...The city I chose for my hazard analysis is Los Angeles CA and the hazard that is the highest risk to the city is an earthquake. L.A. is the second largest city in the United States; it encompasses over 498 square miles and is surrounded by mountains and ocean. L.A. is a very urban environment, its high concentration of infrastructure makes it vulnerable to earthquakes, but at the same time it also gives it the resources it needs to respond to earthquakes or any other hazards. L.A. has had a few large scale earthquakes in the last decades and some geological experts predict it will suffer a major quake in the near future. How it has responded to those disasters in the past is what has laid the foundation as to how the city will deal with future earthquakes or other hazards and attempt to minimize their impact on the city. Los Angeles lies around 60 miles from the San Andreas Fault. This fault line is one the most active fault lines in the world and as such is capable of producing severe earthquakes. And even though Los Angeles doesn’t lie directly underneath it like the city of San Francisco, the fault line does pose a great danger to the city. But even more of a threat to the city is the many unknown smaller fault lines that run beneath it. With a population of over 4 million people, a large size earth quake would cause substantial damage and injure or kill a large number of people. L.A. has had around six major earthquakes that were 6.0 or stronger in the last hundred years...
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...represent a hazard depends upon when and where they are experienced (40) A hazard can best be defined as a 'situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or the environment.' The overall impact of earthquakes as a natural hazard varies greatly from one place and timeframe to another. As do the types of hazards, which are categorised into primary and secondary. Primary hazards are created by the direct seismic energy of an earthquake, this could include liquefaction, slope failure and tsunamis. These primary hazards can in turn trigger secondary hazards such as floods, fires, disease and destabilisation of infrastructure. A number of factors play a part in determining the severity of these hazards. For me the most influential factor is where the tectonic process occurs in relation to the levels of development of that area. MEDC's tend to cope better with the hazard of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions than LEDC's because they have all the necessary resources to survive the effects of these hazards at their disposal. Such as earthquake proof buildings that are designed to withstand earthquakes by using strong materials such as reinforced concrete or building special foundations that absorb an earthquakes energy e.g. the Bank Tower in Los Angeles, California. Construction laws in some earthquake-prone counties (e.g. Japan and the US) have become stricter in recent years – this means that newer buildings are more likely to be able to withstand earthquakes. Another...
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...one of the largest cities in the United States and one with the highest risk of earthquakes. Los Angeles is an urban environment that has high infrastructure which increases hazards associated with earthquakes. There are many factors that lead to the current knowledge of past, current, and future earthquakes occurrences. We are better able to understand where and why earthquakes are likely to occur and to be proactive to their hazards. Los Angeles is located approximately 60 miles from the largest and most active fault line in the United States. The San Andreas Fault line is the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. These tectonic plates slide past each other breaking rock, creating shaking and seismic waves in every direction. This shaking is what we know as earthquakes and the seismic waves are how they are rated based on severity. The L.A. area is located where slip rate of the plates is well known. The slip rates of the San Andreas Fault is calculated by its size and the rate that one plate moves compared to the other. The soft soil and near surface materials have low wave velocity which create more shaking as compared to hard rock. Observing the shear wave velocity can assist in estimating potential seismic activity. Energy released from slipping rocks on the fault line can travel many miles. The location at which this slip occurs is known as the focus and epicenter is directly above the focus on the earth’s surface. Earthquakes can create aftershocks...
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...frequently, and worse, many kinds of hazards hit these zones. Arizona is rated the tenth state most at a risk to disasters in the US according to Huddleston (2014, June). The Yuma County and the City of Yuma are hit time to time by disasters. This area is cited as one the highest probability disaster areas in the state (FEMA, 2012). This disaster champion experiences all types of hazards as stated in FEMA (2012). Hazards categorization, the magnitude of disasters’ damage and the consequences, a case study of a Presidential Disaster Declaration and the lessons learned from all the processes, the generalization of some lessons learned from this community to other communities with similar demographics and hazards...
