1
28
Geography
10. NATURAL HAZARDS IN THE WORLD
There are natural phenomena that are capable of producing great changes in the landscape.
They affect people, houses and other structures in their proximity. The most dangerous are
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanoes.
❚
Earthquakes
are the most powerful and destructive and can cause
tsunamis
. A
tsunami is an enormous wave that can destroy coastal areas. It is difficult to predict
where or when an earthquake will occur, but they are more usual in fault line areas
and where the continental plates collide or pass each other.
❚
Hurricanes
are storms with centres of very low pressure, with heavy rains and strong
winds that spiral at a high speed around a central axis which is called the ‘eye of the
hurricane’. They are typical in the Caribbean and in the south-east of Asia (where they
are called
typhoons
).
❚
Tornadoes
, like hurricanes, are centres of low pressure, but smaller and with an
elongated funnel-shape. A tornado can destroy everything in its path as the winds
can surpass 500 km/h. They are frequent on the Great Plains of the United States.
❚
Volcanoes
are openings in the Earth’s crust where magma from the Earth’s interior
comes out to the surface. The emissions of ashes can be more dangerous than the lava,
because it affects large areas and even the global climate. They also occur in areas with
fault lines and are numerous in the islands of the Pacific islands and near the Pacific coast.
Other natural hazards are those that cause
torrential rains
(monsoon, Mediterranean
cold front
10
),
avalanches
,
droughts
, or climate change in general.
Seismic areas
Tsunami areas
Flood areas
Volcanism
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Drought
8 000 km
0
1:335 000 000
N
Important
The Earth: a hazardous
planet
There is a long history of films
about all the known types of
famous of natural disasters.
Why don’t you watch one
and have a class debate
about natural disasters.
❚
Seismic phenomena:
Earthquake
(1975);
Apocalypse
(2004)
❚
Floods:
Flood
(2006);
The Imposible
(2012)
❚
Volcanic eruptions:
Volcano
(1997);
Dante’s Peak
(1997)
❚
Tornadoes:
Twister
(1996);
Category 7: The end of the
world
(2005)
❚
Climate change:
The Day
After Tomorrow
(2004)
David BRUSI
/
bitstream/handle/10256/2861/
simulando_catastrofes.
pdf?sequence=1)
(Adaptated and translated)
!
10
cold front:
the cold air replaces the
warm air in two moving masses of air
Understand
35.
What areas have more tornadoes? What are tornadoes? What damage
do they cause?
36.
What areas of the world have the most volcanoes? Why? Name some
famous volcanoes.
37.
In what region and continent do floods caused by monsoons occur?
What season of the year do they occur in? Why?
Create
38.
Find out about the earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions that have occurred
in the 21st century. Put them on a
blank world map. What damage was
caused? Write an essay on the effects
they have on people in the affected
areas and the economy.
