California

Frequency
1. Hydrometerological
  1. Increasing
    1. Climate change
2. Geophysical
  1. Consistent
Hotspot
1. Definition
  1. A location where one or more geophysical and/or hydrometerological hazard frequently occurs
2. Physical Factors
  1. Hydrometerological
    1. Drought
      1. Wildfires
        Examples
        Cedar
        Human related
        Oct 2003
        Impacts
        15 people died
        2820 buildings were damaged or destroyed
        273246 acres of forest were destroyed
        San Diego
        Causes
        Dry Santa Ana winds and drought
      2. Examples
        2011
        Still continuing
        Impacts
        Damage to the farming industry
        Damage to biodiversity
        Economy has been badly affected
        State wide sprinkle and hosepipe laws
        Depleted lakes, groundwater and aquifers
        San Joaquin Valley
        San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers
        Delta
      3. Causes
        The dry Santa Ana winds, originating in the Mojave desert descending from mountains further inland to coastal areas and lack of rainfall increase drought risk. Also increased water demand increases water shortages
        Global climate change could play a role in decreased rainfall
    2. Flooding
      1. Coastal
        Causes
        Sea level rise
        Global warming
        Winter storms
        Storm surges and increased rainfall
        Global warming
        El Nino
        Examples
        L.A. Flood 1938
      2. River
        Causes
        El Nino
        Increased rainfall
        Winter storms
        Examples
        L.A. Flood 1938
        Impacts
        50 year flood
        $40 million in damages
        Damage to homes and infrastructure
        115 people died
        Santa Ana River burst its banks in many places
        Feb 27th-28th
      3. Landslides
        Examples
        La Conchita, 2005
        Impacts
        10 people were killed
        36 homes were damaged or destroyed
        Causes
        Intense rainfall and global warming
    3. Fog and Smog
      1. Causes
        It occurs when cool offshore air drifts inland and meets warm air (especially during summer)
        Likely to become more unpredictable with increasing climate change
        When combined with car pollution and chemical smog that collects in the basin the fog is made worse
  2. Tectonic
    1. Plate Margin
      1. Earthquakes
        Examples
        Loma Prieta
        1989
        Oct 17th
        5:00pm
        San Francisco Bay
        Epicentre
        Nisene Marks State Park
        Impacts
        60 People died
        Damage to transport infrastructure
        Collapse of Nimitz Freeway
        After quake all bridges in the area underwent reinforcement for earthquakes
        Occurred during world-series baseball match so earthquake was well televised and news about it could be broadcast quickly
        6.9 on richter scale
        Northridge
        1994
        Jan 17th
        4:30am
        Impacts
        70 People died
        6.7 on richter scale
        Widespread severe property damage despite earthquake building regulations
        Transport systems in LA shut down
        Fires broke out in the San Fernando Valley, Venice and Malibu
        Epicentre
        Northridge; a suburb of LA
        Los Angeles
      2. Type
        Transform/Conservative
        The Pacifc plate and North American Plate move past one another
        Impacts
        Very high magnitude earthquakes
        Features
        Linear Valleys/Trenches
3. Human Factors
  1. Vulnerability
    1. Large population but not very vulnerable due to high cpacity to cope
  2. Capacity to cope
    1. The ability of people, organisations and systems, using available skills and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters
  3. Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
    1. Increased demand for producta and energy has led to increased use of fossil fuels and increased production of green house gases and particulates
      1. Leads to global warming
  4. Preperation
    1. Many households have disaster kits which include water, food and a first aid kit among other things
  5. Prevention
    1. Building of life-safe homes and businesses
  6. Education
    1. Children in schools are taught about risks from earthquakes and are taught earthquake drills
  7. Awareness of Risk
  8. Choice to live in hazard area
    1. Where the population are aware of the risks they may choose to live there regardless because they feel the benefits outway the costs
  9. Population Size
    1. 38.8 million people
    2. Structure
      1. 12.5% over age of 65 23.9% under age of 18 27.0% foreign born 15.9% of people under poverty line
  10. Level of development
    1. MEDC
  11. Unsustainable use of resources
    1. Global climate change
      1. Increased flood, storm and drought events
  12. Urbanisation
    1. Rapid urbanisation and urban sprawl has led to increased surface run off and increased flood risk
1. Background
  1. MEDC
  2. 38.8 million people

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California

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	Created by Beth Hopkins almost 9 years ago