Unit -1
Natural Hazards and Disaster
Disaster & Hazards
Disaster
The word "disaster" comes from the Middle French word desastre, which comes from the Old Italian word disastro.
A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, the environment, or economies, and that the affected
community can't handle on its own.
Disasters can be caused by natural, man-made, or technological hazards. Some examples include:
1)Natural disasters: These include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides, tropical cyclones,
volcanic activity, and wildfires.
2)Man-made disasters: These include accidental events like toxic spills or nuclear power plant incidents, or deliberately
caused events like terrorist bombings and poisonings.
3)Technological disasters: These can also cause serious harm.
भव
ू ैज्ञानिक आधारित
Natural disasters caused by a geological process are called
geological disasters
Geological disasters are those destructive events that originate
within or are caused by the processes of the earth.
These are
a) Earthquakes,
b) Tsunamis (Tidal Wave),
c) Volcanic eruptions, and
d) Landslides.
A natural disaster has the highly harmful impact on a society or community
Following a natural hazard event. These lists are lists of natural disasters:
1.Avalanches
2.Blizzards
3.Droughts
4.Earthquakes
5.Fires Floods
6.Heat waves
7.Icestorms
8.Landslides
9.Tornadoes
10.Tropical cyclone
11.Tsunamis
12.Large volcanic eruptions
Volcanic Hazard
Volcanic eruptions
When molten rock called magma rises to the surface.
i)When the earth's mantle melts, magma is formed.
ii) An eruption happens , when water
underneath the surface interacts with hot magma
and creates steam, this can build up enough
pressure to cause an explosion.
Dr Pooja Tomar
Volcanic Eruption
• Volcanic eruptions happen
when lava and gas are
discharged from a volcanic vent.
• Volcanic eruptions often cause
temporary
• food shortages
• Volcanic ash landslides called
Lahar.
• The most dangerous type
of volcanic eruption is referred
to as a 'glowing avalanche'.
Dr Pooja Tomar
An erupting volcano can trigger
a) Tsunamis,
b) Flash floods,
c) Earthquakes,
d) Mudflows and
e) Rock falls.
More than 80% of the earth's surface is volcanic in origin.
The sea floor and some mountains were formed by countless
volcanic eruptions.
Gaseous emissions from volcano formed the earth's
atmosphere.
Facts About Volcanoes
Volcanoes are openings of the Earth's surface. ...
The word volcano comes from the word 'vulcan'.
Italian vulcano "burning mountain,"
Latin Vulcanus "Vulcan,"
Roman god of fire, also "fire, flames, volcano"
Volcanoes can be active, dormant or extinct. ...
The liquid inside the volcano is called magma. ...
Lava is the liquid that is expelled from the volcano.
...
Lava is very, very hot!
Effects
i. Deterioration of water quality,
ii. Fewer periods of rain,
iii. Crop damages, and the
iv. Destruction of vegetation.
v. During volcanic eruptions and their immediate aftermath
(result/ consequences), increased respiratory
system morbidity has been observed.
vi. Mortality among those affected by volcanic eruptions.
Dr Pooja Tomar
How do volcanoes affect world
climate?
Gases and solids injected into the stratosphere circled the
globe for three weeks.
Volcanic eruptions of this magnitude can impact global
climate,
i)Reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the
Earth's surface,
ii)Lowering temperatures in the troposphere, and changing
atmospheric circulation patterns.
Dr Pooja Tomar
Health Impact of Volcanic Emissions
How do volcanoes affect plants and
animals?
Plants are destroyed over a wide area, during an eruption.
1. Volcanic soil is very rich,
2. Livestock and other mammals have been killed by lava
flows,
3. Pyroclastic (detonating fragments of rock) flows,
4. Tephra falls(rock fragments and particles ejected by a
volcanic erruption),
5. Atmospheric effects,
6. Gases,
7. Tsunami
Dr Pooja Tomar
Aquatic life can be affected by
1. An increase in acidity, Increased turbidity,
2. Change in temperature, and/or
3. Change in food supply. These factors can damage or kill fish.
4. Influence bird migration,
5. Roosting, Flying ability, and
6. Feeding activity.
7. Ash can be very abrasive to wings.
8. Extinction of Dinosaurs
Volcanic activity put so much ash and/or gas into the atmosphere that the earth’s
temperature either got too hot for the dinosaurs or got too cold for the dinosaurs
Dr Pooja Tomar
Positive and negative effects of volcanoes
Volcanoes produce
1. Lava: When a volcanic eruption occurs, the erupted magma is known as lava
2. Ash:
. During eruption ash comes out .
Global climate
Ash from large volcanoes has been known to affect global climates.
Good Fertilizer
Ash ejected by the volcano acts as a good fertiliser for soils.
Enriched with minerals
Volcanic ash often contains minerals that are beneficial to plants, and if it is very
fine ash it is able to break down quickly and get mixed into the soil. To provide
nutrients to the surrounding soil.
Rising magma brings: valuable minerals to the surface, creating mining
opportunities.
Positive effects
Geothermal energy is where heat from within the Earth is used to generate electricity.
Volcanoes attract many tourists, who enjoy the dramatic scenery that they produce.
Atmospheric Cooling
Volcanic ash or dust released into the atmosphere during an eruption
shade sunlight and cause temporary cooling that may lasts for
months .
Cleanser for skin
Deeply cleans the skin: Volcanic ash particles are helpful in clearing
up any less-than-natural things that may be residing on your face, like
pollution and extra makeup.
Soaks up oil:
Because of those tiny particles, it soaks up all the bad stuff on your
skin like a sponge.
