SCIENCE JUNIO (MIE 18)

Geologic Hazards include:

-Volcanoes
-Tornadoes
-Earthquakes
-Tsunamis
-Sinkholes
-Landslides
Uncertainties about the predictions of geological hazards are:
the timing and magnitude of geological hazards.
Volcanic Eruptions
Predictions of Volcanic Eruptions include:
Likelihood of an eruption within a given time frame.
What do scientists analyze to determine the likelihood of a volcanic
eruption?
The locations of active volcanoes or a certain volcano’s past eruptions.
Why do scientists monitor volcanoes and how does data from monitoring
help them?
They monitor some volcanoes to determine if they’re active and watch for
changes in conditions and precursor events and the data from monitoring help
them predict the likelihood of an eruption.
Eruptions predictions aren’t always certain because most volcanoes don’t
erupt on regular schedules.
What happens before an eruption?
Magma moves closer to the surface and the movement cracks the surrounding
rock and causes swarms of small earthquakes, then the magma releases gases
into the air and causes the ground surface to change shape.
Past eruption data from volcanoes include:
-Eruption timing
-Precursor events
-Eruption types
Shield Volcano: broad dome with gently sloping sides, they have steadier lava
flows rather than explosive eruptions.
Technology used to monitor volcanoes are:
-GPS
-Thermal Imaging sensors put on planes and satellites
-Seismometers: detect vibrations in the ground to monitor earthquake activity.
-Tiltmeters: monitors changes in the volcano’s shape that are related to
pressure changes inside it.
They also measure the concentration of gases around volcanic vents because
the volcano may release more of these gases just before an eruption.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes can become natural disasters because the shaking can damage
structures.
They can also cause:
-Tsunamis
-Fires
-Landslides
What can scientists identify in earthquakes and what can’t they predict?
They can identify areas where earthquakes are likely to happen but they can’t
predict the timing of one.
What data do scientists use to make earthquake risk maps?
-Historical Data
-Seismograph data
-GPS data
Weather and Climate Hazards
Weather Hazards include:
-Thunderstorms
-Snowstorms
-Tornadoes
-Floods
Where can these hazards occur?
They can occur in locations where the atmosphere, ocean and land interact to
create specific conditions.
What do they predict?
They describe what the weather is likely to be on a particular day.
When are warnings issued?
Only minutes to days before a potential event.
Climate Hazards: Large-scale phenomena that are related to long-term
weather patterns.
Climate Hazards Include:
-Drought
-Sea-level changes
-Wildfires
Tornadoes
Rapidly spinning columns of air that extend from a storm cloud to the ground.
When can predictions of a tornado be made?
Only minutes or seconds before a tornado strikes.
By who or how is data collected?
Data is collected by weather satellites, weather stations and weather balloons
and from reports from trained weather observers.
What does data in computer models determine?
Determine whether tornadoes are likely to form in specific conditions
Tornadoes often form during a severe type of thunderstorm called a Supercell.
Supercells do not always form tornadoes; specific conditions make tornadoes
most likely.
What needs to happen for a tornado to be formed?
A body of warm moist air must meet a body of cool dry air which causes
spinning that then reaches the ground.
What do scientists and meteorologists do and learn from analyzing data from
supercells that do and do not form tornadoes?
They learn more about which conditions cause them and then meteorologists
can issue a tornado watch when the conditions are favorable for a tornado to
form.
Monitoring Technology used for Tornadoes:
-Doppler radar: uses radio waves to identify direction and intensity of
precipitation, wind direction and speed, and also the locations of boundaries
between large air masses.
Meteorologists look at wind patterns in supercells that show rotation.
Floods
Flooding happens when a land that is normally dry is covered by water.
What can floodwaters do?
They can sweep away objects and injure people.
Three Types of Floods:
Flash Floods: Occurs suddenly as very fast-moving water from excessive
rainfall runs over land.
Overbank Floods: Happen slowly when rain or melting snow makes river or
lake levels rise.
Coastal Floods: Happen when high winds or storms push ocean water onto
shore.
What do scientists monitor to predict floods?
-Amounts of rainfall and snow melt
-Water levels in lakes, streams and oceans
-How much water the ground can absorb and how water flow is affected by an
area’s landforms.
Flood risk maps: Show how likely areas are to flood under certain conditions.
Evacuation routes: Connect evacuation zones or areas to be evacuated to
evacuation centers where people can go to be safe during a flood event.
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
PHA is one that orbits close enough to Earth to pose a threat, they must be
large enough to survive the trip though the atmosphere and hit Earth’s surface.
Identified PHA’S will not necessarily strike Earths surface, but because an
impact is possible, they are continuously monitored.
Natural Hazard Mitigation
Hazard Mitigation: Describes efforts to prevent or reduce property damage or
loss of life caused by a natural disaster.
Mitigation plans are specific to different types of natural hazards and to
different locations and communities.
How does data about natural hazards and disasters help scientists?
These data helps scientist understand the causes and possible effects of these
events.
What do scientists use the data for?
They use it to determine if an area is at risk for the hazard
Different strategies are used before, during and after a natural hazard.
Preparation Response Recovery
Getting ready before a Responding to a natural Final part of a
natural hazard hazard event and mitigation plan which is
happening by making providing people with the process of helping
plans, gathering information and people and
supplies and building services as an event communities after a
safe structures to help occurs and later. hazardous event.
protect people and
reduce damage.
Building codes: Standards that say how buildings should be made to survive
hazardous events and protect people during these events.
How does modern mapping technology help responders during response?
Helps responders reach affected locations as quickly as possible.
Who performs recovery after an event?
Government agencies, volunteer organizations and members of a community
What do scientists and engineers do with all the information they collect?
They identify a problem that needs to be solved and they conduct research to
define the problem; they then test solutions and develop instruments to
monitor the atmosphere.
Developing a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan
How can you first develop a mitigation plan using the engineering design
process?
By first identifying a need, they may vary depending on the type of hazard and
place being affected.
An Engineering Problem is a statement that defines the type of solution that’s
required to address the need.
CRITERIA CONSTRAINTS
Conditions, requirements or Conditions that limit the design
standards that a solution should solution or that could prevent the
meet. solution from being accomplished.
What should they provide? What do they include?
Specific information about the need Factors such as cost, time, size,
and how it must be addressed availability of the materials, limit son
technology, laws of physics, or
current specific understanding.
Engineers will study the problem and suggest solutions that meet the criteria
while staying within the constraints.
What must a proposed solution meet?
The most important criteria and all of the constraints of the engineering
problem.
Tradeoff: Giving off one thing for another.
Brainstorming: Way of generating ideas for solving the engineering problem
and its used after the problem is defined to come up with a list of possible
solutions.
What’s the role of technology in mitigation planning?
Its useful in identifying a hazard probability, developing mitigation plans,
testing solutions in response and recovery and in evaluating the success of
mitigation activities after a hazard.
Geotechnical Engineer: is a type of civil engineering and its part of any form of
construction.
What do Geotechnical Engineers do?
They asses a building site bases on the properties of soil and rock, they use it
to make structures that must withstands earthquakes, floods or landslides.
Natural Resources
They are obtained from the natural world and are used by humans for survival
and to improve the quality of their lives.
Four parts of the Earth system:
-Atmosphere (air)
-Biosphere (living things)
-Geosphere (rocks, minerals, soil)
-Hydrosphere (water)