Case Study: The California Coast (MHZ)
- Created by: lewis.mackk05
- Created on: 03-01-22 11:42
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- Approximately 40 million people live in California and it has an economy size of a HIC.
- The California Coast
- 25 Counties have per capita of incomes of US$65,000 per annum- one of the worlds wealthiest places, so a disaster may comprise of high financial losses
- Home to Megacities of LA, San Diego, and San Francisco. Parts of these populations may be vulnerable (20% of LA live below the poverty line)
- Earthquake Hazards
- Earhquakes are shallow, hence tend to be more destructive
- San Andreas Fault marks a Conservative plate boundary where 2 coastal plates are sliding past each other, parallel to plat margin at different speeds.
- 70%+ of California's population live within 50km of a fault line
- Earthquake of Richter Scale 7+ would have massive impacts
- Soft Basin Sediments in LA lead to rapid shaking with 5 major earthquakes being recorded within the last 100 years
- San Francisco Bay has experienced several large earthquakes in the past
- Liquefaction Risk
- Lots of Buildings on unstable land has lead to soil liquefaction during earthquakes (ground becomes more like a liquid), increases risk of landslides and damages homes
- Major Problem during Loma Prieta EQ in 1989
- Hydro-Meteorological Hazards
- El Nino-La Nina Oscillation: Winter storms, during El Nino years lead to floods in LA/San Gabriel Rivers (with deforested hillsides)
- Despite Channelized Rivers flooding is still common between Oct and Jan
- Drought
- May be caused by La Nina Events (surface water in eastern pacific is cooler). Less evaporation, so less precipitation
- Summer drought= Potential problem in Mediterranean climate, especially in South California
- May be caused my anticyclones- long periods of high air pressure with sinking dry air. Dry, sinking air means no rain
- Alternative cause is increased wind blowing westward from desert in east California e.g. Arizona. Dry air= no moisture to cause precipitation
- Problem is exacerbated as population of LA is rapidly increasing + there is a lack of water supply
- Coastal Flooding
- Risk of Erosion along coast near Malibu and Santa Monica
- Area around Long Beach is subsiding and sometimes floods in heavy storms
- Impacts are likely to worsen as Sea Levels Rise in future
- Wild/Bush Fires
- Wildfires in Southern California in Oct 2007 killed 22 and destroyed 1300 homes
- In dry Santa Ana wind period there is more fires (dry winds)
- Caused by Droughts- dry vegetation is extremely flammable, so fire spreads quickly over large area.
- Fog/Smog- cold air meets warm air
- Climate Conditions combine with air pollution to generate photochemical smog which collects in the basin- bad in cities in late summer/autunm
- Advection fog- cold air from off shore current drifts inland and meets warm air (especially in summer)
- MHZ
- EQ's Under pacific can cause Tsunami along California Coastline. EQ of coast of Alaska in 1964= tsunami killing 12 people in California
- People have the lowest capacity to cope when affected by a natural hazard. California also has 3.5 million people (many semi-legal migrants) who live in hazardous locations.
- The California Coast
- MHZ
- EQ's Under pacific can cause Tsunami along California Coastline. EQ of coast of Alaska in 1964= tsunami killing 12 people in California
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