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David.

F
HOW DO NATURAL DISASTERS AFFECT US?
Natural disasters start in different ways depending what disaster it is. A natural disaster is a
natural event that can kill and destroy all sorts of buildings. There is no way of avoiding natural
disasters but scientists have made many ways to detect them. Every year around 258 million
people are affected by natural disasters.
There are different types of natural disasters such as Tsunamis, Volcanic eruption and bushfires.
All natural disasters cannot be avoided but people study them for ways to be ready when they
happen and of how to survive the aftermath.

TSUNAMIS
Tsunamis are giant waves that are caused by undersea earthquakes, landsides, volcanos,
meteorites and more. Just before a tsunami the water is dragged away from the coast. When this
happens most people go take a look of whats going on. Then a short while after it comes back in a
giant wave. These giant waves can sometimes be 20 meters in the air! Tsunamis slow down when
they hit shallow water but get taller, this is called the shoaling effect, because of the shoaling
effect a tsunami can grow 7 meters in height. Tsunamis can
travel at 800 km per an hour.
The way people measure tsunamis is usually how high it
was when it hit ground. Tsunamis are detected by the
earthquake that caused it. The earthquake is monitored by
seismic monitoring stations. A tsunami is then detected by
sea level monitoring stations.
One Tsunamis the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, all so known
as Indian Ocean tsunami. It hit 14 countries over 2
continents. The earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1-9.3. In
total 141,000 houses were destroyed, 275,000 people died.
Germany and Sweden suffered with 1000 German and
Swedish tourists dead. 14 billion dollars where funded to
aid the countries effected.




The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami hitting Ao
Nang in Thailand
David.F
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
When a volcano explodes hot gas comes out. A small earthquake starts the process. Magma then
starts to rise when its lighter than the rocks around it. Magma is made out of melted rock. Magma
is 700c-1300c. The gas comes out of a crater. In the gas is sulphur, after an eruption people mine
the dried sulphur which comes of the volcano gas. Some volcanoes are so power full it can blow
half a mountain apart. Pyroclastic gas is another gas that comes out of volcanoes. This gas can
cause long winters by blocking out the suns. Some volcanoes can happen under water.
An example of pyroclastic gas is Tambora in Indonesia. It erupted in 1815. 92,000 people died and
the following year there was no summer at all. In Europe people had droughts because there was
no sun for their crops. It even affected the USA!! It was also the biggest volcano that erupted.
BUSH FIRES
Bushfires (also known as wildfires) is a fire in the county side. These fires can be caused by lighting
and arsonists. The fire triangle is the 3 things of what a fire needs to keep going. Oxygen, heat and
fuel. If it loses one of these the triangle is broken and stops the fire. All fires have an ignition point.
The ignition point is the temperature the fire has to be to start. Fires fighters dumb water on the
fire to get it below the ignition point or at least slow it down. Weather can also slow down or
speed up fires.
In 2009, February the 7
th
, Victoria in Australia it was 46c,
the wind went 100 km per an hour and the region had little
rain the last 2 months. It was dry and hot. On that day 400
fires started! The top speed was 12 km but people claim in
some places it was 600 km. spot fires where 35 kilometres
in front of the main fire. 414 people were injured, 2100
Homes were destroyed and 173 people died. The fire had
the power of 1500 Hiroshima bombs.

Natural disasters destroy homes and kill people but there is no way to avoid them so there all
ways going to happen. Instead of trying to avoid them people have to try and detect them before
they affect people. We have to learn
How to find ways to save lives during natural disasters, or at least slow them down to get people
out of the affected zone. Thank you for reading this.
GLOSSARY
Arsonists: People that deliberately set fires.
A house after the black Saturday bush fires.
David.F
Hiroshima bomb: The Atom bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
Seismic: Vibrations under the earths crust. Also relates to earthquakes.
Spot fires: Fires that are in front of the main fire.

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