Group blog #2

Characteristics of hazards

Writing prompt
Distinguish between two chosen hazards in terms of their spatial extent, predictability, frequency, magnitude, duration, speed of onset and effects. [10 marks]

Instructions
Each group is to read the blog of a different group and answer the above writing prompt by distinguishing between their own hazard and that of the other group's.  For example, if group M worked on earthquakes for Group blog #1, they should read the blog of a group who did volcanoes, hurricanes/typhoons, droughts, or human-induced hazards and compare their own hazard's characteristics with that of the other group's.  Feel free to choose to read a post from a different class.  Post your response to your blog.

Group blog #1

Characteristics of hazards

Writing prompt 
Explain the characteristics and spatial distribution of the following hazards using at least two specific examples. [10 marks]

• Earthquakes 
• Groups A, C, and F

• Volcanoes
• Groups D and K

• Hurricanes/typhoons
• Groups B, E, and G

• Droughts
• Groups H and J

• Human-induced (technological hazard ie. BP deep water horizon oil spill or Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster)
• Groups I and L

Explanation of terms

Characteristics include, but are not limited to duration, magnitude, predictability, regularity, frequency, and speed of onset.

Spatial distribution means, where the hazard takes place.

Group blog instructions and rubric

Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo (1991)

Introduction
Greetings geography students!  I come to you from the vastness of cyberspace.  For the next week, you will live with me here in cyberspace while in class to perform research and expand your knowledge of geography.  Please read the following instructions to help you complete this assignment.

Essential Questions

• What are the characteristics of hazards?

• How are hazards distinguished?

• When does a hazard become a disaster?

Enduring Understandings

• Environmental hazards exist at the interface between physical geography and human geography.

• Natural hazard events are often exacerbated by human actions, although conversely, human-induced hazard events are also affected by natural environmental conditions.

• The principles involved in studying natural hazards are identical to those involved in studying human-induced hazards.

Objective
By the end of this assignment, you will be able to...

...draw upon detailed case studies to support any points you make about hazards and disasters.

...distinguish between hazards in terms of spatial extent, predictability, frequency, magnitude, duration, speed of onset and effects.


Goals

• Learn about hazards such as (earthquakes, volcanos, hurricanes/typhoons, human-induced)
• Perform reflective inquiry on a specific topic
• Work collaboratively in a group

Procedure

1. Check below to see what group you're in.
2. Read the most recent post from this blog at the beginning of your geography class (the post will give a writing prompt and assign topics for each group so read carefully!).
3. Divide the main roles up evenly amongst group members
1. One quarterback
2. One to two researchers
3. One typist
4. You have the remainder of the block to work as a group to respond to the writing prompt in one of the blogs from anyone in your group.  Format the post like shown below:

Subject: Group blog #1 - Group Z

Message:  (Copy and paste writing prompt)

                 (Write blog post)

    5. Blog posts are due at the end of class so don't forget to publish your post before leaving the room (#timestamp)!

Groups*

Batch 2014

Group A	Armand	Dani	Chanel
Group B	Michael	Harry	Kohjiro

Group C	Jenny	Alisha	Emily P.
Group D	Jon	Na Li	Bettina
Group E	David K.	Joan	Kevin Yoo
Group F	Alberto	Cayo	D-uane
Group G	Jordan	Terry	Cristian

Group H	Margret	David C.	Emily L.
Group I	Nick	Michaela	Anjelica	Lance
Group J	Harry L.	Amaia	Angela

Group K	Chuckie	Andres	Kevin	Sancho
Group L	Gabo	Patrick	Andrew	Vandela

*Note: SL students may go to the library for a study hall.  Also, when APAC people are back on Monday, they can choose to join a group making no more than 4 members total.

Grade

The same score will be given to each member in the group for each of the posts.  Scores will be graded using the Paper 2 rubric below and entered as quiz grades for the first grades of the semester.  Each group post will be worth 10 points

Rubric

Sample

Examine the vulnerability of one named country to natural hazards.

The Philippines is a truly geographically fascinating country.  Lying just north of the equator on the west end of the Pacific "ring of fire," the Philippines is arguably one of the most natural hazard-proned areas on the planet.  Coupled with a poverty rate of nearly 30% the Philippines is not only vulnerable geophysically but also in a human way that amplifies any disasters that do occur.

The country of the Philippines has gone through incredibly complex geomorphological change in order to get to where it is today and just like the rest of the planet it is constantly changing.  Take the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 for example, which blew so ferociously it ejected millions of tons of magma or even the more recent earthquake in Bohol which measured a ground-shaking 7.2 on the Richter scale.  These seismic events which damaged infrastructure and killed over 3,000 people are unavoidable for many simply due to the nature of the plate tectonics in the Philippines, making these events difficult to avoid.  

Even when we move to the atmospheric system, things don't seem to get much easier for the Philippines.  Because its located just north of the equator and so close to tropical waters, the Philippines lies smack dab in the middle of what I like to call "typhoon alley."  Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) was one of the worst storms to ever hit Metro Manila back in 2009 and just last November 2013 Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the largest tropical storm ever recorded, roared its way through the central Philippines killing at least 6,000 people with many more missing and presumed dead.

If the sheer force of these natural hazards wasn't enough, the Philippines is no doubt a developing country making it even more vulnerable than it should be.  Economic growth has been quite high over the last decade, peaking at around 7.5% but this growth is deceiving.  The Gini coefficient for the Philippines, which measures income inequality, is as high as the United States and even higher than war torn Sierra Leone.  This shows that the economic growth in the Philippines has not been inclusive.  The reality on the ground is that many people remain impoverished ultimately causing them to be incredibly vulnerable to natural hazards.

Below are a list of ways that could reduce vulnerability for a disaster:

1. Design and integrate early warning systems if applicable.
2. Improve reaction times by medical services.
3. Build sound infrastructure ie. buildings, roads, ports, telecommunications/internet.
4. Map the disaster.
5. Research more about alternative ways to predict the disaster.