...frequency of eruptions, to effectively predict the overall behavior of the volcano and b) it is impossible to determine exactly what time frame the volcano may erupt. Example: The US Geological Society also estimated that Mt St Helens may experience another eruption in the next 20-30 years, but such a large time frame is useless in giving governments any accurate information for the preparation of the eruption or mitigation. The 1985 Nevado del Ruiz volcanic eruption was predicted in 1979, quite accurately, however, the damage to the country was devastating as the government did not take the appropriate mitigation measures. 25 000 people and 15 000 animals were killed. 4 500 people were injured, 8 000 people homeless. Some government officials dismissed the report as too alarming and did not want to evacuate people till they were assured of the necessity. A group of scientists visited the crater, saw nothing to suggest eminent danger and did not recommend and evacuation. No emergency plans were made to evacuate people After the Mt Nevado Del Ruiz eruption in 1985, it was predicted that another earthquake would occur in 20 years’ time around 2000, but it has not erupted till this date. Hence, prediction measures are useless without any mitigation measures taken to minimize the dangers of the volcanic hazards. SHORT TERM PREDICTION * A lot more accurate and effective in alerting citizens of imminent volcanic eruptions. * Predictions are usually measured...
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...work of candidates under examination conditions, during the June 2010 examination series. The reports were originally hand written but have been typed up, with diagrams redrawn. Errors, including QWC errors, have in most cases been kept. The aim of these exemplar reports is to highlight good practice and areas of potential improvement. The marking levels and examiners comments given are indicative and should be used as a basis for discussion in the classroom, rather than indicating a specific grade. Pre-release research focus * Explore the range of tectonic event profiles and how these and other factors affect the responses of people and governments. * Research contrasting locations and hazard events to draw out the range of tectonic activity and the different responses generated. Report title: ‘Tectonic hazard profiles determine the way in which people and governments respond to hazards’. Discuss ------------------------------------------------- Student’s plan: Intro – definitions Park model THP factors Magnitude – Lincolnshire, Iripinia Speed onset - Popocatepetl, Kashmir Areal Extent – tsunami Other factors - economic development Scientific understanding Location Conclusion - why chose case studies Nevado del Ruiz Loma Prieta Introduction Tectonic hazards pose significant challenges to humans. Earthquakes alone have claimed over 1 million lives in the last 100 years. A tectonic hazard can be defined as an event occurring due...
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...Earth Science: Volcanoes Report by: Kenneth Ragragio What is Volcanoes? * Volcanoes are vents that allow lava, rock fragments and gases to escape from layers beneath the earth's surface. Learn how volcanoes form both on land and underwater and why they erupt. * Volcanoes are spectacular events and because of this, they have found their way into the plot of many Hollywood movies. While the movies have given most of us the vivid image of red-hot lava spewing out of the top of a towering volcano, they do not share the entire story of volcanoes Magma and Lava * So what exactly is a volcano? Well, it can be defined as a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor and gases are ejected. In other words, a volcano is the earth's way of letting off a little steam. * The super-heated particles that eject out of a volcano come from deep below the earth's surface where temperatures can become so hot that rock actually melts. Magma is the term used to describe this hot molten rock from deep within the earth. * A volcano begins to form when magma, which is less dense than the rock it originated from, rises toward the earth's surface. This liquid rock collects in chambers called 'magma chambers,' where pressure builds due to expanding steam and gases associated with the magma. As pressure reaches a peak within these chambers, magma finds its way through a vent or fissure in the earth's surface, resulting in a volcanic eruption and the expulsion...
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...Geography plate tectonics and associated hazard notes Plate tectonics and associated hazards Geomorphology – the study of landforms of the earth’s surface Plate tectonics – a theory explaining the structure of the earth’s crust and many associated phenomena as resulting from the interaction of the rigid lithosphere. Geomorphological hazard – an event causing harm to people or property, caused by Geomorphological processes e.g. plate tectonic movement. Francis Bacon 1620 As far back as 1620, Francis Bacon spotted that the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America looked as if they would fit together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Between then and 1912 other people identified further similarities between other continental coastlines. Robert Mallet 1870s Robert Mallet was a nineteenth century scientist who managed to measure the speed at which earthquakes spread. Alfred Wegner 1911 While at Marburg, in the autumn of 1911, Wegener was browsing in the university library when he came across a scientific paper that listed fossils of identical plants and animals found on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Intrigued by this information, Wegener began to look for, and find, more cases of similar organisms separated by great oceans. Orthodox science at the time explained such cases by postulating that land bridges, now sunken, had once connected far-flung continents. But Wegener noticed the close fit between the coastlines of Africa and South America. Might the similarities...
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