GEOL 2207 Lecture Notes - Exponential Growth, Doubling Time, Return Period
Document Summary
Explain how disasters are associated with concentration or dilution of energy. Explain (with examples) how energy conservation applies to natural disasters. Explain why disaster scales are based on the order of magnitude concept, and interpret graphs with logarithmic scales: return period = rp = time span of data / # of cases of mag. M: the average number of years between disaster events of the same magnitude. Compare and contrast risk, perception of risk, hazard, and vulnerability: hazard: any event or situation that could cause human (death, injuries) or economic harm (property and prosperity, risk = vulnerability x hazard. Recognize how poor humans are at judging risk: human perception of risk is flawed. Recognize how your perceptions skew your ability to judge risk. Relate natural disaster risk & intensity to frequency, return period, and consequences (costs): frequency = 1/period, period = 1/frequency. The number of human-made disasters has been decreasing in recent years.
