MCN 301 - DISASTER MANAGEMENT

MODULE 1 SYSTEM OF EARTH

SYLLABUS

 Lithosphere- composition, rocks, soils;

 Atmosphere-layers, ozone layer, greenhouse effect,
 Weather, cyclones, atmospheric circulations,
 Indian Monsoon; hydrosphere- Oceans, inland water bodies; biosphere.
 Definition and meaning of key terms in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management- disaster,
hazard, exposure, vulnerability, risk, risk assessment, risk mapping, capacity, resilience.
 Disaster risk reduction, disaster risk management, early warning systems, disaster
preparedness, disaster prevention, disaster mitigation, disaster response, damage assessment,
crisis counselling, needs.

 INTRODUCTION ABOUT VARIOUS SYSTEMS OF EARTH

Everything under the earth is placed under 4 subsystems:

1) Lithosphere:
 The layer which contains rocks, soils and minerals.
 It is the outer layer of the earth
 Includes crust and mantle
2) Atmosphere:
 The layer which contains all the gases present on the earth.
 It contributes the climatic conditions.
 Based on temperature subdivided into
: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere
3) Hydrosphere:
 The layer which contains all the water sources present on the earth.
 Contains surface and subsurface water sources
 Contributes climatic conditions.
4) Biosphere:
 The layer which contains all the living components present on the earth.
 Commonly known as ecosystem
 ZONES OF EARTH : Earth has 4 concentric zones:
1) Inner core
 Innermost zone
 Contains solid mass of iron
 Thickness—1216 km
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2) Outer core:
 Core which covers the inner core.
 Contains molten liquid of iron.
 Thickness—2270 km.
3) Mantle:
 Layer which covers the outer core.
 Contains various minerals.
 Thickness—2900 km
4) Crust:
 Outermost zone
 Exterior of the earth
 Thickness—5 km.

 LITHOSPHERE

 Outer layer of the earth, which contains soil, rocks and minerals.
 It includes crust and mantle part of the earth
 Lithosphere interacts with atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. So they are known
as pedosphere.

TYPES OF LITHOSPHERE
1) Oceanic lithosphere.
 5-8 km thickness and Composed of basalt
2) Continental lithosphere
 30-40 km thickness

COMPOSITION OF LITHOSPHERE
 Lithosphere is composed of minerals, rocks and soil.

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 MINERALS:

 Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic crystalline solids that have definite chemical
composition.
 Minerals are composed of group of elements.
 Certain minerals are composed of single element. Eg:graphite diamond,made of carbon
 List of minerals found on earth’s crust are:(CODE:OXY-SIAL-ICASO-POTAMAG)

 ROCKS
 Rocks are naturally occurring hard and consolidated inorganic materials, composed of one or
a large number of minerals.
 Certain other materials, like coal and limestone are developed from plant and animal remains.
 there are mainly 3 types of rocks:
1) Igneous rocks 2) sedimentary rocks 3) metamorphic rocks

1) IGNEOUS ROCKS
 These rocks are formed by the solidification of magma or lava.
 They are composed of primary minerals, which are predominantly silicates.
 They sometimes overlap with sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
 E.g.: Granite ,Basalt (CODE:GRABAS)
2) SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
 These rocks are formed by the solidification of sediment deposits.
 They are composed of secondary minerals.
 In the oceanic beds, sedimentary rocks are formed by the precipitation and settlement
of salts.
 In the landscape, sedimentary rocks are formed by the solidification of decomposed
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 matter.
 E.g.: sandstone,shale,limestone (CODE:SASHAL)
3) METAMORPHIC ROCKS
 Rocks which are formed from the metamorphic changes occurred in pre-existing
igneous and sedimentary rocks.
 Metamorphic changes are the changes in temperature and pressure.
 E.g.: marble, Quartzite. (CODE:MARQUAR)
 ROCK CYCLE
 It is the cyclical changes occur in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
 Due to weathering action, igneous rocks are disintegrated to sediments and they are
consolidated to form sedimentary rocks.
 Due to excess heat and pressure the sedimentary rocks again converted into
metamorphic rocks.
 Due to the action of magma and lava in metamorphic rocks, it again change to
sedimentary rocks.

