NATURAL HAZARDS, SECOND EDITION

This updated new edition presents a comprehensive, inter-disciplinary analysis of the complete range of natural hazards. Edward Bryant describes and explains how hazards occur, examines prediction methods, considers recent and historical hazard events and explores the social impact of such disasters. Supported by over 180 maps, diagrams and photographs, this standard text is an invaluable guide for students and professionals in the field. First Edition Hb (1991): 0-521-37295-X First Edition Pb (1991): 0-521-37889-3 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Illustrations......Page 11 Preface......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 17 RATIONALE......Page 19 The world of myths and legends......Page 20 Catastrophism vs. uniformitarianism......Page 21 The relationship between humans and natural hazards......Page 23 Hazard statistics......Page 24 CHAPTER OUTLINES......Page 28 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 31 PART 1 CLIMATIC HAZARDS......Page 33 How air moves......Page 35 Palmén–Newton model of global circulation......Page 36 Changes in jet stream paths......Page 39 Mobile polar highs......Page 40 Introduction......Page 42 El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events......Page 45 La Niña events......Page 47 Global long-term links to drought and floods......Page 48 Links to other hazards......Page 49 North Atlantic Oscillation......Page 52 North Pacific Oscillation......Page 53 Solar cycles......Page 55 The 18.6-year MN lunar cycle......Page 57 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 59 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 60 Introduction......Page 62 Mechanics of cyclone generation......Page 63 Magnitude and frequency......Page 66 World cyclone disasters......Page 68 Hurricane Andrew, 24 August 1992......Page 69 Hurricane Mitch, October/November 1998......Page 71 Australia......Page 72 United States......Page 74 Bangladesh (East Pakistan)......Page 75 EXTRA-TROPICAL CYCLONES......Page 76 Formation......Page 77 Historical events......Page 78 Formation......Page 81 United States Ash Wednesday storm of 7 March 1962......Page 82 Australian east-coast storms of May–June 1974......Page 83 The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race storm of 27–29 December 1998......Page 84 Snowstorms......Page 85 Notable events......Page 86 Impact of snowstorms......Page 87 Freezing rain......Page 90 Blizzards......Page 89 Causes......Page 91 Recurrence intervals......Page 94 Probability of exceedence diagrams......Page 95 Introduction......Page 96 Formation......Page 97 The role of dust......Page 98 Frequency of dust storms......Page 99 Major storm events......Page 100 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 101 Thunderstorms......Page 103 Lightning......Page 106 Hail......Page 108 Introduction......Page 111 Dust devils, mountainadoes, fire tornadoes and waterspouts......Page 112 Structure of a tornado......Page 113 Occurrence......Page 115 Tornado destruction......Page 117 Response......Page 118 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 120 PRE-COLONIAL RESPONSE TO DROUGHT......Page 121 POST-COLONIAL RESPONSE......Page 123 Societies that expect drought: the United States......Page 124 Societies that don’t expect drought: the United Kingdom......Page 126 Those that lose......Page 127 Those that win......Page 129 Laissez-faire: the Australian policy......Page 130 International relief organizations......Page 131 International aid ‘flops’......Page 132 PRIVATE RESPONSES: BOB GELDOF......Page 133 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 136 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 137 Magnitude and frequency of heavy rainfall......Page 138 Flood power......Page 140 Synoptic patterns favoring flash flooding......Page 142 Maximum probable rainfall......Page 143 Urban flash floods......Page 145 Mississippi River floods......Page 149 Great Australian floods......Page 151 Flooding in China......Page 153 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 155 INTRODUCTION......Page 157 CONDITIONS FAVORING INTENSE BUSHFIRES......Page 158 CAUSES OF FIRES......Page 161 BUSHFIRE DISASTERS: WORLD PERSPECTIVE......Page 162 Fire history......Page 163 Recent disasters......Page 165 Conditions......Page 167 Historic disasters......Page 168 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 171 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 172 INTRODUCTION......Page 173 Theory......Page 174 Waves as a hazard at sea......Page 177 Waves as a hazard on rocky coasts......Page 179 Ice in the ocean......Page 180 Ice at shore......Page 183 Current rates of change in sea level worldwide......Page 184 Factors causing sea level rise......Page 186 Global sea level and the hydrological cycle......Page 187 Sea level rise and the Bruun Rule......Page 188 Other causes of erosion......Page 189 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 192 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 193 PART 2 GEOLOGICAL HAZARDS......Page 195 SCALES FOR MEASURING EARTHQUAKE INTENSITY......Page 197 DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES......Page 200 Plate boundaries......Page 202 Hot spots......Page 204 Other faulting and dilatancy......Page 205 Added water (dams and rain)......Page 206 Volcanoes......Page 207 Interaction between earthquakes and volcanoes......Page 210 Earthquake cycles......Page 211 Short-term prediction of seismic activity......Page 213 Randomness versus clustering......Page 215 Prediction of volcanoes......Page 216 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 218 TYPES OF SHOCK WAVES......Page 220 General......Page 222 Alaskan earthquake of 27 March 1964......Page 224 The Californian earthquake hazard......Page 225 The Japanese earthquake hazard......Page 228 LIQUEFACTION OR THIXOTROPY......Page 229 Description......Page 232 Tsunami magnitude scales......Page 237 Disaster descriptions......Page 238 Prediction in the Pacific region......Page 240 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 242 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 243 INTRODUCTION......Page 245 TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS......Page 247 VOLCANIC HAZARDS......Page 248 Ballistics and tephra clouds......Page 250 Pyroclastic flows and base surges......Page 251 Gases and acid rains......Page 253 Lahars......Page 254 Glacier bursts or Jökulhlaups......Page 255 Santorini, around 1470 BC......Page 256 Vesuvius (25 August 79 AD)......Page 258 Krakatau (26–27 August 1883)......Page 259 Mt Pelée (8 May 1902)......Page 261 Mt St Helens (18 May 1980)......Page 264 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 265 Stress and strain......Page 267 Friction, cohesion and coherence......Page 268 SHEAR STRENGTH OF SOILS: MOHR–COULOMB EQUATION......Page 269 Pore-water pressure......Page 270 Plastic solids......Page 271 Introduction......Page 272 Expansive soils......Page 274 Creep and solifluction......Page 276 Mud and debris flows......Page 277 Causes......Page 279 Landslide disasters......Page 281 Rockfalls......Page 282 Debris avalanches......Page 283 Air-supported flows (avalanches)......Page 284 SUBSIDENCE......Page 285 CONCLUDING COMMENTS......Page 286 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 287 PART 3 SOCIAL IMPACT......Page 289 Warnings and evacuation......Page 291 Preparedness, if warned......Page 294 Response during the event......Page 295 Possessions and homes......Page 296 Anti-social behavior......Page 297 Resettlement......Page 298 Myths and heroes......Page 300 Emotional problems......Page 301 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING......Page 304 CHANGING HAZARD REGIMES......Page 306 MODERN CONSEQUENCES OF NATURAL HAZARDS......Page 308 REFERENCES AND FURTHER FUTHER READINGS......Page 309 Select Glossary of Terms......Page 310 Index......Page 322 This revised edition, first published in 2005, is a comprehensive, inter-disciplinary treatment of the full range of natural hazards. Accessible, readable and well supported by over 180 maps, diagrams and photographs, it is a standard text for students and an invaluable guide for professionals in the field. "This revised edition is a comprehensive, inter-disciplinary treatment of the full range of natural hazards. Accessible, readable and well supported by over 150 maps, diagrams and photographs, it is a standard text for students and an invaluable guide for professionals in the field."--Jacket