What Geo-Hazard is?

Why to study Geo-hazard?

How it impact us?

The word Geo-hazard comes from two words:

Geo – from the word ‘geological’ meaning from the

earth

Hazard – a situation that poses a risk to property,

environment or life

So ‘geo-hazards’ means the risk of damage caused by

a geological process.
Geologic Hazards (or geohazards) are the results of
natural, active geologic processes capable of causing
damage or loss of property/life or both.

Geologic Hazards Mitigation is the application of

geologic engineering principles to minimize or prevent
the effects of naturally occurring geologic hazards.

Geologic hazards phenomena can occur suddenly, or

slowly. Sudden phenomena include: Earthquakes etc.
A hazard is any agent that can cause harm
or damage to humans, property, or the
environment.

Risk is defined as the probability that

exposure to a hazard will lead to a negative
consequence, or more simply,
a hazard poses no risk if there is no
exposure to that hazard.

Disaster is a sudden, catastrophic event that

seriously disrupts the functioning of a
community or society and causes human,
material, and economic or environmental losses
that exceed the community's or society's ability
to cope using its own resources.

Though often caused by nature, disasters

can have human origin
What is risk?

It is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an

adverse impact if exposed to a hazard.

It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss, or harmful effects
on the environment.
e.g. cancer can be caused from smoking cigarettes
What is a risk assessment?

It is the process where we try to:

Identify hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm
(hazard identification).

Analyze and evaluate the risk associated with that hazard (risk analysis,
and risk evaluation).

Determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk

when the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk control).
Vulnerability

The characteristics determined by physical, social,

economic and environmental factors or processes
which increase the susceptibility of an individual, a
community, assets or systems to the impacts of
hazards.

Exposure

The situation of people, infrastructure, housing,

production capacities and other tangible human assets
located in hazard-prone areas.
Sometimes hazards are not obvious until
pointed out. For example we wash our hands
to avoid biohazards such as viruses and
bacteria even though they are too small to
see. We are told that some foods are
poisonous (a biohazard) so we don’t eat
them.
All geological hazards (geohazards) could be
considered dormant until they are triggered.
When the hazard occurs it may then be
called an event, accident, emergency,
incident, or disaster. The study and
monitoring of geohazards helps us to better
prepare ourselves and respond to these
geological events when they do occur.

Geohazards can be small features that have

an impact only on their local area such as a
small landslide that partially blocks a road
or track through to large earthquakes that
affect entire cities. They can also be very
large events that have a widespread impact
such as large tsunami.
Types of geo-hazards:
1. Landslides
2. Earthquakes
3. Tsunamis
4. Volcanoes
5. Floods
6. Lahars
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are caused when rocks break due to the stress applied by
movement of the tectonic plates that make up the outer layer of the Earth.

The earthquake records around the world revealed that an average of

20,000 earthquakes occur every year (about 50 a day).

There are, however, millions of earthquakes estimated to occur every year

that are too weak to be recorded.

Almost 80% of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the
Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire“.
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of powerful ocean surges
caused by a large volume of the ocean floor
being displaced – often by an undersea
earthquake or landslide. Most tsunamis are
similar to very strong, fast tides, rather than
waves. The larger ones can travel a long way
inland. Much of the damage from tsunamis is
caused by the erosion generated by the strong
currents and floating debris.

Volcanoes
When molten material (magma) reaches the
earth’s surface a volcano is formed. A volcano
will erupt fragmented rock and magma (ash)
and release steam and gases. Ash from
eruptions can spread over large distances so
can affect people living a long way from the
eruption. Hazards also exist close to the active
vent(s).
Types of geo-hazards:

1. Landslides

2. Earthquakes

3. Tsunamis

4. Volcanoes

5. Floods

6. Lahars
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are caused when rocks break due to the stress applied by
movement of the tectonic plates that make up the outer layer of the Earth.

The earthquake records around the world revealed that an average

of 20,000 earthquakes occur every year (about 50 a day).

There are, however, millions of earthquakes estimated to occur every year

that are too weak to be recorded.