 SOIL
 Soil is the thin layer of material covering the earth's surface and is formed from the
weathering of rocks.
 Weathering is the process of disintegration of rocks, to form soil.
 Soil mainly consist of mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and living
organisms.
 Most plants get their nutrients from the soil and they are the main source of food for
humans, animals and birds. Therefore, most living things on land depend on soil for
their existence.
FUNCTIONS OF SOIL:
 Provides mechanical support to the plant.
 It has the property of porosity, i.e. ability to hold [Link] that, soil is considered as
the reservoir of water.

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 Provides micro and macro nutrients and p.H for the growth of microorganisms,
plants and animals.
 Prevents excessive leaching of nutrients.
 Contains bacteria that fix nitrogen and other elements; fungi, protozoa and other
micro-organisms. These organisms’ aids in the decomposition of organic matter.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL
Geologically soil is classified into 2 types:
1) Residual soil:
 Soil which resides near the parent rock
 Very less or no transportation.
 More fertile.
2) Transported soil
 Soil which transported away from the parent rock.
 During transportation, the soil mixed up and it is heterogeneous in nature.
 Classified into 6 types, based on the agents of transportation.
 1. Colluvial soil – Transported by gravity.
 [Link] Soil –transported by water
 3. Glacial soil- transported by ice.
 [Link] Soil-transported by wind
 [Link] Soil-transported by magma, lava
 6. Lacustrine soil- transported by lakes.

 ATMOSPHERE (UNIV QSTN-8 MARKS)

 The layer which contains all the gases present on the earth.
 It is the layer of gases, which envelops the planet and held in place by the action of
gravity by the planetary body.
 Chemical composition of atmosphere: the atmosphere contains mixture of gases
composed of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and other non-reactive
gases such as neon, Xenon etc…

 LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere is divided in to a number of concentric layers that extend from sea
level toouter space. Atmosphere is classified in to various types as shown below:

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 Based on chemical composition atmosphere is divided in to two:
1. HOMOSPHERE
 This layer is homogeneous in composition.
 Homosphere Extends to a distance of about 88Km from the surface of earth.
2. HETEROSPHERE
 The atmosphere lies above homosphere is heterosphere.
 The air composition is not uniform.
 Based on temperature atmosphere is divided in to five:

1. TROPOSPHERE
 Bottom dense part, closest to the ground
 Distance—20 km from the ground level.
 Clouds, storms and fog are found here.
 Temperature decreases to 6.4 degree Celsius/km,with height.
 This decrease in temperature with height is called lapse rate.
 Border of troposphere---tropopause.
 Temperature stops decreasing at tropopause.
2. STRATOSPHERE
 Clear layer above troposphere ,height of about 50 km from earth’s surface.
 water vapours are absent .
 Ozone layer is found in this layer.
 Ozone absorbs and prevents the harmful ultraviolet radiations
 Border point- stratopause
 Temperature neither increases nor decreases with height.
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 3. MESOSPHERE
 Layer above stratosphere—85km height from earth’s surface.
 starts from the edge of Stratopause
 Temperature at stratopause is10 c and falls to -75°C at mesosphere.
 Plays a crucial role in radio communication –ionization occur here.
 Sunlight passing through this layer converts individual molecules to charged ions---
D-layer
 D-layer reflects radio waves transmitted from earth
 Border point—mesopause
4. THERMOSPHERE
 Layer above mesosphere.
 690km height from earth’s surface.
 temperature increases to about 2000°C
 Ions are abundant in thermosphere
 Most of the approaching meteoroids burn up before reaching earth.
5. EXOSPHERE.
 Layer above thermosphere.
 Consists of only hydrogen and helium atoms
 1000 km from earth’s atmosphere.
 very high temperature due to solar radiation

 Based on chemical reaction atmosphere is divided in to two:

[Link]
 Region of the upper atmosphere.
 distance- 40 to 80 km

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 Chemical processes driven by sunlight occurs here.
 The chemosphere overlaps the stratosphere and the mesosphere .
2. OZONOSPHERE
 Ozone layer is present
 Intense chemical reaction takes place with the help of oxygen.
 Ozone absorbs and prevents the harmful ultraviolet radiations

 OZONE LAYER (UNIV 3 MARKS)

 Ozone is a protective layer found in ozonosphere, which is in the stratosphere layer of
atmosphere.
 Ozone absorbs and prevents the harmful ultraviolet radiations from reaching earth.
 Maximum concentration of ozone occurs at 22 km from the ground level.
 It has the potential to absorb 97-99% UV radiations from the sun, which can damage life
on earth.

