Disaster Hotspot Case Study - California

Disaster hotspot is an places at risk from 2 or more hazards
Earthquakes
1. The San Andreas fault line runs the length of California which is a conservative plate boundary
2. Occur when pressure between the plates build up and then suddenly released and jerk past each other
3. California has 2 or 3 earthquakes that can damage buildings each year
4. Chance of a 7.0 earthquake to hit San Franciso bay by 2025
Droughts
1. Caused by anticyclones. Dry sinking air means no rain
2. Also caused by La Nina events which means less evaporation so there's less precipitaion
3. Increased wind blowing westward from desert areas
4. California suffers from wildfires during droughts which spread quickly over wide areas
5. 2007 wildfires killed 22 people and destroyed 1300 homes
Tsunami
1. Series of large waves in a coastal area
2. Caused by earthquakes on the sea bed
3. Earthquake under the pacific ocean causes a tsunami in California
Landslides
1. Occur on unstable steep slopes
2. Caused by earthquakes
3. Risk is high in California because of building on and around steep slopes
Volcanoes
1. Hasn't been one in California since 1915
2. Volcanoes being monitored
Parts of California are vulnerable
1. 70% of California live with in 50 km of the fault line
2. There are buildings on unstable land which causes increased risk of landslides
3. 20% of residents live below the poverty line
4. Big economy so huge economic loss when a disaster happens

Resource summary

	Created by olw-1234 over 11 years ago