Opening Activity In your notebook: What are some safety precautions people should take during an earthquake? (not just at school or home) 1/12

Notebook Set-Up for the today 4 Squares Asking you to write down what you DON’T know

Natural Disasters 1.What are they? 2.How to predict? 3.How to monitor? 4.Resources after the event?

#1

What is it?

Earthquake The shifting and rubbing of tectonic plates as they move past one another. Rated on the Richter Magnitude Scale 1 being the weakest and 10 the worst. A 7 is 10x worse than a 6, 100x worse than a 5, 1000x worse than a 4. (a 3 is barely felt by people)

Remember when we learned about faults in rock models?

#2

How do we predict it?

Earthquake Prediction We cannot predict an earthquake. However, with accurate seismograph readings, we can issue a 30 second warning before the major shaking occurs. (Quake as already started though) Sometimes animals will display unusual behaviors. They can feel the early vibrations that humans can’t.

High risks of Earthquakes (correlates to volcano locations as well)

#3

How do we monitor it?

Earthquake Monitoring Seismograph – Records the displacement of an earthquake. (the amount of movement)

#4

Resources

Tornado Resources and Effects Term Examples Direct Losses Loss of life, house, farmland, property, vehicles, resources (electricity, water, gas, etc.) Indirect Losses Loss of business revenue, tourism, taxes, travel Market Effects Loss of jobs and leisure activities Costs Cost of prevention (building modifications) Cost of aftermath (fixing roads, property, damaged buildings, etc.) Redistribution People may have to move. Electricity, water, gas may have to come from a new place. Wealth Property values decrease significantly. Loss of tourism and business effects local revenue.

Earthquake Cost Facts US experiences about 55,000 earthquakes each year (most below a 3.5 – which humans barely feel) Since 1980, in federal costs, US has given almost $350 billion dollars. Earthquakes kill approximately 13,000 people per year. Since 1980, $12 billion per year as been lost due to earthquakes in US. Largest recorded earthquake in US – 9.2 Alaska

#1

What is it?

Drought/Heat Waves/Dust Storm Drought is a prolonged and unusually low precipitation for a region. Heat waves are unusually high pressure systems that prevent rain and can cause very high temperatures. Dust Storms can be caused when winds pick up and carry dirt or dust. Common during dry droughts.

Most droughts are caused by the rain shadow effect, where mountains prevent moisture from one region.

Where areas are experiencing the most droughts? Why?

#2

How do we predict it?

Hurricane Prediction Scientists cannot predict droughts outside of a month or so. Read global weather patterns and radar to determine amounts of rain. Looking for high pressure systems and low wind. Scientists cannot predict dust storms, but can issue watches/warnings when wind picks up in extremely dry locations.

Predictions?

#3

How do we monitor it?

Drought/Dust Storm Monitoring Drought – Watch radar for high and low pressure systems. High pressure will continue to be dry. Wind can also allow for a loss of moisture. Dust Storms – Primarily using radar. Dust storms will appear and can be tracked looking at wind patterns. There is no telling exactly when one will stop.

Notice mostly blue… since no rain or moisture.

#4

Resources

Drought/Dust Storm Resources and Effects Term Examples Direct Losses Loss of life, livestock, water resources Indirect Losses Loss of business revenue, tourism, taxes, travel Market Effects Loss of jobs and leisure activities Costs Cost of prevention (irrigation systems, water management, etc.) Cost of aftermath (redistributing of water, water management) Redistribution People may have to move. Water may have to come from a new place. Wealth Property values decrease significantly. Loss of tourism and business effects local revenue.

Drought/Dust Storm Cost Facts Drought of 2012 (one of the worse and effected almost the entire country) costed US $12 billion dollars. California drought of 2015 costed them $3 billion dollars (just California). Food cost around the US rise when we have droughts (and normally don’t go back down). 1930s had the great Dust Bowl which destroyed much of the Midwest agriculture. Scientists have been able to avoid most of that happening again drought saw some of the largest dust storms since 1930.