Hazard Hotspot: CALIFORNIA

California:
1. economy is one of the worlds 6th largest
2. per capita incomes of over US$65000
3. USA's most hazardous state
  1. plate tectonics & climate patterns: El Nino and La Nina
4. San Fran lies along the San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
1. Pacific plate moves North Westwards Past the North American plate
  1. The two move in the same direction, but the PACIFIC PLATE moves more quickly
    1. thus, creating friction
      1. leading to a sudden jolt, releasing seismic waves
  2. As a result of convection currents in the mantle
2. runs along the Californian coast from Los Angeles --> San Fran
1989 EARTHQUAKE
1. measured 7.1 on the Richter scale
2. Epicenter = Loma Pprieta
3. 5.2 aftershock= 37 mins later
4. 63 people died
  1. 13757 were injured
5. the damage cost US$6 billion dollars
6. 366 businesses were destroyed and 23000 damaged
7. A freeway collapsed
8. 1018 homes = destroyed
9. fractured gas pipes (caused explosions and fires
  1. + water mains (couldn't put out fire)
Climatic patterns
1. EL NINO
  1. air currents move Eastward across the pacific
    1. bringing : moist air to South America+ Eastern Pacific
      1. also affects California
  2. On shore sub-tropical winds blow towards California from the pacific ocean
    1. on-shore moist winds
      1. increased sub-tropical storms bring heavy rain
        the area around long beach which is subsiding sometimes floods in heavy storms
        increased land slides result from heavy rain
2. LA NINA
  1. Current reverses to move across the P/O to Australia
    1. warm dry air blows over CALI
      1. from American deserts
  2. droughts and bushfires
    1. little rain

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Hazard Hotspot: CALIFORNIA

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	Created by snidgetpixiee almost 11 years ago