially dangerous areas what beneficial use is there for those areas One of the biggest reasons is fertile inexpensive land Farmers go to areas like this for agriculture 7 When is a large event such as a major earthquake not a disaster A natural disaster is considered an event that causes loss of life or destruction of property so if neither of these were to occur it would not be considered a disaster 8 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 occurrence and the estimate for loss of property 9 Describe the general relationship between the frequency and magnitude of an event The magnitude is the strength of an event while frequency is the occurrence of the event at a certain period of time 10 When people or governmental agencies try to restrict or control the activities of nature what is the general result It can cause more damage attempts by people or the government are usually only temporary 11 What kind of information must be assembled to make hazard predictions You need to study the geologic feature and study areal photographs and maps 12 What is a precursor event An unsafe situation such as the surface of the ground slowly moving prior to a landslide 13 Explain how population growth increases the number of disasters It forces people to expand cities and areas where we can live This causes people to be forced to move to more hazardous areas where there is an increased risk in there being a natural disaster 14 What are the stages of disaster recovery Prevention Preparedness Response Recovery 15 Provide 3 methods of hazard mitigation Education Programs Preparedness and Response Actions and Structural Projects