Hazards and Risks of
Earthquakes and
Volcanoes
Geology 112
Section 1: T/Th, 0900-1015
Section 2: T/Th, 1330-1445
Paula Jefferis, Lecturer
Contact information:
Instructor: Paula Jefferis
Office: DH 419
Telephone: 408-924-5016
Email: paula.jefferis-nilsen@sjsu.edu
Welcome to the spring 2011
semester!
Wishing you success during the semester!
Regular attendance with active participation,
understanding material, and completing
assignments helps achieve this goal.
 These classes are large so make a point of making
a visit during office hours especially if the material
is overwhelming


http://www.sjsu.edu/people/paula.jefferis-nilsen
Natural Disasters, Patrick Abbott
 7th
edition; ISBN 978-0-13-602007-3
Reading the entire chapter associated with topic will be helpful
to understanding material in class.
Assignments and Percentage of
Class
Assignment
Percentage
Three exams
55%
Oral report and essay
10%
Term paper
15%
Home or work
evaluation
10%
Field trip
10%
Assignments and Due Dates
Assignment or exam
Date
Exam #1
March 1st
Exam #2
April 14th
Exam #3 (last day of class)
May 17th
Oral report and essay
February 15 and 16
Term paper
April 21st
Home evaluation
Pinnacles field trip
May 5th
Section 1: Saturday, March 12th
Section 2: Saturday, March 18th
All written work must be submitted
to turnitin.com before class

Register and understand how the system
works
Section 1
Id #:3751962
Section 2
Id #: 3751963
Password:earthquakes1
(case sensitive)
Password: earthquakes2
(case sensitive)
Class organization
Introduction, formation of the Earth and
plate tectonics
 Volcanoes: geology, hazards, mitigation
and prediction
 Earthquakes: geology, seismology,
hazards
 Mitigation measures to reduce risk

Work load
Read appropriate pages in text
 complete term paper, home analysis, exams on
assigned dates
 understand vocabulary and concepts
 apply vocabulary and concepts to explain
Earth’s processes
 attend 1 Saturday field trip

Part I: Earth Process
Physical map of the World
70% oceanic crust; 30% continental crust
Tectonic map of the world
Cross-section of the Earth showing earth processes
producing earthquakes and volcanoes.
Part II: Volcanoes

Why are some
volcanoes more
destructive than
others?
– location

The Mt. St. Helens
eruption, 1980
Volcanoes

Why do some
volcanoes look
different than
others?
– location

Mauna Loa, Hawaii
Volcanoes around the World
Hawaii
What type of hazards can you
think of associated with a
volcanic eruption?
Volcanic Hazards
Pyroclastic flows
Ashfall
Lahars
Lava flow
Comparison of ash plumes
Mt. St Helens was a relatively small eruption compared
to prehistoric eruptions
Potential Risk
Proximity and understanding of
the volcano
Monitoring
Scientists document any change in volcanic
activity with technology.
 Volcanic eruptions have been predicted

Part III: Earthquakes
Where do earthquakes occur?
 Why?

Why and where earthquakes
and occur?
Earthquakes Today
Why earthquakes occur: release
of energy
Ground shaking
Acceleration or push
when seismic waves
reach the Earth’s
surface.
Earthquakes are caused when
the Earth moves along faults
Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault zone: 1860; 1770; 1751 –last earthquakes
Population and shaking
Warmer colors equals
higher population
concentrations
Stronger shaking is
associated with population
concentrations
Structural failure
Structural failure
6,718,362 million
people
Anchorage, 1964
Coalinga, 1983
Indonesia, 2005
What type of hazards can you
think of associated with an
earthquake?
Earthquake Hazards
Liquefaction
Ground shaking
Landslides
Ground Rupture
Tsunami
Earthquakes cannot be
predicted
Preparedness

Retrofit structures
known not to
respond well in
earthquakes.
Education

Local population understanding the
potential hazard can reduce loss of life
Putting Down Roots in
Earthquake Country
Recovery
Federal, state and
local agencies aid in
the recovery of
natural disasters.
 Search and rescue
volunteers
 International help

One small airport in Haiti.
Difficult to deliver and
distribute supplies.
Connection
Patterns and characteristics of
earthquakes and volcanoes
 The theory of plate tectonics helps
explain this pattern
 If people understand the possible
hazards, preparation can help reduce
the risk

Remember!
Read text
 Attend class
 Ask questions
 Equals success in this
class!
