Natural Hazards 4

REDUCING THE RISK FROM EARTHQUAKES

Management strategies can reduce the number of people killed, injured, made homeless or made unemployed.

MONITORING

Definition: recording physical changes to help forecast when and where a natural hazard may strike and/or by using scientific methods to study coastal processes to help inform management options.

Examples:

1) Networks of seismometers and lasers monitor earth movements. These can be used in early warning systems to give a small but vital amount of warning before a large earthquake occurs.

2) Scientists can monitor the tell-tale signs that come before a volcanic eruption. Things such as tiny earthquakes, escaping gas, and changes in the shape of the volcano all mean an eruption is likely.

PREDICTION:

Definition: When you make an educated guess as to when something may happen.

Examples: 

1) Earthquakes cannot be reliably predicted, but by monitoring the movement of tectonic plates scientists can forecast which areas should be prepared for one to occur.

2) Volcanic eruptions can be predicted if…