 If the ozone layer was absent, millions of people would develop skin disease and may
have weaken the immune systems.
 Formation/Mechanism of ozone layer
 Oxygen molecule is photolysed by solar radiation, creating 2 oxygen radicals.
 O2 photolysis 2O
 Oxygen radicals react with molecular oxygen to produce ozone.
 2O+O O3
OZONE LAYER DEPLETION (UNIV QSTN. -8 MARKS)
Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer in the upper
atmospherecaused due to the release of chemical compounds containing gaseous bromine or
chlorine from industries or other human activities.”

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 When CFC come in contact with ozone, chlorine splits ozone into individual molecules.
 Here chlorine acts as a catalyst.

 Chlorine breakdown the ozone and combine with free oxygen to create 2 oxygen
molecule
 Cl+O3 ClO+O2
 Cl O + O Cl+O2
 OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES (ODS)
 The substances which are responsible for the depletion of ozone layer is known as ozone
depleting substances. (ODS)
 E.g.: CFC,BFC,NO

 REASONS FOR OZONE DEPLETION:

1) DEPLETION BY CFC AND BFC:
 Emitted by refrigerators and AC
 CFCS and BFCS are stable compounds in the atmosphere that have the property of
living longer
 UV radiation split these as, Chlorine (Cl) and Bromine (Br) radicals.
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 These radicals act as catalysts, and initiate breaking down of ozone molecules.
 Due action, Ozone concentration is decreasing at a drastic rate

2) DEPLETION BY NITRIC OXIDE (NO)

 Large quantities of nitrogen are emitted by aircrafts .

 One molecule of nitric oxide (NO) combines with ozone .
 oxidised to nitrogen dioxide and Oxygen
 NO2 combines with another O3 molecule to become NO3 (Nitrate) and O2 .
 This series of actions and reactions utilizes and depletes ozone.

3) DEPLETION BY NATURAL CAUSES

 The ozone layer has been found to be depleted by certain natural processes suchas Sun-spots
and stratospheric winds. But it does not cause more than 1-2% of the ozone layer depletion.

 The volcanic eruptions are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.

 PREVENTION OF OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

1) Avoid Using ODS

 Reduce the use of ozone depleting substances.
 E.g.: avoid using malfunctioning A C and refrigerators, which emits more CFC and
BFC

2) Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

 Most of the cleaning products have chlorine and bromine releasing chemicals that find
a way into the atmosphere and affect the ozone layer.
 These should be substituted with natural products to protect the environment

3) Encourage Public transportation

 Use of private vehicles will emits more pollutants to the atmosphere, so public
transportation should be promoted.

4) Use electric driven vehicles, in place of fuel driven vehicles

 Promote the use of EVs in place of vehicles run by petrol /diesel.
 Lead contained petrol will emits more pollutants.
5) Use of Nitrous Oxide should be prohibited
 The government should take actions and prohibit the use of harmful nitrous
oxide that is adversely affecting the ozone layer.

 People should be made aware of the harmful effects of nitrous oxide and the
products emitting the gas so that its use is minimized at the individual level as well.

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 GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
 The greenhouse effect is the process that occurs when gases in Earth's atmosphere
trap the Sun's heat.

 The gases which traps suns heat is known as greenhouse gases.

 Eg:CO2,methane
GREENHOUSE

 A house made of glass that can be used to grow plants.

 The sun’s radiations warm the plants and the air inside the greenhouse.
 The heat trapped inside can’t escape out and warms the greenhouse which is
essential for the growth of the plants.
EFFECT OF GREEN HOUSE IN ATMOSPHERE
 During the day the sun heats up the earth’s atmosphere.
 At night, when the earth cools down the heat is radiated back into the atmosphere.
During this process, theheat is absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the earth’s
atmosphere.

 This is what makes the surface of the earth warmer that makes the survival of living
beings on earth possible.