Almost 80% of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the
Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire“.
Landslides
A landslide is a movement of soil, rock and debris
down a slope. Landslides often happen as a result of
other natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions and floods (rainfall).
Landslides are common throughout out the world and
causes serious loss in terms of thousands of dollars in
damage and threaten lives.

Hydrothermal activity

Hydrothermal systems are a by-product of volcanic

activity. The residual (volcanic) heat at depth heats
the local ground water to create the geothermal
activity.
Hydrothermal activity is usually confined to hot
springs, geysers and warm ground. However, if
they become unstable eruptions can occur.
Floods:
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that
is usually dry.
Floods can happen during heavy rains, when ocean
waves come on shore, when snow melts too fast, or
when dams or levees break.
Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water,
or it may cover a house to the rooftop

Avalanche
An avalanche (also called a snowslide) is an
event that occurs when a cohesive slab
of snow lying upon a weaker layer of snow
fractures and slides down a steep slope.

It includes a large amount of ice, snow, debris/

rock fragments.
 What causes geohazards

• We would not have geohazards if the Earth's crust was solid

and did not move.

• The theory of continental drift explains how the land has

moved over time due to plate tectonics.
• Continental drift
• The German scientist Alfred Wegener, proposed in 1912 a
theory of continental drift to explain how the Earth's land
masses came to be where they are now. The theory was
based on the Earth’s continents once fitting together like a
giant jigsaw puzzle.
• Plate tectonics

• Plate tectonics is a theory which explains how the Earth's

surface is broken into large plates which move 250 million
years ago the Earth’s continents were joined together in one
giant landmass called Pangaea. Slowly, over millions of years,
Pangaea broke in two and drifted apart forming the smaller
continents of today.

• Plate tectonics explains how similar animals and plants live in

countries which are now a long way from each other, and how
mountain ranges in different continents were once joined.

• On the Earth today there are seven large plates and many
smaller ones. The plates move in slow motion and are always
changing shape. It is thought that heat inside the Earth creates
convection currents and provides the energy to move the plates
from a few millimetres up to about 15cm per year
• Plate boundaries

• At the edge of the tectonic plates one of three processes can

occur:
•
• Divergent boundary
• Convergent boundary
• Transform boundary
 Spreading boundary (divergent)
A spreading boundary is where two plates
move away from each other. The plates
move apart so magma, or molten rock, can
rise from inside the Earth to fill in the gap.
This can form rift valleys on land or
ocean ridges on the seafloor (for example
the Atlantic Ocean).
Colliding boundary (convergent)
This is where two plates push together. Different
things will happen depending on what type of plates
are colliding:
If the plates are continental plates they are the same
weight so the plates cannot over-ride each other and
the land buckles and folds, creating mountain ranges.
Sliding boundary (transform) If the plates are both oceanic plates then island arcs
This is when two plates slide or basins can form.
against each other, but rather than If an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate
sliding smoothly, the plates can the heavier oceanic plate will sink (subduct) under
get stuck and build up stress. This the continental plate, this can lead to volcanic
stress is then released as a burst of activity.
movement and is felt as an
earthquake.
 Measuring and analyzing natural hazards

• Six indicators to measure and analyze the extreme

geophysical events that comprise natural hazards. They
are:
– Magnitude
– Speed of onset
– Duration
– Frequency
– Areal extent
– Areal reliability
 Six Indicators

• Magnitude • Speed of onset

– It is the most
important indicator.
– Magnitude rate as
‘extreme’ happenings
and pose sufficient
threats to the human
system to be
considered natural
hazards.
– Example:
• The Richter Scale
– It refers to the length
of time between the
first appearance or
warning of an event
and its peak.
– Example:
• Slow-onset hazards
(drought and soil
erosion)
• Rapid-onset hazards
(floods and
earthquakes)
• Duration • Frequency
– It refers to the period of – It refers to how often an
time over which it event of a given
occurs. magnitude may be
– Example: expected to re-occur.
• Droughts: seasons or – ‘Return period’: a
years recurrence interval of
• Floods: days or weeks 10 years is to say it has
• Tornados: minutes or in any year a 10%
hours chance of occurring.
• Areal extent • Areal reliability
– The area of natural – Predictability of an
hazards affect. natural hazards occur in
– Example: an given area.
• Avalanche: short and – Predictable and
narrow belt of the possible for planning.
landscape.
– Example:
• Drought or flood: several
thousand km. • Volcanic eruptions: fixed
point (volcano)
• Floods: channels and
flood plains
• Tropical cyclones:
several erratic paths
• Earthquakes: unknown
Consequences of Geo-hazards: Geohazards, such as earthquakes,
landslides, volcano eruptions, tsunamis and floods, cause large and
increasing loss of lives and properties.
Most of these losses occur during high-impact, extreme events.

