1 Introduction 1. Understand the conceptual relationships between natural processes, hazards, events, and catastrophes.

Ch. 1 Introduction

1. Understand the conceptual relationships between natural processes, hazards, events, and

catastrophes.

2. Understand the inverse relationship of hazard/disaster magnitude and its frequency of

occurrence, and how the magnitude of a catastrophe is proportional to population.

3. Be able to categorize natural geological processes as aspects of the rock, tectonic,

hydrological, or biogeochemical cycles.

4. Understand that natural hazards are fundamentally natural processes, which perform

valuable natural service functions (i.e., natural hazards have pros and cons, and are not

strictly cons).

5. Understand the five overlying principles for the study of natural hazards:

1. Natural hazards are predictable using science.

2. Risk analysis is an important component of natural hazard evaluation.

3. Natural hazards are not independent; one event can often lead to multiple subsequent

processes/events.

4. Events that were once disasters are often now catastrophes, due to increased populations.

5. Negative consequences of natural hazards can be minimized through intelligent planning;

these include land use regulations, engineering, and disaster preparation.

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Ch. 2 Plate Tectonics (and the Rock Cycle)

7. Understand the internal layering of the Earth, based on chemical composition/density and

physical perspectives (i.e., there are two systems). Be able to properly diagram the order

and position of the layers, from surface to deep interior, within each system. In doing so,

you are comfortable with the following regions:

 Crust  Lithosphere

 Mantle  Asthenosphere

 Core  Outer core

 Inner core

8. Know the trends for temperature and pressure within the earth's interior layers—how

does each change as you descend from the surface to the center?

9. Be able to identify multiple types of evidence we have for tectonic plate motion.

10. Know the relative density and thickness characteristics for oceanic and continental crust.

11. Understand how rock age of the seafloor supports the idea of divergent boundaries

beneath the oceans. What is the geographic pattern for the rock ages (in each ocean

basin)? What does that pattern imply about the formation mechanisms for the rock?

12. Know the direction of motion, and geographic examples, for each type of plate boundary.

13. Know the general geography and time of Pangaea.

14. Know what is meant by subduction and rift.

15. Understand the definition of a hot spot, and know geographic examples.

16. Understand how oceanic hot spots can produce islands, or island chains.

17. Understand the role of plate tectonic theory explaining the positions of continents, island

arcs, deep-sea trenches, ocean ridges, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

18. Understand the role of internal convection cells in driving plate motion.

19. Be able to solve distance-rate-time problems for geological movements.

20. Know the three major forms of rock which comprise the rock cycle. What processes are

necessary for each type to convert into the other? What provides the basic energy for the

rock cycle to exist?

Ch. 3 Earthquakes

21. Know general properties of P and S waves (method of propagation, relative velocity).

22. Know the distinction between the epicenter and focus (or hypocenter).

23. Be able to apply the technique for determining the epicenter of an earthquake.

24. On a seismogram, understand what the horizontal measurements are used for, versus the

vertical measurements?

25. Understand why earthquakes occur geographically where they do. Are they randomly

located around the world?

26. Recognize the logarithmic scale for earthquake magnitude, and be able to compute the

size differences between earthquakes of different magnitudes.

27. What is the distinction between earthquake magnitude and intensity of shaking? How

does the local geologic setting and construction materials affect intensity?

28. Understand how the nature of geological materials affects the susceptibility to motion

from earthquake waves. This is the phenomenon of material amplification.

29. Understand the phenomenon of liquefaction.

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30. Know what is meant by strike-slip, thrust, and normal faults. What are their analogies

with plate boundary types?

31. What types of other natural hazards can be initiated by earthquakes?

Ch. 5 Volcanoes

32. Understand the chain of consequences between the magma source material, magma

viscosity, the subsequent shape of the volcano, and its eruption characteristics.

33. Know the two major types of volcanoes (and fissures). Understand the distinctions

between their sizes and shapes.

34. Be able to identify volcanic features discussed in class.

35. Know where volcanoes geographically occur, and why they occur there.

36. Know the geographic meaning for the "Ring of Fire."

37. Be able to state the numerous types of hazards (i.e., various immediate and secondary

effects) associated with volcanic eruptions.

38. Understand how large volcanic eruptions can modify planetary climate, and why it is a

temporary effect. Is it the ash, or something else?

39. Is a pyroclastic flow the same thing as an ash cloud? If not, how is it different?

40. Be familiar with the general time of occurrence and notable circumstances of major

volcanic eruptions discussed in class.

41. Be familiar with volcanology vocabulary, including:

 magma

 lava

 pyroclastic flow

 nuée ardente

 caldera

 flood basalts

 lahar

Ch. 4 Tsunamis

42. Understand why the common term tidal wave is inappropriate for the description of

tsunamis.

43. What geophysical events are responsible for the creation of tsunamis?

44. Why is it that not all coastal earthquakes produce tsunamis?

45. Understand how the speed and amplitude of tsunamis changes with water depth, and what

consequences this has for deep water and coastal environments when a tsunami passes

through.

46. Why are tsunamis so large at the shore?

47. Be able to use a tsunami travel-time map to judge the arrival times of waves across the

ocean.

48. Understand why DART buoys are superior to tidal gauges in detecting the passage of

tsunamis.

49. Understand the potential for a giant tsunami from the Canary Islands, as well as reasons

that the likelihood of a megatsunami might be overstated.

50. Know what is meant by tsunami runup (y), versus the inundation (x).

51. What is the role of coastal land use in minimizing/maximizing the tsunami hazard?