 However, due to the increased levels of greenhouse gases, the temperature of the
earth has increased considerably. This has led to global warming

CAUSES OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The major causes of the greenhouse effect are:

Burning of Fossil Fuels

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Fossil fuels are an important part of our lives. They are widely used in transportation and to produce
electricity. Burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide. With the increase in population, the
utilization of fossil fuels has increased. This has led to an increase in the release of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere.
Deforestation

Plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to the cutting of trees, there is
aconsiderable increase in the greenhouse gases which increases the earth’s temperature.
Farming

Nitrous oxide used in fertilizers is one of the contributors to the greenhouse effect inthe atmosphere.
Industrial Waste and Landfills

The industries and factories produce harmful gases which are released in the atmosphere. Landfills
also release carbon dioxide and methane that adds to the greenhouse gases

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EFFECTS OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT

The main effects of increased greenhouse gases are:

1) Global warming

 It is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s

atmosphere.
 The main cause for this environmental issue is the increased volumes of greenhouse
gases such as carbon dioxide and methane released by the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from the
vehicles, industries and other human activities.
2) Smog and air pollution

 Smog is formed by the combination of smoke and fog. It can be caused both by
natural means and man- made activities.
 In general, smog is generally formed by the accumulation of more greenhouse gases
including nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
 The major contributors to the formation of smog are the automobile and industrial
emissions, agricultural fires, natural forest fires and the reaction of these chemicals among
themselves.
3) Acidification of water bodies

 Increase in the total amount of greenhouse gases in the air has turned most of the
world’s water bodies acidic.
 The greenhouse gases mix with the rainwater and fall as acid rain.
 This leads to the acidification ofwater bodies.
 Also, the rainwater carries the contaminants along with it and falls into the river,
streams and lakes thereby causing their acidification.
 WEATHER
 Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere.

 It is the fluctuations occur in the atmosphere.

 Weather is different in different parts of the world and changes over minutes, hours, days
and weeks.

 Most weather happens in the troposphere, the part of Earth’s atmosphere that is closest to the
ground.

Air Pressure and Weather

 The weather events happening in an area are controlled by changes in air pressure.

 Air pressure is causedby the weight of the huge numbers of air molecules that make up the

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atmosphere.

 When air pressure is high there skies are clear and blue. The high pressure causes air to
flow down and fan out when it gets near the ground, preventing clouds from forming.

 When air pressure is low, air flows togetherand then upward where it converges, rising,
cooling, and forming clouds.

Predicting weather
 Meteorologists develop local or regional weather forecasts includingpredictions for several
days into thefuture.

 The best forecasts take into account the weather events that are happening over a broad
region.

 Knowing where storms are now can help forecasters predict where storms will be tomorrow
and the nextday.

 Technology, such as weather satellites and Doppler radar, helps the process oflooking over
a large area, as does the network of weather observations.

 CYCLONES (IMP)

 System of winds rotating inwards to an area of low pressure, in a coiled manner.

 Cyclone is derived from a Greek word cyclos which means coils of snake

 Reason: due to coriolis force, surface wind get spiralled towards the low pressure
area.

 Cyclones are not present in equatorial regions because coriolis force is absent.
FORMATION OF CYCLONE
1) Warm moist air rises upwards over the ocean, the air moves up and low pressure area is
formed.
2) Low pressure area is filled with high pressure air from surroundings.

3) Again next batch cool air get warm and low pressure area is again formed.
4) Continuous cycle results in the formation of clouds.
5) When more clouds get formed,more water from the ocean get evaporates and storm is
formed.
6) Due to coriolis force, storm system rotates faster and eye is formed in the center.
7) Eye of the storm is calm---air pressure is low

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Categories of Cyclone
Cyclones are categorized on the basis of the strength of the winds. Below mentioned are the different
categories starting from level 1. The wind speed and damage potential of each category cyclones have
also been mentioned.

Category 1:

Wind Speed 74-95 mph

Damage: Minimal Surge surface: 4-5 feet Category 2: Wind

Speed 96-110 mph
Damage: Moderate Surge Surface: 6-8 feet

Category 3: Wind Speed111-130 mph Damage: Extensive

Surge surface: 9-12 feet

Category 4: Wind
Speed 131-155 mphDamage: Extreme
Surge surface: 13-18 feet
Category 5: Wind
Speed >155 mphDamage:
Catastrophic
Surge surface: 19+ feet

TYPES OF CYCLONE
1) TROPICAL CYCLONE

 Occurs in tropical oceans

 Hurricanes and typhoons are two types.

2) POLAR CYCLONE

 Also known as arctic hurricanes.

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 Formed over arctic and Antarctic oceans.

 It takes place quickly, so forecasting is difficult.

3) MESO CYCLONES

 Formed along with strong thunderstorms.

