Multiple Hazard Zones - CALIFORNIA
- Created by: emilytester
- Created on: 07-04-14 10:32
View mindmap
- Multiple Hazard Zones - CALIFORNIA
- Background
- Ever since 1849, California has been one of the most desirable places to live in the USA.
- It's economy is the 6th largest in the world.
- 25 Californian counties have per capita incomes of over £35,000
- Population - 40 MILLION (2008)
- Human Development Index - 0.95 (almost the highest)
- Coastal area which includes Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
- California's Hazards are due to plate tectonics and climatic patterns (El Nino and La Nina)
- Plate Tectonics...
- San Francisco lies along the SAN ANDREAS FAULT where the Pacific Plate moves North westwards past the North American Plate.
- The two plates are moving in the same direction but the Pacific Plate moves more quickly which creates friction. --> CONSERVATIVE BOUNDARY
- The San Andreas fault is the fracture/fault line between.
- It runs along the Californian coast from LA North to San Francisco. Other fault lines run parallel and San Francisco is built over 2 of them.
- These faults move regularly, causing earthquakes.
- In 1906, SAN FRANCISCO was destroyed in an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter Scale.
- It fractured gas pipes which caused explosions and fires and water pipes which could have been used to prevent the spread of the fires.
- In 1989 a further earthquake hit SAN FRANCISCO and reached 7.1 on the Richter Scale.
- Its epicentre was at LOCA PRIETA in the Santa Cruz mountains.
- Caused major damage and deaths
- 63 people were killed and 13,757 were injured. --> most of the deaths were from where the FREEWAY COLLAPSED.
- 1018 houses were destroyed and 23,408 were damaged.
- Damage cost US$6 BILLION
- 366 businesses were destroyed and 3530 were damaged.
- 5.2 Aftershock hit the region 37 minutes after the main earthquake.
- In 1906, SAN FRANCISCO was destroyed in an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter Scale.
- San Francisco lies along the SAN ANDREAS FAULT where the Pacific Plate moves North westwards past the North American Plate.
- California suffers periodic climatic change (which can be hazardous)
- Sometimes drought can occur and forest fires threaten
- Sometimes floods occur and landslides threaten.
- Flood risks in California coincide with EL NINO while drought and forest fires coincides with LA NINA
- Plate Tectonics...
- Geophysical and Hydro-meteological hazards.
- Geophysical
- Earthquakes and Tsunamis which can cause coastal sinking.
- Earthquakes are the main risk. - Large SHALLOW earthquakes occur along the swarm of faults associated the San Andreas fault line.
- Earthquakes and Tsunamis which can cause coastal sinking.
- Hydro-meteological
- Landslides and mudflows, heavy rain (associated with EL NINO), drought (associated with LA NINA), Heat waves, Bush Fires (secondary hazards of drought) and Coastal Fogs.
- Landslides are a frequent secondary hazard of Earthquakes and floods.
- Fogs occur in the San Francisco bay area.
- Landslides and mudflows, heavy rain (associated with EL NINO), drought (associated with LA NINA), Heat waves, Bush Fires (secondary hazards of drought) and Coastal Fogs.
- Geophysical
- Coping capacity in California is high because they have high-tech disaster preparedness but the economic costs of a disaster are especially high because it is a megacity.
- Background
Comments
No comments have yet been made