(PHYSICAL)
Orla Sullivan
TORQUAY GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL
, Hazards: Weather and Climate Change
Hazard Key Words:
Natural Hazard- a NATURALLY occurring event that COULD have a
negative effect on people or the environment
Hazard Impact- The ACTUAL effect of the hazard
Hazard Risk- The PROBABILITY/CHANCE a hazard may occur
Hazard Perception- The way in which PEOPLE VIEW the risk caused by
the hazard
Types of Natural Hazard:
Tectonic- involving movement of the Earth’s crust (e.g. earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, tsunamis)
Atmosphere- involving weather and climate (e.g. heatwaves, hurricanes,
tornados)
Geomorphological- occurring on the Earth’s surface (e.g. flood, avalanche,
landslide, draught)
Biological- involving living organisms (e.g. locust swarm, forest fire)
Factors of Hazard Risk
a) Size of local population (larger population = higher risk)
b) Quality of infrastructure (lower quality = higher risk)
c) Education on responses (little education = higher risk)
d) Monitoring and warning systems in place (no monitoring and/or
warning systems = higher risk)
e) Hazard planning (no planning = higher risk)
f) Money availability (no money available = higher risk)
g) Poverty (poorer people forced to live in high-risk areas e.g.
floodplains)