The natural hazards caused by plate tectonics are more a result of human factors than physical ones. Discuss to what extent do you agree with this statement? [40 marks]
The natural hazards caused by plate tectonics are more a result of human factors than physical ones. Discuss to what extent do you agree with this statement? [40 marks]
A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment. The Earth's lithosphere (crust) is divided into tectonic plates which are constantly in motion due to the convection currents caused by heat cycles in the mantle, driven by radioactive decay in the Earth’s core. Natural hazards caused by plate tectonics are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions (and tsunamis – secondary effect of the first two). It is important to understand that there is a clear division between a natural hazard and a natural disaster. A good example would be the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which killed about 3000 people and was a disaster, whereas the population of 342,782 people (San Francisco 1900 Census) living on a fault line was a hazard (NB. not naturally, but actually voluntarily occurred hazard). Therefore it could be argued that there is no such thing as “natural hazard”, because people choose to place themselves in areas which potentially present a risk, therefore it doesn’t naturally occur and therefore such phenomena should be correctly called “anthropogenic hazards”.
Most hazardous processes are primarily geologic processes. Geologic processes effect every human on the Earth all of the time, but are most noticeable when they cause loss of life or property. If the process that poses the hazard occurs and destroys human life or property, then a natural disaster has occurred. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are classified as hazardous only because they negatively affect human beings. In fact, there would be no natural disasters if it were not for humans. Without humans these are only natural events. Anthropogenic hazards occur as a result of human interaction with the environment. These human interactions can further be classified as
A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment. The Earth's lithosphere (crust) is divided into tectonic plates which are constantly in motion due to the convection currents caused by heat cycles in the mantle, driven by radioactive decay in the Earth’s core. Natural hazards caused by plate tectonics are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions (and tsunamis – secondary effect of the first two). It is important to understand that there is a clear division between a natural hazard and a natural disaster. A good example would be the 1906 San Francisco earthquake which killed about 3000 people and was a disaster, whereas the population of 342,782 people (San Francisco 1900 Census) living on a fault line was a hazard (NB. not naturally, but actually voluntarily occurred hazard). Therefore it could be argued that there is no such thing as “natural hazard”, because people choose to place themselves in areas which potentially present a risk, therefore it doesn’t naturally occur and therefore such phenomena should be correctly called “anthropogenic hazards”.
Most hazardous processes are primarily geologic processes. Geologic processes effect every human on the Earth all of the time, but are most noticeable when they cause loss of life or property. If the process that poses the hazard occurs and destroys human life or property, then a natural disaster has occurred. Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are classified as hazardous only because they negatively affect human beings. In fact, there would be no natural disasters if it were not for humans. Without humans these are only natural events. Anthropogenic hazards occur as a result of human interaction with the environment. These human interactions can further be classified as