It is a physical event that has the potential to cause life, injury or damage to property etc.

There can be short term events lasting few minutes or long term events lasting several
years.
Natural Hazards can be classified as under

(Earthquake / Volcanic Eruption) (Drought / Cyclones / Floods)

Moreover, the natural hazards can also be
classified as per their:
REMEMBER

 Magnitude or intensity of the For a disaster to be entered in UN Database

atleast 1 of the following conditions must
event.
be met:
 Speed at which the event takes 1. A report of 10 or more people killed
place 2. A report of 100 or more people
 Duration of the event affected
 Frequency of the event 3. A state of emergency declared by
the govt.
The impact of the natural disaster on a
4. A request by the relevant national
community will depend upon:
govt. for international assistance.
 Time length of people exposed to
the natural hazard
 Vulnerability of the people affected
 People’s ability to cope with the effect.

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Our earth has been divided into 3 layers:
 Crust (35 – 37°C)
 Mantle (4000°C) – except for
lower crust ‘Asthenosphere’ which
can be 1000°C
 Core (5000°C)
Moreover, the crust is divided into 2 types:
 OCEANIC CRUST – It is mainly made up of basalt and is thinner but denser due
to which it can sink and is continuously being renewed and destroyed.
 CONTINENTAL CRUST – It is mainly made up of granite and is thicker but
lighter in weight due to which it cannot sink and is neither destroyed nor renewed.

The earth’s surface is not a

continuous layer. It is fractured
and the sections are called
Tectonic Plates. The earth has
therefore, 7 major and 8 minor
tectonic plates which are as
follows:

 Euro Asian Plate  Philippine Plate

 African Plate  Indian Plate
 Australian plate  Arabian Plate
 Pacific Plate  Nazca Plate
 North American Plate  Caribbean Plate
 South American Plate  Cocos Plate
 Antarctic Plate  Juan de Fuca Plate
 Persian Plate

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All these Plates floats like a raft on the mantle. The heat from the core creates convection
current in the magma of the mantle and these causes the Plates to move. When the
convection current rise to the surface the plates moves away from each other and when it
sinks the Plates moves towards each other. The place where two Plates meet is called a
Plate Boundary. Most of the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions therefore, occurs along
the Plate Boundary.

There are three types of Plate Boundary Movements which are as follows:

This type of movement occurs when two

plates moves away from each other.
 C.C – Rift valleys are formed.
 C.O – Trenches are formed during
sea floor spreading method.
 O.O – Volcanic ridges are formed under the sea.

This type of movement occurs when two

plates moves towards each other.
 C.C – Fold Mountains are formed
on collision zone.

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  C.O – Oceanic plate sub-duct under the continental plate also known as Slab-
Pull. The continental plate is lifted up a little creating small hills.
 O.O – Fold Mountains under the sea are formed. Might result in an island.

This type of movement occurs when two

plates moves along each other.
 C.C – Earthquake occurs resulting
in the formation of Ridges on land.
 C.O – Bays are formed.
 O.O – Ridges are formed under the ocean surface.

Earthquakes are
vibrations in the
Earth's crust that
causes shaking at the
surface due to
sudden release of
gas / heat along a
fault line. They are
highly unpredictable
and often occur
suddenly without

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warning. As yet, we have no way of fully and accurately predicting when an earthquake
will occur. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on Richter Scale through a
Seismometer. The magnitude of an earthquake can be easily understood by the following
diagram:
Earthquake starts from the FOCUS and the point directly above it on the ground is called
EPICENTRE. The shockwaves which arose at the focus then travels outwards. The less
the distance of a place from the Epic Centre the more destruction it will face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0AEtX-uPLA

 The time – during winter or at night the effect of earthquake will be more destructive
 The duration – more duration will make the earth shake for a longer time creating
more destruction.
 The location – areas closer to epic center will face more damage than the areas
existing away from the epic center.
 The geology – an area with poor liquefaction (land with loose sediments and high
water content) will face lesser
destruction.
 The relief – mountainous and coastal
areas turns out to be more destructive
due to land sliding and tsunamis etc.

The difference is in the intensity of the

quake. The initial quake always has the
greatest power, or magnitude, as defined by the Richter scale. Aftershocks are smaller
quakes that then occur in the general area after the main quake. These earth movements
can continue until the crust readjusts to changes caused by the movement of rock.
Hundreds or even thousands of aftershocks can follow a major quake as in the case of the
8.2 magnitude quake off the coast of Iquique, Chile, where small quakes have continued
since April 1st. These quakes of lesser intensity will continue to be called aftershocks until
the activity returns to a normal state in that area which could take weeks or months.
Lesser intensity earthquakes can also have aftershocks, but are usually limited in nature.

Aftershocks are dangerous because they are usually unpredictable, can be of a large
magnitude, and can collapse buildings that are damaged from the main shock. Bigger

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earthquakes have more and larger aftershocks and the sequences can last for years or even
longer especially when a large event occurs in a seismically quiet area.