The global and long-lasting societal and economic impacts of recent extreme
events illustrate the scale of disasters that can be caused by geohazards.
• Short and Long Term Impacts

• The impacts of geohazards vary in severity and therefore vary in regard to

how long they last.

• Impacts of hazards are not so easy to classify as short term and long term
as this tends to vary for each individual event.
• Some of the common effects are:

Death, illness and disability;

Environmental pollution;
Exposure of public to toxic substances;
Damage to or loss of essential life support services - water, food,
shelter;
Displacement of population;
Breakdown in communications networks and information flows;
Damage to and loss of facilities;
High levels of psychosocial stress .
• However, the are a number of common long term impacts, which always
take time to recover from.

• These are:

Grief and psychological trauma

• Loss of vital infrastructure, like sewers and sanitation and water
• Loss of power stations and key transport infrastructure, e.g. harbors,
airports and railway lines

• Widespread loss of housing

• Loss of a harvest or fertile soils and cattle

• Loss of fishing vessels and equipment
• Loss of forests and freshwater environments
 Negative Effects of These hazards

• These events bring with them a host of issues, including humanitarian,

public health, environmental and infrastructural problems.

• Humanitarian Crises

• People forced out of their homes by an abrupt natural disaster

• Standard of living has dropped so drastically that the uncertain future of

migration looks more promising.
 How to Deal with geologic hazards
“SUM UP”
• Avoid the areas where known hazards exist.

• Such areas can be converted into parks, for instance.

• • Evaluate the potential risk of a hazard, if activated.

• • Minimize the effect of the hazards by engineering design and appropriate

zoning.

• • Develop a network of insurance and contingency plans to cover potential

loss or damage from hazards.
 Basic Principle of Diaster Risk Management
and
Mitigation Planning

Natural Disasters occur at the Intersection of People with

Nature’s Extreme Events.
Risk = Sum (Hazard x Assets x Fragility).
Disaster / Emergency Preparedness Requires a strong Constitutional / Legal /
Institutional Basis. Political Will Power and Fiscal Resources. PEP-PER: Pre-Event
Preparedness / Post Event Response. Mitigation especially requires Long-Range
Planning, Political Will Power, and Persevirence. Pressure of Short- vs. Longterm
Objectives.

Vulnerability: Difference between Risk and Societal Vulnerability. On a Global Scale,

Vulnerability is tied to Poverty & limited Access to Resources and Good Government.
But highly developed Metro Areas (e.g. NYC or Tokyo, and their Infrastructure) are
also exposed to Low-Probability / High-Consequence Risks, e.g. to Storm Surges / Sea
Level Rise, and Earthquakes.

Risk Management Constitutional, Legal & Organizational/Institutional Issues.

Mitigation is Tied to Development / Capacity Building/ Infrastructure. In Developing
Countries Development Banks have a Major Role to Play, but they often fail in this
task. Lesser role of NGOs & UN. On a Global Scale, there is great Uncertainty about
the Human Ability to Harness the Global Risks from “Natural” Disasters, given the
Global Population / Demographic / Economic Trends.
Risk Management:

Risk management aims to reduce risk through manipulation

of the risk equation. Mitigation takes place before the event
by updating building codes, halting construction in
hazardous areas, retrofitting existing building stock,
enacting and enforcing building codes for new properties,
and relocation of residents to less hazardous areas.
Response to a disaster is made effective if emergency
facilities are accessible and functional and the public is
aware and educated. Rebuilding after an event should
expand upon these principles