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TI225 Natural Hazards: Incidence and Management

Course Convenor:   Dr. Kieran Hickey
Lectures:                 Mon 10:00 - 11:00 Tyndall; Mon 13:00 - 14:00 Dillon Theater
Office Hours:           tbc

Download course outline here. 
 

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Course Summary

In 2011 Swiss Re estimated that global disasters cost $108 billion more than double the 2010 figure of $48 billion.

This course sets out to examine the occurrence of particular types of natural hazards, how they are generated and the kinds of impacts they can produce. The recent flooding and current cold spell are examples of the kinds of hazards that can occur. The course will also assess how society has developed systems for predicting these events and how attempts are made to reduce the severity of the impacts generated. The course will be focused on a detailed examination of number of particular types of hazard with individual case studies from around the world including both the Asian and Japanese Tsunami Disasters, Hurricane Katrina and some examples from Ireland. Each type of natural hazard on the course will be examined in terms of how it is generated and what factor contribute to the severity of the occurrence and its impacts, the hazard prediction methods, the warning systems and the societal and institutional responses to the hazards both in terms of prevention and reduction in severity. The course will be supported by a group project on profiling an individual disaster.
 

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Course Structure

The course is broken down into four parts. The first will provide an introduction to key theories and concepts. The second part of the course will look at the tectonic zone including case studies of particular earthquakes including secondary impacts such as tsunami and volcanic eruptions. The third part of the course will look at the weather zone with an examination of Ireland’s recent disastrous weather, hurricanes and tornadoes again including a number of case studies. The fourth component of the course is the continuous assessment consisting of a practical and a report.

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Course Assessment

This consists of two components. The first part is the continuous assessment which consists of two pieces of work. The first part is a practical on calculating recurrence intervals and is worth 10% of the overall module mark and will be 1,000 words in length. The second part is a group report (strictly not more than 2 students per group - any project with more than 2 names on it will not be marked). This will be 3,000 words in length and in the form of a research report. The project accounts for 30% of the overall module mark. The second component is the exam which will be of two hours duration and you will have to answer two questions, not more than one question from any section and account for 60% of the overall course mark or 30% for each question.

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Course Outline

PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL HAZARDS

Lecture 1: Introduction to course, definitions.
Lectures 2-3: Historical development of theories of natural hazards.
Lecture 4: Time and space in disasters.
Lectures 5: Disaster warnings, planning for disasters and preparedness.
Lecture 6: Human responses during the disaster and the aftermath.
Lecture 7: Psychological impacts after the disaster.

PART 2: THE TECTONIC ZONE

Lectures 8-9: Incidence and structure of earthquakes.
Lecture 10: Case Study 1: The Kobe (Japan) earthquake of 17/1/1995.
Lecture 11-12: Case Study 2: The Asian Tsunami Disaster of 26/12/2004.
Lecture 13: Plate tectonics, the generation of volcanoes and the eruption
of magma.
Lecture14: Lava movement and pyroclasts.
Lecture 15: Predicting volcanic eruptions.
Lecture 16: Human responses and adjustments to the volcanic hazard and the
benefits of volcanoes.
Lecture 17-18: Case Study 3: Icelandic volcanism and the Heimaey (Iceland)
volcanic eruption of 24/1-31/5/1973.


PART 3: THE WEATHER ZONE

Lecture 19: Weather hazards in Ireland
Lecture 20: Case Study 4: The 2009-2010 weather disasters in Ireland
Lecture 21 Causes of Hurricanes
Lecture 22 Case Study 5: Hurricane Katrina, USA 29/8/2005
Lecture 23 Causes of Tornadoes
Lecture 24 Case Study 6: Tornadoes in Ireland.


PART 4: CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

A) The calculation of recurrence intervals
After two tutorials on the frequency of natural disasters and recurrence intervals, you will be required to calculate and justify a recurrence interval from a given data set (1,000 words). The deadline for submission is Thursday the 23rd February at 12.30am to Clodagh Raleigh’s Office.

B) Profile of a natural disaster
There will be one tutorial to outline in detail the requirements of this project. In this project you will work in groups of 2. The report will consist of an analysis of a major natural disaster that has occurred (from a list provided). This will include date of event, cause of event, extent of event and damage caused, size of event, recurrence interval, realistic adjustments that could be made to reduce impact of future hazards and sources of information.
The deadline for completion of the report is Thursday 22nd March at 12.30pm to Clodagh Raleigh’s Office.



PART 5: READING LIST 1 

Possible text books (there should be second hand copies available).

Smith K. and Petley D.N. (2008) Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster, 5th Edition, New York, Routledge.

McGuire W. (2002) A Guide to the End of the World, Oxford University Press

Keller E.A. and Blodgett R.H. (2008) Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, 2nd Edition, New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall

E-Book on Library System (readable)
Smith K. (2004) Environmental Hazards: Assessing Risk and Reducing Disaster, 4th Edition, New York, Routledge, 2 copies.

    

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