A volcano is a mountain or hill, typically conical,

having a crater or vent through which lava, rock
fragments, hot vapour, and gas are or have been
erupted from the earth's crust.
There are 2 types of volcanic activity:
 INTRUSIVE – When Magma cools
underground to form igneous rocks.
 EXTRUSIVE – When magma flows out onto
the earth’s surface as lava.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNGUdObDoLk

1. Magma – Molten rock

beneath earth’s surface.
2. Parasitic Cone – A small cone
shaped volcano formed by an
accumulation of volcanic
debris
3. Sill – A flat piece of rock
formed when magma hardens
in a crack in a volcano
4. Flank – The side of a volcano
5. Vent – An opening in earth’s
surface through which volcanic
materials escape.
6. Lava – Molten rock that erupts
from a volcano that solidifies
as it cools.
7. Crater – Mouth of a volcano – surrounds a volcanic vent.
8. Conduit – An underground passage magma travels through.
9. Summit – Highest point; apex

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 10. Throat – Entrance of a volcano. The part of the conduit that ejects lava and volcanic
ash.
11. Ash – Fragments of lava or rock smaller than 2mm in size that are blasted into the
air by volcanic explosions.
12. Ash Cloud – A cloud of ash formed by volcanic explosions.
13. Pyroclastic Flow – Hot gases, ash and volcanic bombs which could gain speed over
100 km/hr and a temperature of 200°C – 700°C

There are 3 types of volcanoes as per their occurrences:

1. Active – Its eruptions can be anytime and often.
2. Dormant – It has been a while since it has erupted, but could erupt any time in the
near future.
3. Extinct – It hasn't erupted in a very long, long time so it probably won't ever again.
Usually due to the breaking of conduit.

Volcanoes can be classified into 4 types as per their shape and sizes:

1. – They are usually flat and

found on constructive plate boundaries. If the
magma is runny, the gas can escape easily and there
will not be an explosion. The magma just comes out
of the mountain and flows down the sides. Shield
volcanoes are shaped like a bowl or shield in the
middle with long gentle slopes made by the lava
flows. Examples include the volcanoes in Hawaii
and Mount Etna.

2. – They are usually tall

and thin and found on destructive plate boundaries.
If the magma is thick and sticky (like honey), the gas
cannot escape, so it builds up and up until it explodes
sending out huge clouds of burning rock and gas.
Composite volcanoes are steep-sided volcanoes
composed of many layers of volcanic rocks, usually
made from thick sticky lava, ash and rock debris
(broken pieces). These volcanoes are also known as Strato-Volcanoes. Examples
include Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Mount Shasta and Lassen

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 in California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount St.
Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington and Mt.
Etna in Italy
3. – They are circular or oval cones
built from erupting lava that breaks into small pieces
as it shoots into the air. As small pieces fall back to
the ground, they cool and form cinders around the
vent.

4. – These volcanoes are formed when

erupting lava is too thick to flow and makes a steep-
sided mound as the lava piles up near the volcanic
vent.

Tropical cyclone, also called typhoon or hurricane, an intense circular storm that originates
over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds,
and heavy rain.

Tropical cyclones are compact, circular storms, generally some 320 km (200 miles) in
diameter, whose winds swirl around a central region of low atmospheric pressure. The
winds are driven by this low-pressure core and by the rotation of Earth, which deflects the
path of the wind through a phenomenon known as the Coriolis force. As a result, tropical
cyclones rotate in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a
clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2UDbDXXYGE

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The categories of cyclones are as follows:

A characteristic feature of tropical cyclones is the eye, a central region of clear skies, warm
temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure. Typically, atmospheric pressure at the surface
of Earth is about 1,000 millibars. At the centre of a tropical cyclone, however, it is typically
around 960 millibars, and in a very intense “super typhoon” of the western Pacific it may
be as low as 880 millibars. In addition to low pressure at the centre, there is also a rapid
variation of pressure across the storm, with most of the variation occurring near the centre.
This rapid variation results in a large pressure gradient force, which is responsible for the
strong winds present in the eye-wall.

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 The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The
eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically 30–65 kilometers (19–40 miles)
in diameter. It is surrounded by the eye wall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where
the most severe weather and highest winds occur.

The most dangerous and destructive part of a tropical cyclone is the eye-wall. Here
winds are strongest, rainfall is heaviest, and deep convective clouds rise from close
to Earth’s surface to a height of 15,000 meters (49,000 feet)

In addition to deep convective cells surrounding the eye, there are often secondary
cells arranged in bands around the centre. These bands, commonly called rain bands,
spiral into the centre of the storm. In some cases the rain bands are stationary relative
to the centre of the moving storm, and in other cases they seem to rotate around the
centre.

There are six main requirements for tropical cyclone to generate which are as follows:
1. Warm sea surface temperature
2. Atmospheric instability
3. High humidity in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere,
4. Enough Coriolis force to sustain a low pressure center
5. A pre-existing low level focus or disturbance
6. Low vertical wind shear (a difference in wind speed or direction over a relatively
short distance in the atmosphere)

Flooding is an overflowing of water onto

land that is normally dry. Floods can happen
during heavy rains, when ocean waves come
on shore, when snow melts quickly, or when
dams or levees break. Damage
of flooding may happen with only a few
inches of water, or it may cover a house to
the rooftop.

