Undergraduate Course: Natural Hazards (EASC08011)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The restlessness of our planet is a consequence of the dynamic processes that operate over time both within it, on its surface and in its atmosphere. The dynamic character of the Earth System is not only responsible for our own existence, but also for inevitable natural hazards. This course will introduce the Earth System as a basis for characterising and understanding natural hazards, their causes and consequences. The major types of natural hazard will be described, analysed and assessed in terms of their underlying causes as well as their socio-economic and environmental impacts. This course capitalises on natural synergies between subsurface, surface and human dimensions of the Earth System. Hazards to be considered will include earthquakes and tsunamis, volcanic hazards (local, regional and global scale), meteorological hazards (hurricanes, tornados, dust storms, El Nino, flooding and coastal erosion), topographic hazards such as collapse of unstable slopes, and hazards arising from climate change. The evidence for past natural catastrophes and hazards, recorded in natural archives, will be described along with remote sensing methods for documenting current hazards and hazard risk. The principles and application of risk assessment and analysis will be considered with respect to case studies. The course will conclude with an overview of human settlement, planning and policy in relation to natural hazards in the light of their socio-economic impacts. The Course comprises 20 lectures supplemented by a series of laboratory classes, together with a directed programme of reading. The Course is assessed by degree examination together with a course project and class exercises. |
| Course description |
Week 1: Introduction (Dr. Eliza Calder)
L1-L2. Our Restless Earth and Natural Hazards.
The basic character and features of the Earth as a site for natural hazards. Plate tectonics, sites of earthquakes, volcanism and tectonic activity versus areas of little activity. Definition, types of natural hazard, broad features and characterisation in terms of causes and effects. Historical records and perspectives. The inevitability of hazards.
Risk and Risk Assessment in relation to Natural Hazards.
Principles of risk and risk analysis. Risk of occurrence versus risk associated with impact on humanity and environment.
Weeks 2-4: Meteorological Hazards (Dr. David Stevenson/Dr. Ruth Doherty)
L3-L8. Meteorological Hazards.
Introduction: the main climate-/weather-related hazards in context of all natural hazards. Natural climate variability effects on the distribution and magnitudes of these hazards. How might (anthropogenic) climate change affect these hazards? Tropical cyclones and their prediction. Mid- latitudes storms and weather warnings over the UK. Floods and flood warnings. Heatwaves and droughts.
Weeks 5-6: Earthquake Hazards and Tsunamis (Dr. Andrew Bell)
L9-L12. Earthquake Hazards and Tsunamis.
Earthquake phenomenology: properties of seismic waves
The earthquake source: working out earthquake size and focal mechanism
Earthquake hazard: how do we quantify the hazard for planning and protection?
TTsunami: causes and effects, early warning systems. .
Weeks 7-8: Volcanic Hazards (Dr. Eliza Calder)
L13-L16.Volcanic Hazards.
Volcanism, its physical and chemical phenomenology; types of volcanoes and eruptions; Products of eruptions (lava, pyroclasts, gas); hazards, proximal and distal in accordance with volcano and eruption types; regional and global atmospheric effects.
Weeks 9: Hazards by Slope Instabilities (Dr. Eliza Calder)
L17-18 Hazard associated with surface topography and slope instability.
Landslips and slope collapse; links with earthquakes, volcanism and weather.
Week 10: Hazards, Risk and Humans (Dr. Eliza Calder)
L19-20 Natural Hazards and Humans.
Human settlement and population distributions in relation to natural hazards; effects of natural hazards on human beings; planning and policy for natural disasters.
Week 11: Revision (Dr. Andrew Bell and Dr. Ruth Doherty)
L21 Overview of Seismic Hazards (AB).
L22 Overview of Meteorological Hazards (RD).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 130 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 9,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Natural Hazards | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
| By the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the main natural hazards and therefore be capable of recognising, defining and describing the variety and diversity of natural hazards that affect the Earth's surface environments. Students will be capable of explaining the relationships between geohazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanism, slope collapse), active tectonic processes expressed on the Earth's surface and underlying processes in the Earth. They will also be able to understand and explain the relationships between meteorological hazards and the underlying physical processes operating in the atmosphere. Using routine techniques in natural hazard analysis (natural and historical records and remote sensing of present-day images) students will develop an appreciation of the incidence and significance of impacts as hazards both at present and in the past. An appreciation of the basic principles of risk will be developed and then applied to determine the risk associated with specific types of natural hazard, in order to appreciate the complexity of dealing with these issues at the professional level. Each student will submit a course project addressing key issues in Natural Hazards.
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Reading List
Keller, EA and Blodgett RH., Natural Hazards ¿ Earth¿s Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, Pearson Prentice Hall (2nd edition, September 2008)
Additional Texts for further reading: See list on Learn.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Lectures are: Tues 12-1 and Fri 11-12
Practicals are: Thurs 10-11 OR 11-12 OR Fri 9-10 OR Fri 10-11
Student sign up for 1 practical class out of the 4 classes offered. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Eliza Calder
Tel: (0131 6)50 4910
Email: Eliza.Calder@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Nicola Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: Nikki.Muir@ed.ac.uk |
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