1.7 is it rational to choose to live in hazard-prone areas? · of hazards and their history it is...

© Oxford University Press 2009

Part 1 Opportunities and risks─Is it rational to live in hazard-prone areas?

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1.7 Is it rational to

choose to live in

hazard-prone areas?



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Tsunami 2004 Indonesia

Before the tsunami

After the tsunami

over 150,000 deaths

Banda Aceh, Indonesia (Credit: UNESCO)



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Montserrat in the Caribbean

Volcanic eruption 1997 Montserrat

23 deaths

Buried much of the

southern part of the

island



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Pamirs

Earthquake 1998 Afghanistan

over 4,000 deaths

The Himalayan area

Direction of plate

movement



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It is dangerous to

live in hazard-

prone areas.

Why do people

live in hazard-

prone areas? Are

their decisions

rational?

What is a rational decision? A rational person will consider whether possible gains are greater than possible losses, for both staying and leaving.

Possible

gains and

losses of

leaving

Possible

gains and

losses of

staying

behind

Since people weigh gains and losses differently, the final decision to move or stay is a subjective one.



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What is a rational decision?

Leave?

Secure

new job

Re-establish

social links



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What is a rational decision?

Stay?

Reduce future loss Restore productivity

Take out

insurance

Reduce

vulnerability

Move to hazard-

proof structure in

the same area

Change the way

of living

Rebuild

home or

business

Exploit

new

resources



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What do people consider when deciding to

stay or leave hazard-prone areas?

Leave?

Stay?

1 Risks

2 Opportunities

3 Social links

4 Limitations

on migrations



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Are people’s decisions rational?

Leave?

Stay?

This depends on their subjective but careful evaluation of ...

the perceived risk of

hazards happening

in the area

the possible gains if

one leaves the

hazard-prone area

the possible gains from

the opportunities offered

by tectonic processes

the possible losses if

one leaves the

hazard-prone area



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1 Risks The perception of the risk of hazards varies greatly among people.

What make the

perceptions of

people different?

Education

level

Past

experience

One’s

character

Religious

background



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Unaware

of hazards

and their

history It is useless to avoid

hazard as it is an

‘act of God’

Leave, as it is too

dangerous to stay

It is improbable for a

hazard to strike the

same place twice

Overlook the risk

when the hazard has

not occurred for a

long time Believing the

government can

provide protection,

warning, evacuation

and relief work

1 Risks



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2 Opportunities

People choose to live in

tectonic hazard-prone areas

since internal processes bring

job opportunities and wealth

to them.

There is intense

heat below the

earth’s surface.

What kind of

power can it

generate?

The hot water and steam found in volcanic areas can be used to generate ___________ power.

It is renewable and clean. Therefore it is a more preferred energy resource.

geothermal

Electricity generated by geothermal power

in Iceland

A Geothermal power

(Credit: Gerth/Blickwinkel)



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2 Opportunities A Geothermal power

Primary energy consumption in Iceland, 1940–2006 Source: <http://www.geoberg.de/text/geology/07020201.php> and Statistics Iceland

Geothermal power

becomes the primary

energy resource in Iceland



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2 Opportunities B Metals and minerals

When magma cools and solidifies below the earth’s surface, it forms rocks containing _______ and _________.

metals minerals

Many metals and minerals have economic value to people, for example, iron ore and diamonds.

Manganese mineral (Credit: McPHOTO/Blickwinkel)



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2 Opportunities B Metals and minerals

World distribution of major metals and precious stones

Which mineral

is more

commonly

found at plate

boundaries?



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2 Opportunities C Fertile soil

Farmland at the foothill of Mount Mayon

in the Philippines

Volcanic ash is rich in minerals.

They provide ________ for crop growth and attract farmers.

nutrients

Weathering of solidified ____ produce fertile soil. lava

(Credit: Paul A. Souders/Corbis)



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2 Opportunities D Tourist attractions

Many volcanic areas and areas with folds and faults are scenic spots.

Mount Fuji, Japan

Mount Fuji in Japan

is a well-known

volcanic area with

beautiful scenery

The Alps are

famous fold

mountains in

the world

The Alps



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(Credit: Reuters/OTHK)

2 Opportunities D Tourist attractions

___________ and ________ are both flows of hot water coming from underground to the surface in volcanic areas.

Hot springs geysers

A hot spring in Japan

The water from hot

springs usually contains

minerals and are said to

be good to our health

A geyser at

Yellowstone

National Park,

the USA

Developing these scenic spots provide job opportunities, higher incomes and a better living standard to local people.

Geysers are spectacular

natural fountains. They

flow intermittently in jets

of hot water or steam

(Credit: Jeff Henry/Corbis)



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3 Social links

Strong ties to one’s motherland and ancestors prevent people from moving away.

People have strong feelings for their friends and relatives, and their own culture.

The weakening of the social bond is considered a great loss.

People have strong social bond in

their hometown (Credit: Ng Kim Hung)



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4 Limitations on migrations A Political barriers

There are strict population and immigration policies for every country.

Migration is not free among countries, or sometimes even within a country.



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B Physical constraints

Desert landscape:

too _____ dry

Polar landscape:

too ______ cold

Tropical rainforest

landscape: too _____ wet

Mountain landscape:

too ________ rugged

Many places are free from

tectonic hazards, but why

are they sparsely

populated?

1.7 is it rational to choose to live in hazard-prone areas? · of hazards and their history it is...

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