TYPES OF

HAZARDS

DISASTER READINESS AND RISK

REDUCTION
Prepared By: Mr. Andrew R. Patigdas
 What is Hazard?

 a danger or risk.
 chance or probability.
 an agent which has the potential to
cause harm to a vulnerable target.
 What are the different Types of Hazards?

Types of Hazards
(Hewitt and Burton, 1971)
1. Geologic – earth, land
2. Hydrologic – water
3. Atmospheric – air, wind
4. Biologic – living things
5. Man-Made – human beings
 Geologic
EARTHQUAKES VOLCANIC OTHERS
ERUPTION

• Vibration • Lava Flow

• Volcanic Gas • Rainfall-induced
• Ground Rupture landslide
• Liquefaction • Pyroclastic Flow
• Tephra Fall • Rapid Sediment
• Earthquake- Movement
Induced Landslide • Lahar
•Volcanic Debris • Subsidence
• Tsunami • Sinkhole
• Avalanche
Formation
• Impact with other
Space Objects.
 EARTHQUAKE
 a sudden and violent shaking of the ground,
sometimes causing a great destruction, as a result of
movements within the Earth’s crust or volcanic
action.

 it also known as “quake”, “tremor” or “temblor”.

 result from a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s

lithosphere that creates seismic waves.
 What causes Earthquake?
 Earthquake happens because the Earth’s plates are
constantly moving.
 Sometimes, because of friction , plates try to move
and become stuck.
 Pressure builds up because the plates are still trying
to move.
 When the pressure is released, it sends out huge
amounts of energy causing the Earth’s surface to
shake violently.
The Anatomy of an Earthquake
 The point inside the Earth's crust where the
earthquake originates from is known as the focus.

 The earthquake's energy is released in seismic waves

and they spread out from the focus.

 The seismic waves are most powerful at the

epicentre. The epicentre is the point on the Earth's
surface directly above the focus.
 What Is Seismology?

 Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic

waves that move through and around the earth.

 A seismologist is a scientist who studies earthquakes

and seismic waves.
 What Are Seismic Waves?

 Seismic waves are the waves of energy caused by the

sudden breaking of rock within the earth or an
explosion. They are the energy that travels through
the earth and is recorded on seismographs.
 TYPES OF SEISMIC WAVES

1. P – waves – also known as primary waves.

2. S – waves – also known as secondary waves.
3. Surface Waves.
 P - waves
 also known as primary waves
 Travel at the greatest velocity through the Earth.
 The first waves to be recorded by a seismograph
during an earthquake.
 particle motion is parallel
 The P wave can move through solid rock and fluids,
like water or the liquid layers of the earth.
 also known as compressional waves, because of the
pushing and pulling they do.
 S - waves
 also known as secondary waves, shear waves, or
shaking waves.
 travels slower than P-waves.
 particle motion is perpendicular.
 move rock particles up and down, or side-to-side--
perpendicular to the direction that the wave is
traveling in (the direction of wave propagation).
 Surface Waves
 travel just under the Earth’s surface.
 They are typically generated when the source of the
earthquake is close to the Earth’s surface.
 they can be the most destructive type of seismic
waves.
 It has 2 basic types: Rayleigh waves and Love waves.
 Types of Surface Waves
 It has 2 basic types: Rayleigh waves and Love waves.

 Rayleigh waves are also called ground roll, travel as

ripples similar to those on the surface of water.
Named for John William Strutt, Lord Rayleigh, who
mathematically predicted the existence of this kind
of wave in 1885.

 Love waves cause horizontal shearing of the ground.

It travels slightly faster than Rayleigh waves.
 What is the Largest Earthquake ever
Recorded?

 The largest earthquake ever recorded was in Chile in

1960, which measured 9.5 on the Richter scale.
 How Earthquake is being
measured?
 Earthquakes have been measured on the Richter
Scale.

 Richter scale measures the Earthquake’s magnitude

(how powerful it is).

 it is measured using a machine called a seismometer

which produces seismograph.
Seismometer
 What is Intensity?
 It is a number (written as Roman Numeral) describing
the severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects
on the Earth’s surface and on humans and their
structures.
 The severity of earthquake shaking is assessed
using a descriptive scale – The Modified
Mercalli Intensity Scale
 Is Richter Scale Accurate?

 The Richter scale is not very accurate in measuring

these larger earthquakes and today scientists use
the Moment Magnitude Scale which uses the same
logarithmic scale but which more accurately
measures the strength of larger earthquakes.
 Effects and Responses of an Earthquake

• The effect of an earthquake is the damage which

happens as a result of the earthquake. The effects of
an earthquake can vary depending on:

1. The size of the earthquake on the Richter scale - the higher

it is on the scale, the more destruction it can cause.
2. Level of development - whether it occurs in a rich or a poor
country. Richer countries will be more likely to be able to
predict, protect and prepare themselves from the effects of
an earthquake.
3. The depth of the focus - if it's shallow, it can be more
destructive.
4. Distance from epicentre - the effects of an earthquake are
more severe at its centre.
5. Population density - the more people living in an area, the
more likely that more deaths and casualties may arise.
6. The time of day - whether people are in their homes, work
or travelling.
• We can classify the effects of an earthquake into the
following categories:

1. primary effects - things that happen immediately as

a result of an earthquake
2. secondary effects - things that happen in the hours,
days and weeks after the initial earthquake
 Effects and Responses of an Earthquake
• Responses are how countries react to an earthquake. They
are categorised as follows:

1. Short-term or immediate - a response in the days and weeks

immediately after a disaster has happened. Short-term
responses mainly involve search and rescue and helping the
injured.
2. Long-term - responses that go on for months and years after
a disaster. It involves rebuilding destroyed houses, schools,
hospitals, etc. It also involves kick-starting the local economy.
 Prediction, Protection and Preparation

 Prediction involves using seismometers to monitor

earth tremors.
 Experts know where earthquakes are likely to
happen. However, it is very difficult to
predict when they will happen.
 Even looking at the timescale between earthquakes
doesn't seem to work.
 Prediction, Protection and Preparation
• Protection involves constructing buildings so that they
are safe to live in and will not collapse. Some examples of
building improvements are:

1. rubber shock absorbers in the foundations to absorb

the Earth tremors.
2. steel frames that can sway during Earth movements.
3. open areas outside of the buildings where people can
assemble during an evacuation.
 Prediction, Protection and Preparation

• In earthquake-prone countries, hospitals, emergency

services and residents practice for an earthquake.
• They have drills in all public buildings so that people
know what to do in the event of an earthquake. This
helps to reduce the impact and increases their
chance of survival.