 Known as vortex of air

 Air rises and rotates along vertical axis

4) EXTRA TROPICAL CYCLONES
 Also known as mid latitude cyclones.
 Winds are weaker
 Temperature gradient is sharper
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CYCLONES AND ANTI CYCLONES

 ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATIONS
 Atmospheric circulation is the large scale movement of air in which thermal energy is
redistributed on the surface of earth.

 Earths atmospheric circulation varies from year to year

 It is linked with oceanic temperature and winds. REASON FOR ATMOSPHERIC

CIRCULATION:

 This is caused because sun heats the earth more at the equator than at the poles.

 It is controlled by three forces pressure gradient force, frictional force and coriolis
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force.

 When warm air rises from the equator, it starts moving towards the poles.

 Air moving from equator towards the pole does not travel in a straight line, and deflected
because of the coriolis force.

 When the warm air get cools, it drops back to the ground and flows toward the equator and
warm again.

 Now the warm air rises again and the pattern continues. FORCES ACTING ON
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION:

Pressure Gradient Force

 The differences in atmospheric pressure produces a force.

 The rate of change of pressure with respect todistance is the pressure gradient.
Frictional Force

 The force which affects the speed of the wind.

 It is greatest at the surface and it is minimal over the sea level
Coriolis Force
 The rotation of the earth about its axis affects the direction of the wind. This force is
called the Coriolis force
 It deflects the wind to the right direction in thenorthern hemisphere and to the left in the
southern hemisphere.
 The deflection is more when the wind velocity is high.
 The Coriolis force is directly proportional to the angle of latitude.
 It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.
 The Coriolis force acts perpendicular to the pressure gradient force.

 INDIAN MONSOON (UNIV 3 MARKS)

 The term monsoon has been derived from the Arabic word mausin meaning
‘season’.
 Monsoons are seasonal winds which reverse theirdirection with the change ofseason.
 The monsoon is a double system of seasonal winds – They flow from sea to land during
thesummer and from land to sea during winter.
 Monsoon wind blows over all parts of the world- well developed in India and South East Asia
TYPES OF MONSOON
 Indian subcontinent has 2 types of monsoon
1) South-West Monsoon2)North –East Monsoon.

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SOUTH –WEST MONSOON:
 The south east trade winds originates from the southern hemisphere in the indianocean
 When these winds cross the equator, they get deflected by coriolis force and becomes south
west trade winds.
 These winds gather larger quantities of moisture, as they pass over Indian Ocean.
 As the S-W monsoon approaches the indian peninsula they are diverted into 2:
1) The Arabian sea branch 2)The bay of Bengal branch.
 When the moisture laden Arabian sea branch reaches the south western side of India, they are
blocked by western ghats.
 When the mountain range blocks the wind, it get cooled down and form clouds.
 These clouds then results in precipitation.
 Kerala gets southwest monsoon during june every year.
NORTH –EAST MONSOON:
 Originates from landmass of north east regions of India.
 Relatively dry
 These winds pass over bay of Bengal and gather moisture and cause rainfall over the parts of
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
 Cyclone formation is common over bay of Bengal during north east monsoon season
 Cyclones also bring heavy rainfall.

 HYDROSPHERE
 The layer which contains all the water sources present on the earth.

 It includes all the surface and subsurface water sources.

 It forms over 70% of earth’s surface.

 Hydrosphere has direct influence on weather and climatic condition on theearth.

WATER CYCLE

 The water cycle transfers water from one state to another.

 It consists of four stages:

 EVAPORATION: sun’s heat evaporates water from surface sources.

 CONDENSATION: evaporated water cools down and form clouds.

 PRECIPITATION: the clouds then precipitates to form rain.

 COLLECTION: rain water is then collected in surface and subsurface sources.

 The whole process is repeated in a cyclic manner.

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IMPORTANCE OF HYDROSPHERE:

 Helps to maintain hydrological cycle.

 Plays vital role in earth’s climate.

 Helps in the process of water transportation.

 OCEANS
 Ocean is the body of salt water, which covers 70% of earth’s atmosphere.
 It is the principal component of earth’s hydrosphere and acts as a huge heat reservoir.
 It influences climate and weather patterns.
 The salinity of ocean is due to dissolved materials (mainly salts) contained in it.
 Mean salinity of ocean is 34.7g/kg, lowest value of salinity is 33 g/kg and highest value is
36 g/kg
 Dominant salt in ocean –NaCl
 Salt is spread to the atmosphere when wind blows sprays the sea water.

