World at Risk - AS GCE Edexcel Paper 1
1.1 GLOBAL HAZARDS
Terms and definitions : a good starting place, just so that you know what you’re talking about.
Here is a typology of hazards in pdf format, from a U.N. source.
------------------------------
Web-based lists of disasters and hazards
Current hazards map from Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System .
Glidenumber : searchable website with details of a variety of types of disasters.
Reliefweb : a UN funded organisation to help with disaster relief. Search by country or disaster type.
PreventionWeb : for research and information on disasters through a searchable database, with very useful pages here, here and here.
The Pacific Disaster Center (I know, but that's how they spell it) provides links to volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, blizzards and more.
International Disaster Databse : with ready-made maps and diagrams, and also a fully searchable databse so that you may access the data in Excel format and then produce your own charts (rather than the default red-hued ones on this web site).
Remember, the BBC web site is great resource on hazards, and a search will yield information about the most recent events.
------------------------------
Disaster maps - probably as you’ve never seen them before, from the University of Sheffield. The Maplecroft web site provides some excellent research and reports on risk and hazards, though not all are freely available. They have an interactive map of natural hazards. Register for a free - limited - account.
Here is an Excel file of a list of words which you will come across in studying this strand. You will need to add the definitions and examples. The list is probably not complete. Print a copy for your file.
The USGS Natural Hazards Gateway is an excellent collection of media of different types to help with research.
Redoubt Volcano, near Anchorage, Alaska, has erupted recently and the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s web site has lots of information about this - some stunning images of this beautiful volcano, as well as more of the technical stuff.
Going a little further...
Here is a complete set of links about plate tectonics, organised under specific headings with a variety of sources.
Comparing events - a tale of two hurricanes.
1: Cyclone Sidr: Bangladesh 2007 (or follow the links for Cyclone Nargis in Mayanmar in 2008)
The Guardian newspaper’s interactive report.
The BBC’s special disaster report.
Swiss Re’s details of 2007’s disasters, fatalities and insured losses.
ReliefWeb’s appeals and updates page for Bangladesh and here.
2: Hurricane Katrina: USA 2005
The BBC’s Katrina In Depth report, and The Guardian’s interactive report
Flooding
Here is a file of flow data for the River Stour in Dorset, supplied from the CEH.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1.2 GLOBAL HAZARD TRENDS
Earthquakes
From the USGS: real time earthquake world map; significant earthquakes from the past 1200 years. At the same time, the Southern California Seismic Network will provide you with near real-time information about earthquakes in that part of the USA - one of your case study areas.
This page allows you to explore earthquake patterns - use the options to select time, depth and magnitude.
Geophysical hazard risks in the Philippines from the Philippines Observatory another case study area.
The National Geoscience Database of Iran web site has a remarkable collection of photographs of the 26th December 2003 Bam earthquake. Iran is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries - a bit of a disaster hotspot.
Go to the Haiti earthquake page, where you will find a selection of resources on that disaster which occurred on January 12th 2010. For comparison, look at the M8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake of 27th February 2010. The BBC News web site provides a comparison of the two events for you.
Volcanoes
The Cascades Volcano Observatory - volcanic activity in the states of Oregon and Washington, with flickr pictures of Mt St Helens here, and . There is also an Alaskan Volcano Observatory, but if you want something more exotic, then try The Kamchatka Volcano Observatory, with details of recent current activity to be accessed here (click on the pictures - unless you can follow the Russian).
Worldwide volcano observatory links - if you have time to do some surfing. This is another set of links to volcano observatories, though some of the links may not work.
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory’s web site has a record of volcanic activity, and there are some recent pictures on their flickr pages.
Hurricanes
For information about Atlantic tropical cyclones (hurricanes) visit the National Hurricane Center’s Season’s Archives sections for maps, tracks and full details of each Atlantic season. You’ll need to select a year and then the page jumps to the one selected.
Hurricanezone brings together lots about tropical cyclones, SSTs, and interesting real time information. Search by region.
This page has some excellent reources on hurricanes, and this NOAA map gets you to look at hurricane strikes on US coasts and to operate a basic GIS.
