...always knows what the morning never expected”. There are many things in our lives that are out of our control, like other people’s feelings and unforeseen unmanageable circumstance, for me this inability to always be in control is a difficult concept. You see, I am an ex-professional athlete in a high-risk sport, motocross. In motocross we like to believe that as we train and prepare we gain control of all situations and when things go north this preparation will allow us to control the uncontrollable. The difficult truth to accept is that although preparation diminished unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances, it doesn’t eliminate them and when something goes wrong. It goes really wrong. I, like many people will never come to accept that we can’t control certain circumstances and will continue to prepare ourselves and to train ourselves in hopes of controlling the uncontrolled. As crazy as this may seem however, it is people like us that develop equipment, strategies, movements and technology to get us closer to control. It is their relentless conviction to not take no for an answer that today saves thousand of life in many impossible situations with advancement such as protection and training in sports, therapy and diagnosis for emotionally unstable individuals, schools for children with disabilities and without a doubt warning and anticipation of natural phenomena situations. I think out of everything in this...
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...Analyse the factors that cause differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40mks) There are many volcanoes around the world, some of which are active and others are dormant. The factors which cause them to be active are varied and can cause a threat to the surrounding area, including the environment and economy as well as the social impacts on people. A volcanic hazard however can pose a bigger threat to these socio-economic factors as a result of the eruption. Firstly, the type of volcano will also depend on the type of eruption and where abouts it lies within the plate boundaries. A hot spot however does not lie on a plate boundary but causes a volcano due to the high pressures of heat flow. An example of this is in Hawaii, southwest of the United States. Kilauea is a shield volcano on the southern part of the island which erupts runny, non-viscous lava and tends to be large in size with a low profile. These eruptions are not very explosive but occur very regularly and due to it being located in Hawaii, it is a very developed country and therefore caused various hazards to the area. Another type of volcano is a stratovolcano, this is different to a shield volcano because it is tall with a steep profile and causes more explosive eruptions. For example the Pinatubo volcano is located in the Philippines between the Eurasian and Philippine Plate on a destructive plate boundary. The last biggest eruption of Pinatubo was in 1991 however it was in a less economically...
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...be provided as well as photographic imagery so the formulas and information can be better related by actual visionary evidence of the tsunami and the destructive force that comes from the tsunami as contact is made with land. Photos will be numbered for reference through the essay and will appear in the end for reference. Tsunamis are one of the world’s most dangerous and a commonly formed natural disaster needing only a build up into a wall of water forced by other natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. These cause the waves to become vertically displaced and they begin to form into much larger waves due to gravitational influence as the water attempts to find its equilibrium after being displaced. [2] There are various different ways that waves can become displaced through natural disasters and cosmic collisions, though natural disasters are much more commonly associated in the cause of tsunamis. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides are the disasters that are known to cause tidal waves to begin to form. The eruptions from volcanoes and landslides...
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...“Human Response to Volcanic Hazards is the Same Everywhere” Discuss this statement Each year, there are approximately 60 volcanic eruptions across the globe. It is extremely difficult to predict the exact location, ferocity or timing of a volcanic hazard, therefore risks are imminent and potentially dangerous. A volcanic hazard comes from tectonic plates (large rigid blocks of the earth’s surface which appear to move as a unit) colliding with each other or moving apart, disrupting the ground beneath us, allowing magma to rise up through the crust. Hazards are events, natural or man made, that affects human life, property or activity. A response is the methods that humans take to reduce future risks, or prevent damage during in a hazard. Evacuation plans are in place in both MEDCs and LEDCs, however a lack of education about hazards and human resistance to government advice can have implications on responses. Evacuation plans can be put into place in order to respond to hazards. One such example is used in the Bay of Napoli, Italy where the volcano Vesuvius is active. There are 3 zones; Red, yellow and blue. The red zone is subject to the most danger, including pyroclastic flows, gases, landslides and ash. There is a population of just under 550mila living in this zone, therefore if an eruption is highly anticipated, then the entire area will be evacuated as soon as possible. The yellow zone will most likely be affected by only pyroclastic particles, such as ash, and it is...
