3. Hazard risk and vulnerability

The varying power of geophysical hazards to affect people in different local contexts

IB learning outcomes

  • Two contemporary contrasting case studies each for volcanic hazards, earthquake hazards and mass movement hazards (see guidance above)
    1. two earthquake hazard events of similar magnitudes but with contrasting human impacts
    2. two volcanic hazard events in contrasting plate boundary locations
    3. two mass movement hazard events with contrasting physical characteristics (fast/slow; solid/loose).
  • For each geophysical hazard type, the case studies should develop knowledge and understanding of:
    • geophysical hazard event profiles, including any secondary hazards
    • varied impacts of these hazards on different aspects of human well-being
    • why levels of vulnerability varied both between and within communities, including spatial variations in hazard perception, personal knowledge and preparedness


Summative assessment.

Each of you will complete a case study of one of the following.

  • Earthquake hazard
    • 11 March, 2011, Tohoku, Japan
    • 12 January, 2010, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • Volcanic Hazard
    • March 2010, Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland (Divergent)
    • September 2014, Mount Ontake, Japan (Subduction)
    • June 2011, Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, Chile (Subduction)
  • Mass movement
    • 14 August, 2017, Freetown, Sierra Leone (mudflow)
    • September 2018, Hokkaido, Japan (landlside)
    • May 2017, Big Sur Highway, USA (landslide)

You will create a factsheet of your case study, including:

Place

  • A hyperlink source page
  • Visual footage of the event
  • A map or maps
  • Hazard magnitude and frequency/recurrence at the location
  • Geographic factors affecting the geophysical hazard event impacts such as:
    • rural/urban location
    • time of day
    • degree of isolation
  • A description of the hazard risk as a product of economic factors
    • levels of development and technology
    • social factors (education, gender)
    • demographic factors (population density and structure)
    • political factors (governance, prevention, emergency systems)

Process

  • An annotated diagram of the hazard event, including
    • subject specific vocabulary
    • secondary hazards
    • type of event (type of plate, volcano or movement)

Power

  • Statistics (casualties, magnitude, international aid, insurance cost, etc)
  • Developed knowledge and understanding of:
    • geophysical hazard event profile:
      • Description of event
      • Secondary hazards
    • A table showing the impacts of the hazard on different aspects of human well-being (SPEED) such as:
      • Loss of life
      • Material destruction
      • Economic loss
      • Health
      • Political unrest
      • Environmental degradation
    • An explanation of the varying levels of vulnerability between and within communities
      • including spatial variations in hazard perception
      • personal knowledge and preparedness

Possibilities

Pre-event management strategies

  • building codes, emergency drills, early warning systems, hazard monitoring etc

Post-event management strategies

    • Explain what has been done since the event in order to reduce the community's vulnerability to a future event.

You will hyperlink your factsheets here and we will have a gallery walk presentation on Tuesday, January 8th

Review Exercise

    1. a) Explain how two named earthquake hazard events were of similar magnitudes [3]
      • b) Explain how those two named earthquake hazard events had contrasting human impacts [3+3]
    2. Explain how two named volcanic hazard events occurred in contrasting plate boundary locations [3]
    3. Explain how two named mass movement hazard events had contrasting physical characteristics (fast/slow; solid/loose) [3]

Write a thesis statement for each of the following IB style questions:

4. Referring to examples, examine why the geographic impacts of disasters vary in space and time [10] [Spec]

5. Using examples, examine the demographic and socio-economic factors that affect the vulnerability of a community to hazard events. [10] [M14]

6. Examine the different types of responses that occurred during and after a named disaster. [10] [N12]

Markscheme (YIS only)