NATURAL DISASTER

(A)CONCEPT OF DISASTER-

A natural disaster is any natural phenomenon which causes such widespread

human material or environmental losses that, the stricken community cannot recovery
without external assistance.

An adverse event will not rise to the level of a disaster if it occurs in an area
without vulnerable population. In a vulnerable area, however, such as Nepal- during the 2015
earthquake, the earthquake had disastrous consequences and leave long lasting damage,
which require years to repair.

CAUSES:

The reasons for happening of disasters like earthquakes and volcanic erruptions and
associated phenomena (viz. tsunami, landslides etc.) are internal (i. e., the real force causing
them is generated within the earth- in the mantle. Disasters viz. floods, draughts, hurricanes,
turnadoes are related with global climatic change, i. e., caused by external forces. The effect
of global warming on weather patterns is responsible for an apparent increase in the
frequency and intensity of these weather-related disasters.

Earthquake and many of the volcanic eruptions are caused due to movement of
crustal blocks. The earth’s crust is a rocky layer of varying thickness ranging from about 10
kilometers under the sea to 65 kilometers under the continents. The lithosphere of the earth is
not one piece but consists of portions called ‘plates’ which vary in size from a few hundred to
thousands of square kilometers. According to the ‘theory of plate tectonics’, the plates are
lying on the more mobile asthenosphere and are driven by thermal convection currents. When
these plates move towards each other, stress arises in the contact zone. The stress is when
released it propagates in the form of seismic waves,causing Earthquake . In such area, due to
friction of one plates with each other, rock melts and the melt woozes out forming chains of
Volcanoes.
The floods, draughts, cyclones etc. are the results of the change in climatic
conditions. Since there is no immediate solution to bring in order in the global climatic
conditions, the other alternative is to predict and prevent the natural calamities at micro level.
What so ever little can be done is to reduce generation of CO 2 and other green house gases,
work out for CO2 sequestration like plantation, use of solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy
etc. Population growth though does not directly contribute to climatic changes, indirectly is
responsible for enhancing the rate of climatic changes for more raw materials are required to
be produced from minerals by burning fossil fuels and natural vegetation has to be cleared for
housing, agriculture, preparation of household articles, creation of rail lines etc.

EFFECTS:

Natural disasters, whether caused by earths internal or external forces cannot be

prevented. The only thing man can do is their mitigation.

The Indian sub-continent is prone to several type of natural disasters.these disasters take
a heavy troll on human lives and resources causing economic,environment and social losses.
Natural disaster affect the rural community the most ,as they are vulnerable to economic
changes,and have no alternative means of livings.
Naturaldisasters destroy infrastructures,cause mass migration,reduction in food and
fodder suppliesand sometimes leads to drastic situation like starvation.

(B)TYPES OF DISASTERS-

Natural disasters are naturally occurring phenomena. There have been many natural disasters
in which there took place heavy loss of human life and property. People started keeping
record of the events and the loss incurred to understand the causes of the disasters and find
ways and means to save lives and properties
types of disasters are-
1) LANDSLIDE- A collapse of mass of earth or rock from a mountain or cliff.
2) EARTHQUAKE-An earthquake is the shaking of the earth, resulting from the sudden
release of energy in the earth’s lithosphere that creates seismic waves .

3) TSUNAMI-A tsunami or tidal wave , is a series of waves in a water body caused by

displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake.

4) VOLCANIC ERUPTION-A volcanic eruption occurs when hot materials from the
earth’s interior are thrown out of a volcano.lava,rocks,dust and gas compounds are
some of these ejecta.

5) FLOODS- A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry.
Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water of land not normally covered
by water.

6) DROUGHT-A drought is a period of below-average precipitation in a given region,

resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply , whether atmospheric , surface
water or ground water.
 7) CYCLONE-It is a large scale air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low-
pressure.

8) TORNADOES AND SEVERE STORMS -A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of

air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or,
in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud.

9) HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS-A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating

storm system characterised by a low-pressure center ,a closed low-level atmospheric
circulation , strong winds and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce
heavy rain.

10) THUNDERING-A sudden making of a resounding, loud, deep noise during rainy
days.

11) WILDFIRE-A wildfire or wildland fire is a fire in an area of combustible vegetation

that occurs in the countryside or rural area.

(A) LANDSLIDE:-

The term' landslide' includes all varieties of mass movements of hill slopes and can
be defined as the downward and outward movement of slope forming materials
composed of rocks, soils, artificial fills or combination of all these materials along
surfaces of separation by falling, sliding and flowing, either slowly or quickly from
one place to another.
Landslides mostly occur in the hilly regions due to slope failure. The geography and
geology of the Himalayan belt is such that landslides are very common phenomena. The
Himalayan belt being seismically active zone is prone to landslides as earthquakes shake the
earth vigorously. The young age of the region's hill ranges and not very hard and compact
sedimentary rock formations help greatly for slippages. Thus the incidence of landslides is
the highest in the North-west and North-East part of India.
The other cause of landslide is deforestation especially in the steep slope mountain
areas. Tree cover impedes quick downhill flow of water and prevents landslide. Rising
population and development pressures, particularly from logging and tourism, has caused
deforestation around the hill stations. The result is denuded hillsides, which exacerbate the
severity of landslides. Cloud bursts also cause landslide by making the soil wet and heavy
very quickly. The landslides in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats are mostly due to
deforestation and are usually of low-intensity.

