Geography 2152F/G Midterm: Midterm Notes.docx
24 Oct 2013
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Droughts are time periods when there is very little precipitation. Some hazards pose a risk to both humans and the environment: nuclear meltdowns, toxic gas release, oil spills, ozone depletion, acid rain, shipwrecks, airplane crashes. Natural hazards can arise from 3 main processes: Internal forces within the earth driven by the internal energy of the earth. Plate tectonics: external forces on earth"s surface driven by the sun"s energy. Atmospheric effects: gravitational attraction driven by the force of gravity. Hazard a process that poses a potential threat to people or the environment. Risk the probability of an event occurring multiplied by the impact on people or the environment. Disaster a brief event that causes great damage or loss of life. Oil spill gulf of mexico, 2010. More likely to be catastrophic: tsunami, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods. Less likely to be catastrophic: landslides, avalanches, wildfires, tornadoes.