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...extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of earthquakes? Whittow in 1980 defines a hazard as a “perceived natural event which has the potential to threaten both life and property, and a disaster is the realisation of this hazard.” Earth hazards can therefore include all natural events including earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding and mass movement. Due to the very nature of these events “mitigating” (measures taken to reduce the impacts of a hazard beforehand) can be more successful for hazards such as volcanoes which are arguably more predicable than earthquakes and flash flooding. Despite the advances over the past few decades there is no “magic bullet” (Dr Charles Connor) in earth hazard prediction, and therefore mitigation – and the success remains very much dependent upon a number of factors including money available, and the number of vulnerable individuals. Firstly, earthquakes, which are caused by sudden movements of the earth’s crust which result in violent shaking, liquefaction, and in extreme cases tsunamis, can to an extent be prepared for and mitigated for, and this is where money is being channelled into. Preparation and planning involves the retrofitting of buildings to create “earthquake-resistant” societies, aseismic design features (including concrete and steel frames to provide stability), as well as planning exclusion zones and evacuation routes in the case of an earthquake. Earthquake prediction is very closely linked to preparedness as if an event...
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...PHIVOLCS builds info portal for quakes and volcanoes | Tuesday, 16 September 2014 04:12 | | | | | The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) introduced the” Information Portal for Philippine Earthquake and Volcano” during a seminar-forum on Sept. 15, 2014 at the institute’s auditorium, Quezon City. Led by its Director, Renato U. Solidum, Jr., the heads of the 4 technical divisions gave brief descriptions on the content of the portal.Following a series of joint meetings with partner-agencies Japan International Cooperation Agency-Japan Science and Technology Agency (JICA-JST) and National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), PHIVOLCS has come up with a prototype of the Information Portal for Philippine Earthquake and Volcano which will be available for public viewing in the near future. | Continue reading.. | PHIVOLCS and Province of Albay Commemorate 200-years of 1814 Mayon Volcano Eruption, 26-27 June 2014, Legaspi, Albay | Friday, 18 July 2014 06:53 | Legaspi, Albay. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in partnership with the Province of Albay commemorated the 200-years anniversary of the 1814 Mayon Volcano Eruption on 26-27 June at the La Piazza Hotel, Legaspi, Albay.Eruptions from Mayon Volcano that people remember date back to 1968, 1978, 1984, 1993, 2000-2001, 2006 and 2009. What most people are probably not aware of is that, two hundred years ago, on 01 February...
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...A hazard can best be defined as a 'situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or the environment'. The overall impact of earthquakes as a natural hazard varies greatly from one place and time of day or year to another. As do the types of hazards, which are classed as either primary or secondary hazards. Primary hazards are created by the direct seismic shaking of an earthquake; this could include liquefaction, slope slipping and tsunamis. These primary hazards can in turn trigger secondary hazards such as floods, fires, disease and damage to infrastructure making them less stable. A number of factors play a part in determining the severity of these hazards. For me the most influential factor is where the tectonic process occurs in relation to the levels of development of that area. HIC's tend to cope better with the hazard of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions than LIC's because they have all the necessary resources to survive the effects of these hazards at their disposal. Such as earthquake proof buildings that are designed to withstand earthquakes by using strong materials such as reinforced concrete or building special foundations that absorb an earthquakes energy e.g. the Bank Tower in Los Angeles, California. Construction laws in some earthquake-prone countries (e.g. Japan, the US and China) have become stricter in recent years – this means that newer buildings are more likely to be able to withstand earthquakes. This is most apparent in Sichuan where...
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...Hazard & Vulnerability of Dhaka City 5 page ■ Dhaka City Population Area Urbanization River ■ Recent few incidents case study ■ Historical Hazard ■ Analysis and severity of hazards & vulnerability Bangladesh is a unitary, independent and sovereign Republic known as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Bangladesh emerged as an independent country on March 26, 1971. The war of liberation ended on 16 December 1971 with the victory of Bangladesh forces and the surrender of the occupying Pakistani Army in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. From its beginning as a small city with a few thousand people, Dhaka actually experienced dramatic turns upward and today it has become one of the fastest growing mega cities of the world. Its existence as a major urban agglomeration has been consistent over a period of 400 years. Even the most developed cities in the world today cannot boast 400 years of uninterrupted and organised existence that Dhaka does as a historic city. In the 16th century during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar it was a thana or military outpost having a population of only 3000 people with an area of 2 km² (UNEP, 2005). Then turning Dhaka into a capital city of the eastern province in 1608 by Subedar Islam Khan was epoch making. Since then Dhaka has experienced actual urbanisation and trends of development. Area Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh at 23°42′0″N 90°22′30″E, on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River. The...