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...How far has the eruption of Mount Pinatubo helped eliminate all risks from future eruptions? In many countries, eruptions have caused great loss of life, displaced large numbers of people and wildlife, induced short-term climate perturbations, and affected worldwide investments and international relations. Hazardous volcanic activity will continue to occur, and the threat to lives and property is increasing with the growth in population and development near volcanoes, and the increase in national and international air traffic over volcanic regions. However with the help of volcanologists and the profound use of technology it enables us to predict future eruptions which mimimises all damages. Mount Pinatubo is an example of an eruption which had been predicted and prepared for and thus helped eliminate some problems from developing and has helped other countires cope and prepare for forthcoming eruptions. Volcanic eruptions create hazardous conditions, which severely affect people and human infrastructure, near the volcano, in downstream valleys, and thousands of miles away. Evacuation of the population at risk had been the concern of local authorities as early as April 1991 when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) declared a 6-mile-radius danger zone around the volcano. PHIVOLCS, jointly with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), had conducted intensive studies and monitoring of the volcano’s activity from which it forecast and declared an imminent...
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...surprise the office was also a mess which now raised doubts about how successful this task would be. Alex was a one man show. There was no receptionist only Alex so it was clear that Alex and I would be a two man team, I guess you could say we were short staffed. As Alex was briefing me on the facts about Kava I realized there were numerous problems that would certainly cause problems for us. The population of Kava consisted of 50% of the individuals were under the age of 15 as well as several different languages including English, Spanish and French. Another fact was the economy being mostly petroleum, coffee, cocoa, spices, bananas, tourism, fishing and natural gas which proved there was not much competition in the truck accessory field. This normally would be a great thing but considering that over half the population being under the age of 15 we had to question what kind of need there would be for truck accessories. The main concern to us was that the country of Kava had numerous disaster threats including Tidal waves, tsunami, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes etc. These disasters were the main cause of why Kava was so unappealing. Now with all of...
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...EVEREST The film starts conventionally. It gives us a history lesson, explaining how the first successful climb in 1952 eventually led to competing commercial climbing ventures in the 1990s, and then it gives us a geography lesson as Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), the first to begin a company offering guides to climbers looking to scale Everest, and his team make their way across Nepal, with titles providing locales and the elevation of those places. Once they reach base camp, though, their work isn't even nearly ready to begin. There's a 40-day training period for the team, in which the less-experienced climbers must prepare their minds and bodies for the trek. One of the more ingenious moves in William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy's screenplay is how it establishes the threats. They aren't what we might expect, either. There's little talk of avalanches or faulty equipment or the treacherous drops. Almost all of the discussion focuses on the health effects of reaching the cruising altitude of a commercial airliner, and they are all, predictably, horrifying. Hypothermia can make a person feel hot enough to strip off his or her clothes in freezing temperatures. A condition known as high-altitude cerebral edema causes swelling of the brain, and then there's the pulmonary form of edema, in which blood and other fluids collect in the lungs, essentially drowning the afflicted person. It's all setup for the extended climax, which takes up almost half of the film. The climbers, having reached...
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...Seismic and volcanic events are major pieces of evidence towards proving that plate tectonic theory is valid. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this view. (40) Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the structure and motion of the Earth’s lithosphere. The theory states that the Earth’s crust is split into large sections called tectonic plates, and these move relative to one another creating boundaries at which plates converge, diverge and move past each other. Alfred Wegener pioneered the theory of continental drift in the early 1900s which he supported with multiple pieces of evidence. Perhaps the earliest indicator of the theory was the apparent fit of some of the Earth’s continents; analysis of these coastlines, notably the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa, has shown that they are very similar geologically suggesting that at some point in the Earth’s history the landmasses were joined together. Another indicator that the continents were once distributed differently was geological evidence of glaciation in India – it is unlikely that glaciers could ever reach such low latitudes, but this problem can easily be explained by continental drift. Fossil distribution also provided some of the earliest evidence for plate tectonics – certain land-dwelling fossil species have been found in areas that are now separated by ocean which indicates that those areas were at some point joined together. However at the time of Wegner’s work many of the...
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...Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the structure and motion of the Earth’s lithosphere. The theory states that the Earth’s crust is split into large sections called tectonic plates, and these move relative to one another creating boundaries at which plates converge, diverge and move past each other. Alfred Wegener pioneered the theory of continental drift in the early 1900s which he supported with multiple pieces of evidence. Perhaps the earliest indicator of the theory was the apparent fit of some of the Earth’s continents; analysis of these coastlines, notably the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa, has shown that they are very similar geologically suggesting that at some point in the Earth’s history the landmasses were joined together. Another indicator that the continents were once distributed differently was geological evidence of glaciation in India – it is unlikely that glaciers could ever reach such low latitudes, but this problem can easily be explained by continental drift. Fossil distribution also provided some of the earliest evidence for plate tectonics – certain land-dwelling fossil species have been found in areas that are now separated by ocean which indicates that those areas were at some point joined together. However at the time of Wegner’s work many of the geophysical tools that are used today did not exist making the theory much more difficult to support. Paleomagnetism is one of the strongest pieces of evidence for plate...
