Natural Hazards and Tectonic Processes
Ever wondered why some countries seem to get hit by disasters more than others? It all comes down to natural hazards - events like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions that can devastate communities.
There are two main types: geological hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides) and atmospheric hazards (hurricanes, typhoons, heavy rainfall). The key thing to remember is that it's not just about the event itself - it's about how well people can cope with it.
Tectonic plates are constantly moving due to convection currents, creating three types of boundaries. At constructive boundaries, plates move apart and new crust forms. At destructive boundaries, oceanic plates slide under continental plates, forming volcanoes and fold mountains. At conservative boundaries, plates grind past each other, causing earthquakes.
Key Tip: Remember the 3 P's of hazard management - Predict (monitoring), Plan (evacuation routes), and Protect (building defences).
The L'Aquila earthquake (2009) in Italy and the Haiti earthquake (2010) perfectly show how development level affects disaster impact. L'Aquila had 300 deaths and quick international aid, while Haiti - a much poorer country - saw 316,000 deaths and struggled with basic emergency response.
