Affect US? Natural Disasters affect us in many ways. Natural disaster is deadly event that is caused by Earth. There are many natural disasters and most of them can cause lots of deaths, damage and more. More than 2.6 million people have been affected by natural disasters in the past decade. Some natural disasters like floods and wildfires can be stopped, but some like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions cant be stopped. Scientists say that one of the reasons why natural disasters occur is the plates. Earth crust are consists of nine different plates. These plates keep moving all the time. But when they meet each other they can cause terrible damage. There are many natural disasters including Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Wildfires, Volcanic Eruptions and more. So when natural disasters occur everyone should be ready for the damage and deaths they can cause. Volcanic Eruptions A volcanic eruption is when lava (magma) burst out of a volcano. Volcanic eruptions are caused when pressure inside the volcano builds up the pressure and then it releases the power which causes lava to burst out of the volcano. Lava may move slowly but they can destroy almost anything in its path. Lava can reach speeds up to 30kph and its temperature is between 700.C 1250.C. The name Volcano come from the name Vulcan, he is the roman god of fire. It is possible to escape a volcanic eruption. However, Volcanoes throws ash into the air which can cause many people to die, not only that some volcanoes are so violent they can send ash that can block the sun for almost a whole week. Volcanoes also release deadly gases into the atmosphere which can kill plants, animals, people and lots more. Sometimes when ash is sent very high into the air lighting can react to ash, which can cause more damage. Most volcanoes are near the ring of fire, thats where most of the plates meet. Thats why volcanic eruptions are named as one of the most deadly disasters that could ever occur.
Mount Saint Helens Eruption Mount Saint Helens (Reference to the picture below) had been dormant since 1857 until, 1980. In March 18 8:32 it erupted and everyone came to watch the fascinating view, but the volcano was so violent it blew its top off and the lava came rushing out of the volcano. Lava was around Lava Manlin 6M
649.C (1200.F) and speeds up to 20kph, destroying almost anything in its path. It killed more than 53 people and may were left homeless. The ash covered the sun for almost a day. Mount Helens also caused the worlds biggest avalanche ever recorded. The damage that Mount Helens caused cost them more than $1 million. Mount Helens is still growing now and may cause another violent eruption in the future.
Tsunam I Tsunamis are a series of large waves that are caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the Earths plates. Tsunamis are created when theres a disturbance in the sea floor, which causes powerful large waves. The pressure of the sea behind creates an enormous force. Waves get faster in deep water and waves get higher in shallow water. Tsunamis have enough power to destroy almost anything in its path from cars to factories. Tsunamis are mostly caused by powerful earthquakes. Some people mislead tidal waves as tsunamis. Tidal waves are caused by the rotation of Earth. The word Tsunami comes from Japanese language meaning Harbour Waves. Tsunamis can travel speeds up to 800kph and can be almost 500mhigh.
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami In December 26, 2004 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia and caused a massive Tsunami. The earthquake had enough power to power the whole U.S for six months. The plates in this area had been pushing each other for thousands of years causing a big earthquake. The tsunami killed more than 155,000 people, 500,000 were injured and millions homeless. The damage exceeded in more than $10 billion. The tsunami became the worlds deadliest tsunami. The tsunami hit Africa which was pretty far from Indonesia but still had enough power to kill people and destroy buildings. The plates in this area are still pushing each other and it can produce deadly tsunamis and earthquakes in the future. Earthquakes Earthquakes are caused when Earths plates build pressure and release it, and then the energy breaks earths crust. Earthquakes break buildings, destroy cars and even kill people. But many earthquakes dont have enough power to kill people, but it can cause larger earthquakes later. Countries affected Tsunami cycle Manlin 6M
Each year millions of earthquakes are too weak to be recorded and 20,000 earthquakes hit earth every year. When earthquakes occur scientists use a device to find out if there is an earthquake nearby. It is called a seismograph; it records any earthquake above 0 magnitudes. It also ranks them from 0 to 10 magnitudes. You wouldnt feel a magnitude 3, but a magnitude 6 can break buildings and kill people. Not all earthquakes can destroy buildings; some buildings are specially designed to survive earthquakes. Sometimes earthquakes destroy factories which releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere, which everyone would have to evacuate the place forever. The Chile Earthquake In 1960 May 22, a magnitude 9.5 earthquake hit southern Chile. This became the worlds biggest earthquake. It killed more than 1,655 people; injured around 3,000 and 2,000,000 were left homeless from the earthquake. There was probably less chance of surviving this earthquake. This earthquake shook the whole world and it still claims to be the deadliest earthquake. This earthquake created a tsunami 80 feet high and many died from the tsunami. The earthquake also made the earth move slightly faster. Conclusion Natural disasters are forces of nature that can destroy houses and kill many people, but they make earth comfortable to live in. Volcanoes make new land for us and fertilize soil for farmers. Some even believe that a huge volcanic eruption wiped out all of the dinosaurs and let us to live safety. Natural disasters are caused by Earth and we should be ready no matter what. Natural disasters can hit anywhere and it could be strong or weak.