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.................................................................................... 4 Global warming caused by the man- made gases. The advancement of industries and factories should be halted in order to control global warming. Emission of the CO2 gases by the industries is polluting the air that is ultimately leading to global warming. According to the US Climate Change Science Program “Global warming is a real and manmade issue and immediate actions are mandatory to save the environment”. (Deepte, 2011)....................................................................................4 Why it is considered as a man made issue? .........................................................4 a. Green house gases emitted by the industries/ Factories:...................................5 2. Part 2 - Counter Arguments ................................................................................... 6 A. Solar Variations:................................................................................................. 6 b. Green House gas is natural Process:..................................................................6 c. Volcanic Eruptions:............................................................................................. 7 3. Response to counter argument:.............................................................................7 Response to counter argument “solar energy cause global warming”:.................7 4....
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...patterns of storms, sea levels, and snowfall where colder areas get colder. Global warming has been blamed for its detrimental consequences to the forest, wildlife, glaciers, sea levels, and health of the people (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2008). Currently, the greenhouse gases take huge share of the blame for the rising temperature in the planet believed to push geological events such as volcanic eruptions playing to cool the warming climate yet its emissions can fuel up more warming and atmospheric degradation (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). With the threats from global warming, the world is striving to improve air quality. The threats are so huge making it difficult to say that spending to save the planet from perceived danger is not worth the economic cost but revisiting the history can raise a question if global warming can be really prevented from occurring. The scenarios in the past may be different from the modern times yet the planet had been through climatic cycles and global warming which caused drought, flooding and brought to the planet on the Ice Age (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2011). There were no fossil fuel emission in the past yet the planet went through cycles of long wet and dry periods. Suggestively, the climate changes seems to be a long process reoccurring cycle the planet has to go through but since the changes put the future of the human civilization at risk, there is no way to suggest for now that spending for a cause is not...
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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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...Discuss the risk management of natural hazards using a range of examples to support your answer. Natural hazard processes are an essential part of how Earth functions. These processes have been shaping the planet Earth for millions of years. In modern times risk management plans are a necessity because of the wide variety of natural disasters occurring all over the world. It is thought that because of the frequency and increase in severity of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tornadoes that the United States alone experiences an average loss of one billion dollars every week. (C. McMillan, 1998) Therefore it is obvious why a procedure of disaster preparedness, mitigation, management, and prevention is highly important as a method of dealing with such events. Risk management involves addressing any phenomena that could potentially cause havoc in a community. (C. McMillan, 1998) It is significantly different from traditional preparedness and response activities. A traditional approach attempts to address existing problems, while hazard risk management “focuses more on anticipating problems by ensuring that growth and development address the likelihood of hazards and their interaction with environmental systems.” Whereas traditional preparedness and response mechanisms often focus on individual hazard events, risk management views hazard exposure as an ongoing process and aims at reducing the vulnerability of the society and the economy to natural disasters. Such...
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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 technique...
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...general, but this essay will answer a question what are the effects of melting ice caps on climate change? Firstly what is global warming and what is climate change? Global warming is just the Earth’s rising surface temperature and climate change is a bigger category and global warming is one part of its category. In another words global warming is one issue of a much larger problem of human caused climate change. Both of them are a commonly talked about issue among scientists since it causes many changes in the environment including the melting of ices which has an effect on all parts of the world. Because of the sea level rising there are, even if it is not a rapid increase, many devastating effects on land habitants, and also there is a threat of the next ice age. Firstly the melting of polar ice caps can affect countries, as continents. A lot of parts of the “now known” continents would totally disappear under the ocean; which would mean that people that live there now, would lose their homes and the number of people per square foot would rise rapidly. The sunk parts of the countries would affects also the fauna and flora. It is clear that many species are dying out now and also would die out because they would lose their homes and the environment they are designed to live in. Same goes for flora; plants would not be able to spread that fast and adjust to a different environment so they would become extinct. If we summarize it the rise in temperatures of...
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