EARTH 20 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Plate Tectonics, Natural Disaster
Document Summary
Processes: physical , chemical, and biological ways in which events affect earth"s surface. Plate tectonics (results in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. ) External processes come from forces on earth"s surface. Energy inside the earth comes from radioactive decay and fusion. A natural process or event that is a potential threat to human life or property. Ex: potential for an earthquake, a potential for volcanic eruption. Hazardous event that occurs over a limited time in a defined area. Massive disaster that requires significant amount of time or money to recover. There has been a dramatic increase in natural disasters. Not an increase in earthquakesbut an increase in human toll because of increased population and urbanization. United nation 1990"s decade for natural hazards reduction . Reduce the effects of something, like an earthquake. For the us so far, 2012 ranks as 2nd most disastrous year since 1980. Record held by 2011(14 disasters in the us)