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A hydrograph shows you the ways in which a river is affected by a storm. This helps us to
understand discharge patterns of a particular drainage basin and helps to predict flooding
and plan flood prevention measures. As you can see in the graph below, the peak rainfall
is the time of highest rainfall.

 The volume of water passing through a measuring point or

gauging station during a given time measured in cubic meters per second (cm3/sec)
(cumecs)
 the time difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge.
 The maximum rate that water enters soil
 the amount of moisture present in the soil
before a rainfall event occurs.

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  rocks which doesn’t allow the water to pass through them.
 the vertical movement of water from the soil into the
underlying rocks.
 the process by which vegetation prevents rainfall from
reaching the surface directly, the intercepted rainfall is temporarily held as
interception storage and then either falls directly to the ground or is evaporated back
to the atmosphere.

Flooding in general means when the water in the river exceeds the capacity of the river.
Flooding usually occurs due to the following reasons:
 Heavy Rains  Storm Surges and Tsunamis
 Overflowing Rivers  Channels with Steep Sides
 Broken Dams  A Lack of Vegetation
 Urban Drainage Basins  Melting Snow and Ice
PHYSICAL
IMPACTS
CAUSES
Heavy intense rainfall can exceed the infiltration capacity of the soil
and lead to an increase in overland flow. Steady prolonged rainfall
Weather can saturate the soil and cause the water table to rise, reducing
infiltration capacity. Overland flow will occur if snowmelt is rapid
and the ground beneath frozen.
Antecedent soil moisture refers to the amount of water in the soil
Previous weather before a rainfall event. The more saturated the soil, the less
infiltration and the more overland flow.
Impermeable soils and rocks, such as clay or granite, have a low
Soil and rock
infiltration capacity and percolation rate, which leads to greater
type
overland flow.
Steeper gradients can lead to faster overland flow and water has little
Relief
time to infiltrate.
Earthquake, These natural hazards can produce tsunamis and storm surges that
volcanoes and flood low lying coastal areas.
tropical cyclones.
HUMAN
IMPACTS
CAUSES
Deforestation Cutting down trees reduces interception and infiltration
Concrete and tarmac are impermeable surfaces that lead to more
Urbanization overland flow. Storm drain speeds up the movement of water to the
nearest river.
Overgrazing and leaving soil exposed reduces interception.
Agriculture
Ploughing down rather than across slopes quickly channels the water

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 downwards. Heavy farm machinery compacts the soil, making it
impermeable.
Enhanced global warming may lead to arise in sea levels, as well as
Climate change
more rainfall and storm in certain parts of the world.

 Plantation of trees along the banks to reduce the effect of floods

 Preventing soil erosion
 Flood warning system
 Drainage facilities and refugees / flood affected Management Cell
 Building more canals to divert the flood water
 Constructing cemented levees in order to raise the river embankments etc.

 Floods also brought many advantages:

 Return nutrients back to the land.
 Distribute rich sediments and refresh the streams
 High level of fish production due to availability of nutrients
 Recharge the ground water supply
 Provide water to those areas which are far from any water sources

A drought is a period of time when an area or

region experiences below-normal
precipitation. The lack of adequate
precipitation, either rain or snow, can cause
reduced soil moisture or groundwater,
diminished stream flow, crop damage, and a
general water shortage.

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Following are the 5 natural and human factors which causes drought.

 As overall temperatures increase

more water evaporates and severe weather conditions increase. Landscapes and
crops need more water to survive and overall the demand for water increases. This
is why it is so important to consider changes in ET (evapotranspiration) when
discussing water savings. You might be using more water or less water depending
on weather conditions.
 Key events like El
Nino or La Nina help contribute to drought in areas. All the water we ever had we
have today and it is stored in the air or on land. Weather patterns move the water in
the air around. This is constantly changing.
 When soil moisture is depleted there is less
evaporation of water to create clouds. Surface temperatures rise, more water is
needed and less is available which contributes to a more severe drought.
 When a region is growing
rapidly the demand for water can exceed the supply. When weather conditions,
temperatures or air patterns push a region toward a drought the demand for water
by people can offset or worsen the situation depending on how the region reacts.
Excessive irrigation is an excellent of people contributing to a drought.
 Proper storage and
collection of water is key to counter balancing this cycle and clearly in the scope of
human management. Severe droughts also impact the migration of people. As
countries continue to protect their natural resources people will move to water. The
amount and timing of the movement can contribute to water issues not previously
felt before.

The effect of drought on physical environment is severe. The land is turned into deserts
and barren topography. It can result into outbreak of different malnutrition problems and
even starvation can cause causalities among humans, cattle and even aquatic plants and
organisms.

 Water and food storage should be practiced

 More dams, barrages etc. should be made to overcome the water shortage
problem.
 Drought resistant seeds should be produced.

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