California: Hazard Hotspot

Background
1. Conservative plate boundary
  1. Pacific plate
  2. North American plate
2. Population
  1. 35,116,000
3. Total area
  1. 158,700 sq mile
Northridge Eathquake
1. eathquakes occur when pressure between the plates builds up and then is suddenly released as they jerk past each other
2. $20billion damage
3. 57 dead
  1. 1500 injured
4. 6.7 Magnitude
5. January 1994
6. San Andreas fault
7. 9000 without electricity
  1. 20,000 without gas
    1. 48,000 without water
Landslides
1. Heavy rain during El Niño lubricates ground
  1. sloped areas become easily saturated
2. Risk increased due to coastal cities surrounded by mountains
Wildfire
1. Walker cell
  1. high pressure systems
2. S. California
3. Blocking anticyclone
  1. long periods of warm and dry
    1. less water = dry vegetation
      1. dry vegetation easily set on fire that spreads rapidly
Capacity to cope
1. stable, rich economy
2. appropriate technology
3. good infrastructure & services
4. seismological warning (USGS)
5. rarely requires foreign aid
6. education of people
7. 70% live within 50km of a fault line
8. 20% of residents live below the poverty line

Resource summary

	Created by sophiestevens almost 11 years ago