EPSC 185 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Plate Tectonics, Tropical Cyclone, Lithosphere
12 Oct 2018
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EPSC 185
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Clear eye light circulation that demonstrates the centre
Hawaii characterized by volcanic activity (at the equator)
Nature provides us with a lot of hazards and we have to control our vulnerability to these
hazards
Disaster:
dis-unfavourable
astro-stars
To ancient peoples, disasters were precipitated by the stars
Natural events that can occur include:
earthquakes- occur on local and regional scales (a range of space of 10 km)
floods - local to regional
hurricanes - regional (wind has a large impact)
tsunamis - regional to global
climate change - local, regional and global
the larger the phenomenon the more energy involved
Hazard: potential threat to human kind and their welfare
Risk: probability of loss (death, injuries, damage, disruption of economic activity) as a result of a
particular natural event
Vulnerability: potential loss, or degree of loss, from the event (0 = no damage, 1 = total loss)
Disaster: realization of a risk
Larger amount of vulnerability = the more potential for disaster
Disaster: a hazardous event affecting a community in an adverse way such that essential social
structures and functions are disrupted
Prediction and forecasting
statement that a particular natural hazard will occur:
a) with a given probability
b) during a certain time frame
c) in a specified geographic area
Mitigation: efforts to reduce or minimize the effects of natural hazards on a community
Why do people live where they do (in such vulnerable places for example: San Francisco,
Chicago)
Unpredictability
mother nature is non-deterministic
individual events are inherently unpredictable
this requires a statistical approach such as probabilities, since we don’t fully understand many
natural processes
Forecasts can change very quickly and the data is limited and our physics knowledge (dynamics
of wind) is extremely limited and here things impact the forecast gravity
Recurrence intervals and probabilities
recurrence interval: average time interval between the occurrence of two events of given
magnitude
an example is a flood of 6 meters which happens once every 50 years, on average
or an earthquake of magnitude 5 which happens once every 10 years, on average
The flood: there is a 1 in 50 chance that such a flood will occur in any one year. This
corresponds to a 2% probability of occurence each year
The earthquake: there is a 1 in 10 chance that such a quake will occur in any one year and
thus, a 10% probability of occurrence
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
What is geology?
Geology is the scientific study of the solid earth including the materials that makeup the
planet and the processes that shape the planet
Three broad fields:
1- physical geology examines the materials composing the earth to understand the processes
that operate both beneath and on the surface (all three types of ricks and their origins)
2- historical geology aims to understand the origin of earth and its development through time
(the study of rock strata, fossils, and geologic events utilizing the geologic time scale)
3- environmental geology studies the interaction between humans and the geological
environment
Why do we study geology?
1- Out of curiosity about our planet and our relationship with the earth system (geosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere)
2- Locate and develop geological resources, such as fossil fuels, industrial minerals and water
3- The use of the geological environment for waste disposal in order to minimize problems of
contamination and pollution
4- Recognition of natural hazards and mitigation of their human impacts (volcanoes,
earthquakes, floods, etc..)
Look at some of the geological hazards that change the surface of the earth, and pose a direct
threat to human survival:
Plate tectonics
Earthquakes
Volcanoes - violent vs gentle volcanoes
Landslides and Avalanches
2- Help you think about the geological hazards and how they work
The scientific method
3- Climate change
Natural hazards when humans are involved
Geology - burning of the fossil fuel
Did you know that:
Every year 250 million people are affected by natural disasters
International community spent 3 billion dollars to help mitigate the impacts of these disasters
The poorest societies are the most affected
(poverty, illness, vulnerability)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Clear eye light circulation that demonstrates the centre. Hawaii characterized by volcanic activity (at the equator) Nature provides us with a lot of hazards and we have to control our vulnerability to these hazards. To ancient peoples, disasters were precipitated by the stars. Natural events that can occur include: earthquakes- occur on local and regional scales (a range of space of 10 km) Oods - local to regional hurricanes - regional (wind has a large impact) tsunamis - regional to global climate change - local, regional and global the larger the phenomenon the more energy involved. Hazard: potential threat to human kind and their welfare. Risk: probability of loss (death, injuries, damage, disruption of economic activity) as a result of a particular natural event. Vulnerability: potential loss, or degree of loss, from the event (0 = no damage, 1 = total loss) Larger amount of vulnerability = the more potential for disaster.