TYPES OF LANDSLIDES:
followings are the various types of landslides –
1)FALL:
- Instantaneous fall of weathered rock materials including large blocks from steep hillslopes or
earthen materials from steep and cliffed valley sides of streams under the influence of gravity is
called fall.
-Movement involves vertical displacement of materials without water.
-Velocity of fall is greatest ·of all other types of mass movement.
-According to grain size :- Rock fall > Debris fall > Earth fall
2)SLIDE:

-Mass-wasting wherein a mass of rock or weathered debris moves downhill along discrete shear
surfaces is defined as a slide' .
-Here movement of rock block over the shear plane occurs.
-Vertical and cliff slope , moderate lubrication by water, earth tremors and gravity essential for
landslide.
3)FLOW:
-Diagonal downslope movement of rock fragments and soils along sliding plane with
enough water is called flow .
-Increasing water contain and decreasing grain size- Debris flow > Earth flow > Mud flow
-Debris flow of volcanic materials saturated with water on volcanic cones is called lahar

4)TOPPLE:

 A topple is the forward rotation, out of the slope, of a mass of soil and rock about a point or
axis below the centre of gravity of the displaced mass.

5)CREEP:

-Very slow and imperceptible downslope movement of materials (colluvium ) is

called creep.
- Soil creep is also called as solifluction which occurs in a variety of climatic
conditions ranging from tropical humid to periglacial climates.
-Rock creep involves downhill movement of rock debris having relatively great depth
(upto 300m)

CAUSES:

A) NATURAL:-
1.Gravity: Gravity works more effectively on steeper slopes, but more gradual slopes may
also be vulnerable.
2. Geological factors: Many slides occur in a geologic setting that places permeable sands
and gravels above impermeable layers of silt and clay, or bedrock. Water seeps downward
through the upper materials and
accumulates on the top of the underlying units, forming a zone of
weakness.
3. Heavy and prolonged rainfall: Storm water runoff saturates soils on steep slopes or
infiltration causes a rapid rise in groundwater levels. As water tables rise, some slopes
become unstable that cause landslide.
4. Waves: Wave action can erode the beach or the toe of a bluff, cutting into the slope, and
setting the stage for future slides.
5. Earthquakes: When plate tectonics move the soil that covers moves with it. When
earthquakes occur on areas with steep slopes, many times the soil slips causing landslides.
Furthermore, ashen debris flows caused by earthquakes
can also trigger mass movement of soil.
6. Forest fire: Fires cause soil erosion and induce floods and landslides due to the
destruction of the natural vegetation. (E.g. ridges of Manipur-Nagaland border).
7. Volcanoes: Strato volcanoes are prone to sudden collapse, especially during wet
conditions. The conditions commonly prevail after volcanic eruptions that kill vegetation
over extensive areas and spread loose volcanic rocks over the landscape. During subsequent
rainy seasons, swollen rivers will erode the new deposits and sometimes generate lahars that
are dangerous to people downstream. (E.g. lahars at Mount Pinatubo, Philippines in1990).

B)MAN-MADE:-

1. Inappropriate drainage system: Natural drainage lines on slopes

are blocked by terracing/ contour bounding adopted to prevent soil
erosion and to enhance percolation during dry season for
cultivation, without adequate provision for surface drainage of
excess storm water during high intensity rains increase the
landslide vulnerability.
2. Change in slope/land use pattern, deforestation, agricultural
practices on steep slopes: Deforestation and cultivation of seasonal crops and increase in
settlements. Improper land use practices such as heavy tilling, agricultural practices and
settlement patterns have contributed to creep and withdrawal of toe support in many cases.

3. Cutting & deep excavations on slopes: Developmental activities

like construction of buildings, road cutting, embankments, cut and
fill structures causes modification of natural slopes, blocking of
surface drainage, loading of critical slopes and withdrawal to toe
support promoting vulnerability of critical slopes

CONTROL :
(B)EARTHQUAKE:-

An earthquake is a motion of the ground surface,ranging from tremor to a wild

motion capable of shaking buildings apart and causing gapping fissures to open
up in the ground.
Or we can said that an earthquake is a form of energy of wave motion transmitted
through the surface layer of earth in widening circles from a point of sudden energy
release-"the earthquake focus".It is,however,evident that no earthquake can possibly

originate at a mere point alone .

TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH EARTHQUAKES-
• Focus: is the exact spot underneath the earth's surface at which an earthquake
originates.It is also known as hypocentre.
• Epicentre: It is the point on the surface of the earth,above the focus of an earthquake.
• Isoseismal line or isoseists: It is a line joining all points at which the intensity of the
earthquake is the same.It is,in fact,an isodiastrophic line of equal damage.
• Homoseismals or coseismals or homoseists: These are lines joining the places where
the shock arrives at the same time.

TYPES OF SEISMIC-WAVES:-

Three main types of wave motion are generated by an earthquke:

• Primary or 'p' waves: These are longitudinal waves similar to sound waves and travel
in solid,liquid and gaseous media.They have short wavelength and high frequency.
• Secondary or 's'waves: These are transverse waves,also known as sheer waves,travel
only in solid media.In comparision to primary waves,they are slow in motion.They
travel at varying velocities through the solid parts,proportional to the density of the
materials.They are also having short wavelength and high frequency.
• 'L'waves: These are transverse vibrations and are confined to the outer skin of the
crust.They are also known as surface waves or rayleigh (R) waves.They have low
velocity,low frequency and long wavelength.These are responsible for most of the
destructive force of the earthquake.

CAUSES:-

Earthquake originate due to various reasons which fall

into two major categories i.e.-
a] NON-TECTONIC
b] TECTONIC
A.NON TECTONIC CAUSES
The non - tectonic causes of earthquake includes those associated with the geological
agent operating upon the surface of the earth ,volcanic eruption as well as with the
collapse of subterranean cavities.
a)surface causes-
 The dashing waves and crashing breakers along the sea shore.
 Abrupt descending of running water from a higher altitude as in the case of water-falls
in adjacent areas.
 Rock falls and avalanches in mountains , large landslides etc.
 Underground explosion of bombs
 Failure of dams under the pressure of the impounding water.
b)volcanic causes-
volcanic earthquakes occur around active volcanoes mainly due to explosive eruption and due
to hydraulic shocks of magma fills underground chambers and channels. A shock may also be
produced by any of the following reasons:

• Explosion of the volcano upon the release and expansion of gasses and lavas.
• Faulting within the volcano resulting from pressures in the chamber of molten rock.
• Collapse of the centre of the volcano into the space formed by extrusion of gases and
molten mattes.
c)collapse of subterranean cavities-
Sometimes because of the removal of support from below, by the action of underground
water, the ground surface subsides or collapses suddenly producing local tremors. This is usually
found in the caverns of cast areas.

B.TECTONIC CAUSES:

About 95%of all the earthquakes are due to sudden earth movements along existing or new
faults.The term tectonic refers to the structural changes of the crust due to deformation or
displacement.
ELASTICREBOUND THEORY-

• According to prof. H.F.Reid,materials of the earth,being elastic,can withrtand a

certain amount of stress without deforming permanently,but if the stress is continued
for a long period of time,or if it is increased in magnitude,the rocks will first take a
permanent deformation or strain and eventually rupture.A fault is a break or fracture
in the materials of the earth along which there has been displacement.When the
rupture occurs,rocks on ehther side the fault tend to return to their original shape
becuse of their elasticity and an elastic rebound occurs.It is this rebound that set up
the seismic waves.
• Thus the energy stored in the system through decades,is released istantneously
causing underground dislocation of rocks and setting up vibrations which are feeble or
strong,as the case may be.

CLASSIFICATION OF EARTHQUAKE:-

Earthquakes are usually classified on the following basis:

a)Cause of origin
 b)Depth of focus
c)Intensity and magnitude of earthquake
A.Cause of origin-
1.Tectonic:-
Earthquakes occur when the plates move against one another.this movement can creat stress
that causes the earth’s exterior shell,the lithosphere to shift or break.
2.Non-tectonic earthquakes;-
The non-tectonic earthquakes are mainly of three types.i.e-surface causes,volcanic causes
and collapse of cavity roofs.
B.Depth of focus:-

1.Surface earthquakes:-
Surface eartquakes are those in which the depth of focus is less than 10 k,ms .
2.Shallow earthquakes:-
The earthquakes with the hypocentre at a depth of 10-50 kms.
3.Intermediate focus earthquakes:-
When a earthquake is originated at a depth of 50-300 kms.
4.Deepfocus earthquakes:-
The plutonic earthquake or the deep-focus earthquakes are those with hypocentres
located at depth more than 300kms. majority of deep-focus eathquakes originate between
500-700 kms.

C.Intensity and Magnitude of earthquakes :-

On the basis of intensity and magnitude,earthquakes are grouped into following kinds-

GROUP MAGNITUDE
great -------- 8 and highre
major -------- 7-7.9
strong -------- 6-6.9
moderate -------- 5-5.9
light --------- 4-4.9
minor --------- 3-3.9
very minor --------- <3

EARTHQUAKE CONTROLS: