GG231 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Industrial Revolution, Coastal Erosion, 1994 Northridge Earthquake
Document Summary
Fundamental reality in study of natural hazards = people/gov"t poorly prepared for rare natural disasters. Jan 12, 2010: haiti = on carribean lithospheric plate & at northern edge of carribean plate, @east carribean plate is subducting (moving beneath) the north america plate. Backdrop for a catastrophe: lithosphere = slowly moving lithospheric plates, earthquakes are common at and near plate boundaries. Spreading ridges where new crust is created. Subduction zones where one plate moves beneath another. Transform faults where two plates move laterally and passing one another. Slopes of haiti have slums, which lack proper foundations, so they slid down hillsides. Seaport ceased to function due to damage caused by liquefaction of loose, water-saturated sediment. Earthquakes the same size happen in different places this one was so historic because: occurred in heavily populated area, buildings in the area were not constructed to withstand strong seismic shakin. Access to resources is limited people focus on this not disaster protocols etc.
