Natural Disasters Overview

Earthquakes

• Caused by tectonic plate movements.
• Common near tectonic plate edges; 90% occur in the "Ring of Fire."
• Most intense recorded: 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake, magnitude 9.5.
• Deadliest: 1556 Shaanxi earthquake, >830,000 deaths.
• Types: Megathrust earthquakes (e.g., 10 largest recorded).
• Can trigger tsunamis, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods.

Volcanic Eruptions

• Occur at Earth's crust ruptures.
• Most are underwater due to tectonic plate boundaries.
• "Ring of Fire" contains a significant portion of the world’s volcanoes.
• Large eruptions can cause volcanic winters (e.g., 1815 Mount Tambora eruption).
• Supervolcanoes: Rare but devastating eruptions (e.g., Yellowstone Caldera).

Hail

• Ice balls formed in storms with strong winds.
• Common in thunderstorms; distinct from ice pellets.
• Major disasters in Germany and Australia ($2 billion damages).

Landslides

• Sudden movements of rock, soil, debris down slopes.
• Can be triggered by earthquakes; potential to cause tsunamis.
• Deadliest: Landslides in China triggered by an earthquake.

Hurricanes

• Rotating storm systems over warm ocean waters.
• Require sustained winds of 75 mph or more.
• Deadliest in US: Hurricane Katrina (2005).

Cold Waves

• Rapid temperature drops requiring extra protection.
• Damage to infrastructure (e.g., frozen pipelines).
• Increased risk of intense fires; air denser with more oxygen.

Avalanches

• Types: Slab (tightly packed) and loose snow avalanches.
• Often accelerated by the snowball effect.
• Worst: 1970 Peru avalanche after an earthquake.

Heat Waves

• Prolonged periods of extreme heat and humidity.
• Economic and health impacts; increased wildfire risk.
• Deadliest: 2003 European heat wave.

Tornadoes

• Types: Multiple vortex, varying intensity (EF scale).
• US has most tornadoes, especially in "Tornado Alley."
• Deadliest: 1925 Tri-State Tornado.

Flooding

• Human and climate-related causes (e.g., deforestation, sea-level rise).
• Floods can spread diseases (e.g., cholera) and damage infrastructure.
• Worst: 1931 China floods.

Wildfires

• Some ecosystems rely on fires; prescribed burns prevent overgrowth.
• Common in areas with climatic cycles of wet and dry periods.
• Spread types: Ground, crawling, ladder, crown.
• Deadliest: 1871 Peshtigo fire.

Tsunamis

• Caused by water displacement (e.g., earthquakes, landslides).
• Fast-moving in deep ocean; height increases in shallow waters.
• Historical markers in Japan (tsunami stones) indicate past tsunami heights.
• Deadliest: 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Drought

• Prolonged dry conditions, often in tropics.
• Can exacerbate wildfires and cause famines.
• Dust Bowl (1930) in the US: severe drought and dust storms.

For further discussion or suggestions, join the Discord community.