TYPES OF OCEANS:

1) Atlantic Ocean

2) Pacific Ocean

3) Indian Ocean

4) Arctic Ocean

5) Antarctic Ocean.

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IMPORTANCE OF OCEANS:

A) Oceans as Moderator of climate:

 Water in oceans moves in regular patterns due to activity of winds.

 These movement of water is called ocean circulation or ocean currents.
 Current arise due to the interplay of wind and water.
 Current plays a significant role in heating up the globe and climate
 When water moves from deeper part to warmer part, heat is carried with it and spread to
atmosphere.
 This heat transfer plays an important role in moderating the climate.

B) Oceans as Heat Reservoir:

 Oceans play a role of heat reservoir, by moderating extreme temperature.

 Water in upper portion of ocean store higher heat than entire atmosphere.
 During spring and summer seasons, oceans are cooler than nearby lands.
 During winter, oceans are warmer than land masses.
 Due to the temperature difference in sea and land, heat energy is transfer from lad to water
and vice versa

C) Ocean as Carbon Reservoir:

 Oceans are largest carbon reservoir on earth

 It gives of large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
 Through certain biological and chemical exchange process ,it plays an implant role in
carbon cycle
 INLAND WATER BODIES:
 Fresh water constitute the basis for life on land
 On land water if found in all 3 states:
a) Solid b) Liquid c) Gas
 In solid form, water is found as glacial ice, ice caps and ground ice
 In liquid form, water is found in lakes, rivers and streams and also as groundwater and
soil moisture.
 In gaseous form, the fresh water of earth is interchanged between surface of earth and
atmosphere through evaporation and precipitation.

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 BIOSPHERE:
 Biosphere is a thin envelop that encircles most of the earth, and supports life. It is
the global sphere in which the biota interacts with lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
 It is totally dependent on, and involves complex interactions between the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
 Biosphere is the spherical terrestrial layer that comprises of the lower part of the
atmosphere, the seas and the upper layers of the soil wherein living organisms exist
naturally.
 All forms or life including human beings dwell in biosphere. The health of the
biosphere is determined by the availability of oxygen, moisture, temperature, air pressure and
soil.

🠶 Biosphere is a giant ecosystem that consists of two major ecosystems:

🠶 (a) Terrestrial ecosystem

🠶 b) Aquatic ecosystem

Terrestrial ecosystem

🠶 The terrestrial ecosystem consists of plants, animals, microorganisms their dependencies

and interdependencies with the non-living items around it on the land.

🠶 A terrestrial ecosystem is made up of either natural ecosystem or artificial/man-made

ecosystem

🠶 Ecosystem ,which is made naturally is called natural ecosystem eg:Forest

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🠶 Ecosystem ,which is made artificially is called manmade ecosystem eg: zoo

Aquatic Ecosystem

🠶 Aquatic ecosystem consists of marine and fresh water ecosystem. While seas and oceans
form the marine ecosystem; the rivers, pond, lakes, and wetlands form fresh water
ecosystem. Aquatic ecosystems provide human beings with a wide range of services.

🠶 Some of the services include the availability of water for day to day uses, foods like fish and
crustaceans, breaking down: of chemical and organic wastes, recreation, etc. The aquatic
ecosystem provides the human beings with a wealth of natural resources.

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 DEFINITION AND KEY TERMS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1) DISASTER:

A sudden occurrence of an accident that causes huge loss of life and property is called as a
disaster. It is also called as a calamity.

🠶 Types of Disasters

► 1. Natural Disaster: A disaster caused by natural factors called as a natural disaster

e.g., earthquake, flood, cyclone etc.

► 2. Man-made disaster: A disaster caused due to the human activities e.g: wars, fire
accidents, industrial accidents etc.

2) HAZARDS:

► A hazard can be defined as a potentially damaging physical event, social and

economic disruption or environmental degradation.

► Typical examples of hazards can be absence of rain (leading to drought) or the

abundance thereof (leading to floods).

► Chemical manufacturing plants near settlements and incorrect agricultural

techniques, can also been seen as hazards which could lead to possible disasters.

