What are Extreme Natural Events? Learning outcomes: 1. Understanding the difference between an extreme natural event and a natural disaster. 2. Explain the difference between natural disasters and other hazards. 3. Identify natural hazards in NZ, Australia & the South- west Pacific 4. Draw and interpret a Venn diagram

Natural events Caused by nature Occur frequently in many environments Is a result of a series of processes. Example: The rainfall process

Extreme natural events Occur less frequently They are natural hazards only if they threaten people’s activities and property Extreme natural events put people’s actions, property and resources at risk. They are likely to modify or change environment. A river after a flood

Examples of Extreme Natural events Damage after a tornado Earth quake damage Damage after a volcano erupted

Human error vs. Extreme natural event Ballantyne’s fire-possibly caused by electric fault Napier fire-caused by 1931 earthquake

Important terms: Onset Period-Some natural events build up more slowly, and give more warning, than others. A tropical cyclone has a much slower onset period than a hailstorm Duration-Some extreme natural events last longer than others. A drought lasts much longer than an earthquake which may be over in a few seconds. Frequency-Some extreme natural events occur less frequently than others but cause more damage when they occur.

New Zealand’s Natural hazards New Zealand’s environment is largely mountainous and geologically active. It is surrounded by ocean and lies across a belt of westerly winds. Consequently extreme natural events occur frequently in New Zealand. New Zealand’s population distribution and cultural processes (eg. farming, urbanisation) expose it to a range of natural hazards.

Natural hazards in New Zealand Flooding Earthquakes Volcanic Eruptions Landslips TornadosCoastal erosion Bush fires Cyclones Blizzards Thunderstorms Hailstorms Droughts

Australia’s Natural Hazards Australia’s natural and coltural environments are different from New Zealand’s Natural hazards in Australia include droughts, bush fires, tropical cyclones and floods Different parts of Australia are affected by different natural hazards

South–west Pacific Islands natural hazards The islands of the South-west Pacific have different natural and cultural environments from both New Zealand and Australia. They have a tropical climate, are surrounded by ocean, and consist mainly of small volcanic islands and coral atolls. The most common extreme natural events are tropical cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and droughts.

Now consolidate your learning through completing the following activities: 1. Venn Diagram activity 2. Learning Activity