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...Discuss the view that the impact of earthquakes depends primarily on human factors: Earthquakes are caused by movement of tectonic plates that covering the earth’s surface. They occur at all plate boundaries; destructive, constructive and conservative, but the most intense tend to occur at subduction zones and conservative faults, such as the San Andres Fault in California. Every seismic event will be unique, and there are many factors influencing the extent to which it will have an impact on the environment and the populace. In many situations, both physical factors, related to the nature of the event and the topography of the area, and human factors, linked to demography and land use, have an influence on the effects of a hazard. When evaluating the impacts of an earthquake, the demography of an area will almost certainly have a large influence. Clearly, a very densely populated area will be more likely to have a higher death toll or a wider radius of influence than an event occurring in a more sparsely populated area, due to the simple fact that there are more people in the same amount of space to be affected. However it is not just this statistical fact that leads to a more people being affected. In many LEDC’s, the highest population density occurs in slum areas and shanty towns. The people living in these areas are ill equipped to cope with the effects of an earthquake due to a combination of factors, mostly centred around the conditions in which they live. The same is true...
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...2013 Earthquake U.S Geological Survey A magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit Awaran, Pakistan due to a strike-slip occurring between the plates. The plates collided between the transition zone between the northward subduction of the Arabic plate beneath the Eurasia plate. The epicenter of the event occurred 69km north of the Awaran, Pakistan border. The earthquake killed at least 825 people and injured hundred of others. The Balochistan government estimated that the earthquake had destroyed at least 21,000 homes. In the past 40 years, only one significant earthquake had injured humans in that area. The earthquake occurred along the two plate boundaries of the region, the area where typically most earthquakes occur due to collision of plates by convergent or transform boundaries. Due to the poor economic area in which the earthquake took place, many homes collapsed easily as many were not reinforced like many buildings are now in the United States. As the location of the city was so close to the epicenter, the city felt a high intensity level. The reason for the creation of the earthquake deals with the Elastic Rebound Theory that states crust bends as strains builds up until the earthquake occurs making bent crust snap back into place. While detection devices have been created such as seismograph, many devices to forewarn individuals of future earthquakes have still not been created. Spatial trends have been one concept in preparing individuals for upcoming earthquakes for looking...
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...'The hazards presented by volcanic and seismic events have the greatest impact on the world’s poorest people'. To what extent do you agree with this view? Firstly I believe that this statement is true but only to a partial extent. Hazards presented by tectonic activity can be managed and controlled so their impacts are lessened and even not felt. However such management involves planning, prediction and action, all of which may cost considerable amounts of money, unavailable to the poorest people. For example, ever since its primary eruption in 1968 Mount Etna has been constantly erupting every year. Though these eruptions are not always violent sometime volcanic bombs can be fired from the composite volcano and since its eruption in 1968 it has killed around 77 people, most of these unwitting tourists who did not take enough care. However due to the volcano being located in the fairly rich area of Sicily the impacts of its hazards have been managed and fairly efficiently. For example, explosives were first used to relocate the andesitic lava flows away from settlements, protecting people’s housing and property. More recently, Sicily has had the funds to construct artificial lava tunnels to conveniently drain the lava away when Etna erupts. Moreover Sicily has managed to accurately predict the size and frequency of the eruptions of Etna by using remote sensors which measure the bulge of the volcano, a tell tale sign of the imminent eruption. In combination to this, they sample...