► Hazards are the reason behind a disaster

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISASTER AND HAZARD (3 MARK)

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3) EXPOSURE

 It is the situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities and other

tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas.
 Exposure changes over time and from place to place. 
 As more people and assets are exposed, risk in these areas becomes more concentrated. 
 If global exposure continues to trend upwards, it may increase disaster risk to dangerous levels.

4) VULNERABILITY

 Vulnerability is the inability to resist a hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred.

 For example, people who live on plains are more vulnerable to floods than people who
live higher up.

 Vulnerability depends on several factors, such as people's age and state of health, local
environmental and sanitary conditions, as well as on the quality and state of local buildings
and their location with respect to any hazards.

5) RISK

 Measure of expected losses due to a hazard, occurring in a given area over a specific time
period.
 It considers the probability of harmful consequences, or expected losses resulting from a
hazard.

 Risk = Probability of Hazard x Degree of Vulnerability.



6) RISK ASSESSMENT

 Process of identifying the potential hazards and analyse what could happen, if a hazard
occurs.
 Disaster risk assessments include:
 the identification of hazards;
 a review of the technical characteristics of hazards such as their location, intensity,
frequency and probability;
 the analysis of exposure and vulnerability, including the physical, social, health,
environmental and economic dimensions;
 Evaluation and results.

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7) RISK MAPPING

 Risk mapping is a process of analyzing the hazard, vulnerability and capacity through a
scientific methodology.
 It is based on the risk assessment.
 There are 2 main components:

1) Risk Analysis.

2) Risk Evaluation:

1) Risk Analysis:

 The use of available information to estimate the risk caused by the hazard to individuals,
population.
 It contains the following steps:

2) Risk Evaluation
 This is the stage at which values and judgements are entered for the decision making
process.
 It includes all the results of risk associated with social, economic and environmental.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAZARD VULNERABILITY AND DISASTER

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8) RISK REDUCTION

 All the structural and non-structural measures for reducing disaster

 It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the
environmental and other hazards that trigger them.
 It includes 2 measures:

1) Structural measures:

 Use of engineering solution to avoid disaster.

 Eg: construction of floodwall to reduce flood

2) Non-structural measures:

 It includes awareness and education.

 Expert people in disaster management will take awareness class among the people in
vulnerable areas.

9) DISATER RISK MANAGEMENT

 Disaster risk management is the application of disaster risk reduction policies and
strategies to prevent new disaster risk, reduce existing disaster risk and manage residual
risk, contributing to the strengthening of resilience and reduction of disaster losses.

10) CAPACITY

 Refers to all the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community,
organization or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience.
 It is the ability to rescue from a disaster.
 It is important to emphasize people's capacity to anticipate, resist and recover from
disasters, rather than simply focusing on the vulnerability that limits them.
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 Like vulnerability, capacity depends on social, economic, political, psychological,
environmental and physical assets.
 The starting point for capacity development is the existing knowledge, strengths,
attributesand resources individuals, organizations or society has.
 Capacity may include infrastructure, institutions, human knowledge and skills, and
collective attributes such as social relationships, leadership and management.


 Capacity development is the process by which people, organizations and society

systematically stimulate and develop their capacities over time to achieve social and
economic goals
 Types of capacity: 1) Physical Capacity 2) Socio-Economic capacity

11) RESILIENCE

 Ability of individuals, communities, organisations and states to adapt to and recover from
hazards, shocks or stresses without compromising long-term prospects for development.
 It is opposite to vulnerability.
 Resilience is a term shared by many disciplines (e.g. psychology, engineering and
ecology) and has been used in disaster studies since the 1970s.
 Resilience also emphasizes the importance of not only effectively managing change but
also improving well-being in the face of multiple risks and shocks.
 There are different types of resilience that we need to develop in order to support ourselves
during challenging times. These include physical resilience, mental resilience, emotional
resilience and social resilience.

12) EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

 EWS is a socio-technical system designed to generate and circulate meaningful warning
information in a timely manner to take a proactive response to a hazardous threat in order to
avoid disaster or reduce its impacts.
 It is an integrated communication systems to help communities prepare for hazardous climate-
related events.
 A successful EWS saves lives and jobs, land and infrastructures and supports long-term
sustainability.
 Early warning systems will assist public officials and administrators in their planning, saving
money in the long run and protecting economies.
 TYPES OF EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

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1) Signal early warning system

2) Social early warning system

3) Formal early warning system

13) DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

 It consists of the knowledge and capacities of institutions, communities and individuals to

effectively respond and recover from the impacts due to a hazard.

