Catastrophic Event Catastrophic Event An event that results

Catastrophic Event

Catastrophic Event • An event that results from Earth processes and that can cause damage and endanger human life – Tornado – Earthquakes – Floods – Wildfire Hurricane Tsunamis Volcanoes Drought

Catastrophic Event • The result of – Processes in the atmosphere – Processes on the Earth’s surface – Processes in the oceans – Processes inside the Earth

Catastrophic Events • Can effect Earth in several ways • Surface – speed up erosion and deposition • Inside Earth – change the ground

Human Activities • Where people decide to live can increase the damaging effects of natural hazards • How people use land can also alter Earth’s systems in ways that contribute to catastrophic events

Impact of How People Use Land • People can alter the land so that flooding and fire can be worse – New Orleans built in a low depression – Queensland built on fire prone plains – California builds on steep slopes and creates mudslides

Tornado

Tornado • Cause – cold and warm air colliding when thunderstorms meet • Impact to Earth – kills plants, damages topsoil • Impact to People – high winds destroy buildings, can have flooding • Similar to – hurricane • How are they similar – high winds and rain

Statistics Texas ranks 11 th among the 50 states in density of tornadoes with an average of 5. 7 tornadoes per 10, 000 square miles, per year.

Hurricane

New Orleans after Katrina

Hurricane • Cause – air pressure differences over the ocean • Impact to Earth – kills plants, destroys beaches • Impact to People – high winds destroy buildings, can have flooding • Similar to – tornado • How are they similar – high winds and rain

Statistics Top 10 Most Intense Hurricanes At Landfall (U. S. A) Rank Hurricane Name Year Category Pressure 1 Florida Keys (Labor Day) 1935 5 892 mb 2 Hurricane Camille 1969 5 909 mb 3 Hurricane Katrina 2005 3 920 mb 4 Hurricane Andrew 1992 5 922 mb 5 Texas (Indianola) 1886 4 925 mb 6 Florida Keys 1919 4 927 mb 7 FL (Lake Okeechobee) 1928 4 929 mb 8 Hurricane Donna 1960 4 930 mb 9 Unnamed (New Orleans LA) 1915 4 931 mb 10 Hurricane Carla 1961 4 931 mb

Tsunami

Tsunami • Cause – earthquake under the ocean floor • Impact to Earth – destroys beaches and coral reefs • Impact to People – large loss of life, destroys buildings • Similar to – earthquake, flood, volcano • How are they similar – causes tsunami, water, pressure release

Statistics

Volcano

Volcano • Cause – build up of pressure deep inside Earth • Impact to Earth – burns plants, creates new land • Impact to People – burns or covers buildings • Similar to – earthquake, wildfire • How are they similar – pressure release, burns everything

Statistics

Earthquake

Earthquake

Earthquake • Cause – moving tectonic plates • Impact to Earth – changes the look of the land • Impact to People – damages buildings, kills people • Similar to – volcano, tsunami • How are they similar – pressure release

Statistics

Drought

Drought • Cause – lack of rain, heat • Impact to Earth – kills plants and animals • Impact to People – money loss from crop and livestock damage • Similar to – wildfire • How are they similar – loss of life and vegetation

Statistics

Wild Fire

Wildfire

Wildfire • Cause – lightning, can be man-made • Impact to Earth – burns everything, fertilizes the soil • Impact to People – destroys everything in it’s way • Similar to – drought, volcano • How are they similar – loss of life, fire

Statistics

Flood

Flood • Cause – too much rain • Impact to Earth – changes the land, fertilizes the soil • Impact to People – loss of life and buildings • Similar to – tsunami • How are they similar – large amounts of water

Statistics

• Which of these natural disasters can happen in our area?

Assignment • Poster Project – You will get to draw a catastrophic event topic – Starting with the web sites on the information sheet, research your event. – Complete the chart on your event on the Catastrophic Events handout. – Everyone with your event will form a group to create and information poster on that event. – Once all posters are complete, we will pass them around the room to complete all of the charts on the Catastrophic Event handout.