Natural Disasters A natural disaster is a severe event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. Examples: Hurricanes Floods Earthquakes Volcanic eruptions Drought

Natural Disasters of Latin America Earthquakes Caused by the tectonic plates colliding o Leads to fires, building collapses and tsunamis Occur at fault line, near volcanoes and around the Ring of Fire

Great Chilean Earthquake Largest recorded earthquake on the Richter scale – 9.5 on May 22, 1960 Led to improving the infrastructure in Chile to withstand high magnitude earthquakes

Haitian Earthquake 7.0 M earthquake in January 2010 followed by 52 aftershocks o Left 1 million homeless / 530,000 dead or injured Haiti’s poor infrastructure caused much of the damage and deaths

Natural Disasters of Latin America Volcanic Eruptions Generally found where tectonic plates are pulling away from each other o Earth’s crust is opened causing lava to come to the surface Some of the Caribbean islands were formed through volcanic eruptions

Natural Disasters of Latin America El Nino & La Nina A warmer/cooler ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years o Changes weather patterns around the world Causes extreme weather like floods, droughts and other weather disturbances o Agriculture and fishing are most affected

Natural Disasters of Latin America Hurricanes Storms that forms over warm, tropical ocean waters o Start off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean and move west toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea Produces powerful winds, torrential rain, high waves and storm surges

Man-Made Disasters A man-made disaster is a severe event caused by humans interacting with the Earth. Examples: Deforestation Oil Spills Global Warming Nuclear Accident Hazardous Waste

Man-Made Disasters of Latin America Deforestation Cutting down and clearing away of trees The rain forests absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen o Slash-and-burn in the Amazon produces carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere

Man-Made Disasters of Latin America Global Warming The buildup carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, preventing heat from escaping into space and causing rising temps and shifting weather patterns

Man-Made Disasters of Latin America Oil-Spills A release of petroleum into the environment, due to human error o Often leads to catastrophic consequences to the environment and takes years to clean up

Petrotrin Oil spill A total eleven oil spills occurred in December 2013 off the Island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. o A massive die-off of numerous fish & other marine species occurred. o The fishing industry was also virtually wiped out.

Impact of Disasters Human impact o Injury/death o Loss of homes/property Economic impact o Loss of jobs/businesses Infrastructure impact o Damaged/destroyed roads, bridges, power grid, communications

Natural vs. Man-made Disasters Display Poster Step 1: With a partner, categorize and define the following disasters: Global Warming Deforestation Hurricanes Oil Spills Earthquakes Volcanic Eruptions Step 2: You MUST include the following on your poster: 1)Title & Names 2)Types + Definition of the 6 Disasters in the Appropriate Category 3)Illustration of each disaster BE CREATIVE – USE COLOR!