 Preparedness action is carried out within the context of disaster risk management and aims
to build the capacities needed to efficiently manage all types of emergencies and achieve
orderly transitions from response to sustained recovery.

 Preparedness is based on a sound analysis of disaster risks and with early warning systems,
and includes activities such as contingency planning, the stockpiling of equipment and
supplies, the development of arrangements for coordination, evacuation and public
information, and associated training and field exercises.

 The related term “readiness” describes the ability to quickly and appropriately respond when
required.

14) DISASTER PREVENTION

 Disaster Prevention is the elimination or reduction of the occurrence of natural hazard

event, or their adverse impacts.
 Examples of disaster prevention actions include flood protection embankments.
 It is defined as those activities taken to prevent a natural phenomenon or potential hazard
from having harmful effects on either people or economic assets.
 Delayed actions drain the economy and the resources for emergency response within a
region. For developing nations, prevention is perhaps the most critical components in managing
disasters.
 Prevention planning is based on two issues: hazard identification (identifying the actual
threats facing a community) and vulnerability assessment (evaluating the risk and capacity of a
community to handle the consequences of the disaster).
 Disaster prevention refers to measures taken to eliminate the root causes that make people
vulnerable to disaster.

15) DISASTER MITIGATION:

 It refers to a set of measures to reduce or neutralise the impact of natural hazards by

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reducing social, functional, or physical vulnerability.

 Primary mitigation refers to reducing the resistance of the hazard and reducing vulnerability.

 Secondary mitigation refers to reducing the effects of the hazard (preparedness).

 Mitigation includes recognizing that disasters will occur; attempts are made to
reduce the harmful effects of a disaster, and to limit their impact on human suffering and
economic assets.
16) DISASTER RESPONSE

 Disaster response (relief) is the provision of assistance or intervention through the emergency
services during or immediately after a crisis in order to save lives reduces further impacts on health and
public safety and to meet the basic subsistence needs of affected populations.

17) DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

 Damage Assessment is the process for determining the nature and extent of the loss,
suffering, and/or harm to the community resulting from a natural, accidental or human- caused
disaster.
 Damages are normally classified as:
 Severe: The target facility or object cannot be used for its intended purpose. Complete
reconstruction is required.
 Moderate: The target facility or object cannot be used effectively for its intended purpose
unless major repairs are made.
 Light: The target facility or object can be used for intended purpose but minor repairs
would be necessary.

18) CRISIS COUNSELLING

 Process of eliminating the emotional and psychological disturbances of people, affected by

a disaster
 It can be carried out by psycho educational counselling classes.
 It is a crucial part of recovery and reconstruction.
 It enables people to take right decisions.

NEEDS OF CRISIS COUNSELLING

1) Providing support and guidance

 The purpose of crisis counselling is to decrease emotional pain, provide emotional support,
make sure that the person in crisis is safe, and help develop a plan for coping with the situation.
Sometimes it also involves connecting a person to other community or health services that can
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provide long-term support.

2) Crisis counselling can be linked to health education.

 It is used to increase knowledge of how to avoid or cooperate with a crisis in the future. It
can also be used to change people's attitudes and beliefs about people in crisis, and to provide
people with information about help available in their community.

3) Crisis counselling is related to health promotion.

 Skills, information, and support services gained through crisis counselling can also help a
person or a group of people to improve their health and quality of life. Crisis counselling can
also be tied to health promotion through the development of health-related public policy and
supportive environments.

4) A valuable tool for public health

 It is relatively low-cost and simple to provide, and it is flexible and easy to learn. A wide
variety of health professionals, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers,
can be taught to help people through the application of crisis counselling techniques.

5) New technologies--Internet based crisis counselling.

 By using these resources people can sometimes get the help they need without using more
expensive health care services, and they can often take advantage of twenty-four-hour crisis
services.

6) Used by any professionals.

 People working in public places such as stores and airline terminals are also learning
howto do crisis counselling in order to deal with unhappy or violent customers.

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19) NEEDS ASSESSMENT
 Needs assessment is a process of estimating the financial, technical, and human resources
needed to implement the agreed-upon programmes of recovery, reconstruction, and risk
management.
 The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is an internationally accepted methodology
for determining the physical damages, economic losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs
after a natural disaster through a government-led process.

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