The United Nations Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has produced risk maps for the Asia-Pacific region for flooding, earthquakes, volcanic activity and multiple hazards.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1.3 GLOBAL HAZARD PATTERNS
Current:
If you really are getting into this, then the Pacific Disaster Center's web site has an ineractive atlas of current events which is cooler than a fridge in winter. You can do GIS type stuff with it, adding or removing layers and so on. Have play - but don't break it!
From EM-DAT, the 2010 Disasters In Numbers.
This is a useful UK site of hazards links and resources selected by a consortium of UK universities and others.
Flooding
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s report Summer 2007 Floods - A Very Singular Event on the major floods in the UK, is a synthesis of all of the factors which created such widespread flooding. It is a good read, and shows clearly the interactions between the physical environment and attempts to manage it.
The Environment Agency has web pages on flooding, and a page where you can call up a flood risk map for a given post code in England and Wales.
The River Stour in Dorset floods frequently, and much information about the river can be found here.
Philippines and California hazard hotspots
California: hazard resources
Earthquakes and earthquakes with fault lines from the United States Geological Survey. California Geological Survey’s pages on:
Earthquakes from the Southern California Seismic Network.
Tsunamis (and the Government of California’s page on the same topic)
Landslides
Coastal erosion from El Niño related winter storms
Wildfires in 2013 in the State of California, with more detail here from the USGS, and here on shrub land fires.
Philippines hazard resources [Some of these resources are at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph) and seem to work intermittently.]
Disaster Mitigation and Response Situation Map for the Philippines
Composite map showing all risks from natural hazards for the Philippines, produced by the WHO.
Earthquakes
Volcanic hazards with information about recent volcanic activity.
Tsunami bulletins may be accessed.
The Vulnerability of the Philippines to Natural Hazards and the Disaster Risk of Metro Manila a short article by Raymundo S. Punongbayan of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Volcanoes here and here. This page has movies of different types of lahars, while this one (from the USGS) has a detailed history of Pinatubo and other Philippine volcanic activity and hazards. This page has photographs of the Pinatubo eruption and the resulting lahars, and destruction.
Tropical cyclone activity impacting on the Philippines.
Terms and definitions : a good starting place, just so that you know what you’re talking about.
Here is a typology of hazards in pdf format, from a U.N. source.
------------------------------
Web-based lists of disasters and hazards
Current hazards map from Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System .
Glidenumber : searchable website with details of a variety of types of disasters.
Reliefweb : a UN funded organisation to help with disaster relief. Search by country or disaster type.
PreventionWeb : for research and information on disasters through a searchable database, with very useful pages here, here and here.
The Pacific Disaster Center (I know, but that's how they spell it) provides links to volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, blizzards and more.
International Disaster Databse : with ready-made maps and diagrams, and also a fully searchable databse so that you may access the data in Excel format and then produce your own charts (rather than the default red-hued ones on this web site).
Remember, the BBC web site is great resource on hazards, and a search will yield information about the most recent events.
------------------------------
Disaster maps - probably as you’ve never seen them before, from the University of Sheffield. The Maplecroft web site provides some excellent research and reports on risk and hazards, though not all are freely available. They have an interactive map of natural hazards. Register for a free - limited - account.
Here is an Excel file of a list of words which you will come across in studying this strand. You will need to add the definitions and examples. The list is probably not complete. Print a copy for your file.
The USGS Natural Hazards Gateway is an excellent collection of media of different types to help with research.
Redoubt Volcano, near Anchorage, Alaska, has erupted recently and the Alaska Volcano Observatory’s web site has lots of information about this - some stunning images of this beautiful volcano, as well as more of the technical stuff.
Going a little further...
Here is a complete set of links about plate tectonics, organised under specific headings with a variety of sources.
Comparing events - a tale of two hurricanes.
1: Cyclone Sidr: Bangladesh 2007 (or follow the links for Cyclone Nargis in Mayanmar in 2008)
The Guardian newspaper’s interactive report.
The BBC’s special disaster report.
Swiss Re’s details of 2007’s disasters, fatalities and insured losses.
ReliefWeb’s appeals and updates page for Bangladesh and here.