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...could say about the earthquake, because the seismometers had been 152 knocked out by its severity. He told them the direction from which it came, along with its approximate distance (based on the time between different waves, but not the P and S that are normally used, as described earlier). From these he guessed that the earthquake was near Santa Cruz, and he was also able to roughly guess its strength. He boasted to me that for several hours his information was the best available. I must mention, however, that this “expert” is the same friend who bought a house on dredged coastal fill, the worst possible place to be in an earthquake; that is why he was able to view this earthquake so well. Scope of the problem To begin to see the scope of the problem of earthquakes and people, let’s consider a few statistics: • ~150 earthquakes each year are potentially damaging (Mw 6); • ~20 earthquakes each year cause severe damage (Mw 7); • in the 1990’s, more than 100,000 people were killed in earthquakes, especially those in Iran, India, Russia, and Japan. This was a worse death toll than usual, not because of more earthquakes but because they happened to affect highly populated areas. By comparison, storm surges killed 300,000 people in 1992 alone, mostly in Bangladesh. • the largest earthquake of the last 40 years, the Mw 9.2 Sumatra earthquake, created a tsunami that killed 228,000 people; • globally, the risk of being killed by an earthquake is ~1 in a million...
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...overwhelming facets of the Earth exist below the surface. It is here that we will find the tectonic plates of the Earth and cause for Earthquakes. An earthquake occurs as the two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another (usgs.gov). Generally a quake will occur without warning, although many times there may be a foreshock (smaller earthquake near epicenter, similar to an aftershock), which is usually mistaken for the Earthquake until the actual higher magnitude quake occurs. These shifts seem to happen without warning, however, upon observation and tracking of geological survey, structures, and pattern, it is possible to decipher the probable location of an earthquake. The United States Geological Survey map is a valuable tool when attempting to decipher whether a particular state is an Earthquake hotspot. Upon review of the Geological survey, one will notice that Pacific coast and the islands in the Pacific Ocean are furthermost susceptible to the quakes. Hazard levels range the low teens to over fifty percent. Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri rest on the New Madrid Fault line; subsequently these are states that share the red zone symbolizing the greatest risk for activity. We will notice that further inland the states experience less hazard until we begin approaching the Southeast states (southern tips of a few Northeastern states). The 2008 Hazard Map leads one to speculate if a fault area within the South, or the offshore faults off the coast of South Carolina would produce...
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...Education on Earthquake Preparedness By Krystle Wilson March 28, 2014 Los Angeles, CA – Earthquakes occurs frequently in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas in California. I would like to take some time today to discuss earthquake preparedness and discuss descriptions of hazards associated with earthquakes in Los Angeles. I will also discuss the origin and causes of earthquakes, relation to the shifting plates to the natural process of mountain building, relation of earthquakes to plate tectonics and faults in Los Angeles. I will share some historical disasters associated with past earthquakes and discuss potential of future earthquake events. Descriptions of hazards associated with earthquakes in Los Angeles Earthquakes occurs and it occurs where there are tectonic plates or fault lines. The main earthquake hazard is the effect of ground shaking. The ground shaking can create hazards with buildings that may potentially collapse, roads may be unleveled, ground may split open. Because of Los Angeles being a large city with large population of people and buildings, there are gas lines running underneath the city. If an earthquake occurs, it may cause rupturing of the pipe line which could lead to fires and explosions. (Michigan Tech, n.d.). Origin and causes of Earthquakes “The earthquakes in California in general are caused by the movement of huge blocks of the earth’s crust – the Pacific and the North American plates.” (Earthquake County...
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...The hazards presented by volcanic and seismic events have the greatest impact on the world’s poorest people. To what extent do you agree? A geologic hazard is an extreme natural events in the crust of the earth that pose a threat to life and property, for example, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides. Volcanic hazards include ash, pyroclastic flow, lava, lahars, landslides, glacial melt and disturbances to the air quality. Seismic hazards can include the initial shaking, buildings collapsing, aftershocks, landslides and tsunamis. These hazards can effect local people, for example homes lost, a national scale, for example cities lost, or on a global scale, for example flights grounded and ash circulates around the world, as well as temporary climate change. However, while it is undisputable that these hazards effect everyone, I agree to a partial extent that they do have the greatest impact on the world’s poorest people. Volcanoes appear in both developed and undeveloped countries. They are dictate by plate boundaries; they never appear at a transform boundary. They always appear on a divergent boundary where the two plates are pulling apart from each other, forming new crust. This creates a gentler volcano, as there is pure mantle forming the magma. They sometimes appear on a convergent boundary. When the two pieces of land are oceanic and oceanic, and oceanic and continental, volcanoes will appear. This is because you will get a subduction zone, where...
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