Explore the Physical and Human factors which

cause some hazards to have a more disastrous

impact than others.
Some classic contrasting case studies.
For this report you have been asked to focus on contrasting examples of
hazardous events. You could interpret this as volcanic event vs
earthquakes or tsunamis. Or you could interpret this as contrasting E , V
and T in different locations. (tectonic context or economic context). If you
choose to do the latter you might wish to have a few in depth case
studies and a wider number of light touch examples. Your case studies
should help you to illustrate how physical and human factors cause some
hazards to have a more disastrous impact than others.

The
disastrous
event.

Similar
event

EI5, Volcano,
Iceland. 2012

Katla,
Iceland
2009?

Haiti EQ, 2010?

Nevado del Ruiz,

1985 Vol/lahar,
Columbia.
(perhaps dated but
a classic quoted in
textbooks)

Nature of
disaster

Explanation
Relevant
Physical or
Human factors

E15. Global
economic
losses as a
result of
closure of
European air
space. no loss
of life. What if?
Loma Prieta, Much greater
EQ.
loss of human
California
life in Haiti.

Vol in
25,000
LEDC with deaths at
similar VEI Almero.
and lahar
danger??

Poor
management,
warnings,
hazard maps
and forecast not
broadcast!

sub-glacial
location, below
Icesheet
Position of jet
stream. Wind
direction
Flightpaths

Low Frequency of
event.
Poorest country in
western
hemisphere,
dysfunctional
government.

Kashmir EQ,
Sichuan
High number
Pakistan October, EQ 2012?? of deaths in
2004. magnitude
Kashmir.
??

Mountainous
relief, onset of
Himalayan
winter,
delayed
response.

Kobe Quake,
Japan. Older
housing areas.
1995

Vulnerability
of lower
classes.

Sri Lanka Boxing

day 2004. Village
1??

East Japan
EQ/tsunami
2013?

Boxing day
tsunami 2004

Similar Volcano
St Helens,
with similar VEI in USA 1980
a MEDC with
significant loss of
life??????????

Disastrous
compared to
St Helens

10

Similar Volcano in
LEDC same VEI with no
preparation

Huge loss of life?

11

Bam earthquake Iraq

date?

Kobe EQ
CBD and
newer
housing.

Disproportion
ate number
of deaths in
older housing
area.
Sri Lanka
Disproportion
Boxing
ate number
day 2004. of deaths in
Village 2?? exposed
villages
Boxing
Huge
day
economic
tsunami
losses in
2004
Japan
East Japan Huge loss of
EQ 2013? life around
the Indian
Ocean

Soufriere Hills
volcano,
Montserrat,
1997 (British
Colony)
Loma Prieta,
1989,
California.

Huge loss of life

Lack of
mangroves
Loss through
development.
Vulnerability
of nuclear
reactors at
Fukushima.
Vulnerability
of LEDC pops.
No Tsunami
warning
system.
More people
exposed to
the event.
(higher
population
density)
No advanced
warning or
evacuation and
exclusion zones as
in Montserrat.
Adobe dwellings or
location of
epicentre or a

12 LEDC event

MEDC event

Huge loss of life

and social
impacts

13 MEDC event

LEDC event

Huge economic
losses / impacts

1
4

Hazardous Earthquake

Hazardous
Volcano

Greater loss of life

in Earthquake

1
4

Eruption of Mount
Ontake, Honshu,
Japan,Sept 2014.

Hazardous
Volcano in
another MEDC
eg.
Bardarbunga
eruption,
Iceland
August 2014.

Death toll 50
hikers

combination of a
number of factors.
Human
vulnerability and
limited capacity
and general
poverty of people
Size of economy
and investment in
property.
EQs are rapid
onset events giving
little (minimal lead
time) or no
warning in contrast
volcanoes are
usually slow
onset events.see
below
Nature of eruption.
This was a shallow
phreatic eruption
hard to predict.