2: Hurricane Katrina: USA 2005
The BBC’s Katrina In Depth report, and The Guardian’s interactive report
Flooding
Here is a file of flow data for the River Stour in Dorset, supplied from the CEH.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1.2 GLOBAL HAZARD TRENDS
Earthquakes
From the USGS: real time earthquake world map; significant earthquakes from the past 1200 years. At the same time, the Southern California Seismic Network will provide you with near real-time information about earthquakes in that part of the USA - one of your case study areas.
This page allows you to explore earthquake patterns - use the options to select time, depth and magnitude.
Geophysical hazard risks in the Philippines from the Philippines Observatory another case study area.
The National Geoscience Database of Iran web site has a remarkable collection of photographs of the 26th December 2003 Bam earthquake. Iran is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries - a bit of a disaster hotspot.
Go to the Haiti earthquake page, where you will find a selection of resources on that disaster which occurred on January 12th 2010. For comparison, look at the M8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake of 27th February 2010. The BBC News web site provides a comparison of the two events for you.
Volcanoes
The Cascades Volcano Observatory - volcanic activity in the states of Oregon and Washington, with flickr pictures of Mt St Helens here, and . There is also an Alaskan Volcano Observatory, but if you want something more exotic, then try The Kamchatka Volcano Observatory, with details of recent current activity to be accessed here (click on the pictures - unless you can follow the Russian).
Worldwide volcano observatory links - if you have time to do some surfing. This is another set of links to volcano observatories, though some of the links may not work.
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory’s web site has a record of volcanic activity, and there are some recent pictures on their flickr pages.
Hurricanes
For information about Atlantic tropical cyclones (hurricanes) visit the National Hurricane Center’s Season’s Archives sections for maps, tracks and full details of each Atlantic season. You’ll need to select a year and then the page jumps to the one selected.
Hurricanezone brings together lots about tropical cyclones, SSTs, and interesting real time information. Search by region.
This page has some excellent reources on hurricanes, and this NOAA map gets you to look at hurricane strikes on US coasts and to operate a basic GIS.
The United Nations Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has produced risk maps for the Asia-Pacific region for flooding, earthquakes, volcanic activity and multiple hazards.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1.3 GLOBAL HAZARD PATTERNS
Current:
If you really are getting into this, then the Pacific Disaster Center's web site has an ineractive atlas of current events which is cooler than a fridge in winter. You can do GIS type stuff with it, adding or removing layers and so on. Have play - but don't break it!
From EM-DAT, the 2010 Disasters In Numbers.
This is a useful UK site of hazards links and resources selected by a consortium of UK universities and others.
Flooding
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s report Summer 2007 Floods - A Very Singular Event on the major floods in the UK, is a synthesis of all of the factors which created such widespread flooding. It is a good read, and shows clearly the interactions between the physical environment and attempts to manage it.
The Environment Agency has web pages on flooding, and a page where you can call up a flood risk map for a given post code in England and Wales.
The River Stour in Dorset floods frequently, and much information about the river can be found here.
Philippines and California hazard hotspots
California: hazard resources
Earthquakes and earthquakes with fault lines from the United States Geological Survey. California Geological Survey’s pages on:
Earthquakes from the Southern California Seismic Network.
Tsunamis (and the Government of California’s page on the same topic)
Landslides
Coastal erosion from El Niño related winter storms
Wildfires in 2013 in the State of California, with more detail here from the USGS, and here on shrub land fires.
Philippines hazard resources [Some of these resources are at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph) and seem to work intermittently.]
Disaster Mitigation and Response Situation Map for the Philippines
Composite map showing all risks from natural hazards for the Philippines, produced by the WHO.
Earthquakes
Volcanic hazards with information about recent volcanic activity.
Tsunami bulletins may be accessed.
The Vulnerability of the Philippines to Natural Hazards and the Disaster Risk of Metro Manila a short article by Raymundo S. Punongbayan of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Volcanoes here and here. This page has movies of different types of lahars, while this one (from the USGS) has a detailed history of Pinatubo and other Philippine volcanic activity and hazards. This page has photographs of the Pinatubo eruption and the resulting lahars, and destruction.
Tropical cyclone activity impacting on the Philippines.
