Natural Hazards

For the most difficult ppt, there is an easyer version: http://www.iac.ethz.ch/edu/courses/master/electives/acwd/Xstat.pdf

2020-2021 (oral exam)

1. Explain the following words (without preparation)

   1. Dvorak technique

   2. Paleoseismicity

2. Give all sources of information that can be used to create magnitude/frequency relationships and describe at which spatial and temporal scales they can be used. Explain how the magnitudes can be derived from these data sources (focus on earthquakes and volcanos)

3. (Figure from Sobel et al. with the PI and the aerosols and greenhouse gasses). Explain what you see in the figures and describe each sub part of the figure.

2016-2017

1. (4) Explain (4 of 6): Moment Magnitude of Eartquake, updated sigma plan, paleoseismology, Dvorak Technique, Pixel Offset tracking, Structure of cyclones

2. (5) Explain the concept of GEV. Diffference with GP? Advantages and disadvantages of both? How GEV is used for rainfall Belgium ? Which assumption does this use contradict?

3. (4) Which measures could be used to make a magnitude-frequency graph for earthquakes? (Temporal and spatial resolution of each measure, how is the magnitude defined?)

4. (3) Text about a volcano: 1) Chose one hazard which could happen and give hazard details, risk for population. 2) Choose one ground based and one space-borne method which you could use

5 (4) Figure of Knutson 2010 (two graphs which represent PDI over time). What is on represented? Which is the right method?

2015-2016

1. (4pt) Explain (4 of 6): Safir Simpson Scale, Seismic Resonance, Moment Magnitude of Eartquake, Hotspot detection using remote sensing, updated sigma plan, Heavy Tail Distribution

2. (6pt) Explain the concept of GEV. Diffference with GP? Advantages and disadvantages of both? How GEV is used for rainfall Belgium ? Which assumption does this use contradict?

3. (4pt) Cyclones: Key conclusions from paper Knutson? Why difficult to infer future trend?

4. (6pt) Remote Sensing: write a research proposal (2 pages) where you use remote sensing to deal with a chosen hazard in a chosen region. (6pt)

2014-2015

1) Explain in detail 4 of the terms listed below. Write maximum 10 lines per term. (there are 6 terms, you can choose)

-Pyroclastic flow

-Safir Simpson Scale

-Moment Magnitude of an earthquake

-Updated SigmaPlan

-heavy tail distribution

-inSAR interferometry

2) What is the difference between the General Extreme Value Theory and the Generalized Pareto distribution? What are their purposes? Give advantages and disadvantages for them with a specific example.

3) You are the leader of a research team and have to write a research proposal. You will get money for 5 years of research in a region of choice and for a hazard of choice. Choose a hazard, and give the different steps to do this hazard assessment. --> write a starting note, including social and academic relevance, research question, objectives, end product and method. Use innovative techniques to imporve the knowledge about the hazard in your region. Explain which expertise and data you will be needing. Indicate what your end product (map, unit, ...) will be.

2013-14

1) Explain in detail 4 of the terms listed below. Write maximum 10 lines per term. (there are 6 terms, you can choose)

-Pyroclastic flow

-Saphir Simpson Scale

-Moment Magnitude of an earthquake

-hot spot detection using remote sensing

-heavy tail distribution

-paleoseismology

2) You are the leader of a team which has as a mission to develop a hazard assessment for a province you are not familiar with. Choose a hazard, and Give the different steps to do this hazard assessment. Explain which expertise and data you will be needing. Indicate what your end product (map, unit, ...) will be.

3)Given: figure from Knutson et al. about cyclone frequency. What do each of these graphs indicate. What do they prove or disprove?What can you tell about the climatic impact on cyclone frequency from this figure and from other data?

4) What is the difference between the General Extreme Value Theory and the Generalized Pareto distribution? What are their purposes? Give advantages and disadvantages for them with a specific example.

5) What three types of measures can be taken to deal with flood hazards? How does the VMM assess the optimal measures? Give examples of optimal measures.

Year unknown

1) 4 begrippen verklaren in max 10 zinnen:

* Moment magnitude of an earthquake

* tiltmeter

* Cyclone

* ...

2) Hoe verloopt het risk assessment van zowel het VMM als de ORB hetzelfde? En hoe doen ze het?

3) Een tekstje over een eiland waar een vulkaan op uitbarsten staat. Welke potentiële events kunnen gebeuren? (Dynamiek, spatial distribution, process?) Stel 1 manier voor om te monitorren vanuit de ruimte en 1 manier vanaf de grond. Hoe zou je een hazard assessment doen in de regio en hoe zou je zorgen dat de communicatie met de autorities goed verloopt?

4) Er waren 2 figuren uit de papers gegeven. Je moest 1 van de 2 figuren kiezen. Wat wordt er op de grafiek getoond? Hoe werd de data verzameld? Wat wou de auteur hiermee zeggen? Werd hij tegengesproken door anderen?