GEOG 366/L
Natural Disaster Project
Introduction:
As part of the requirements for this lab, you will be responsible for turning in a
paper about a specific natural hazard event and presenting it to the class. I will provide a
list of natural disasters in which to choose from. There will be no overlap, as each student
will complete their project on a separate hazard event.
Paper Due Date: May 7. I subtract 2 pts per day for late papers. Every day is included,
including those when I am not on campus and the weekends.
Grade Significance:
Paper: 30 points
Presentation: 30 points
Plagiarism: I will be checking every paper for plagiarism. There are some very
sophisticated programs used for such a thing. I have caught people before, please don’t be
next. Do the work yourself.
Requirements:
-
Should be no less than 8 pages and cover the necessary topics
Times New Roman, size 12 font
Double spaced
No cover page please- just include your name and the class name at the top of the
first page
Photos and figures are welcome, but they must not detract from the writing.
Paper outline
1. Geographic setting
a. Describe the location in detail.
b. Include an aerial or satellite image of the location.
c. Include a map
2. Nature of the hazard
a. Discuss the size and intensity of the event. How does it relate to other
events (fastest winds ever recorded; deepest and longest lasting snowstorm
in Boston, etc.)? Quantify as much information as possible (example,
wind speeds, diameter of tornado, category of storm, etc.).
b. Discuss the timing of the hazard. Was there any warning? Over what
time period did the hazard occur?
c. Include any relevant spatial information (track of the hurricane; extent of
the tsunami; area over which ash or lava spread, etc.)
d. Include any appropriate photographs and maps
e. How does your event relate to the big picture?
A tornado in Oklahoma is not uncommon, but one in Sydney, Australia, is
quite unusual.
3. Results of the hazard
a. Economic or human loss
b. Damage to infrastructure
c. Recovery time (for example, loss of the transportation network would
have serious economic and personal impacts)
4. Human response
a. How much warning was available?
b. Did the population respond to the warnings? (for example, many hurricane
or volcano victims failed to heed official warnings)
c. How successful was the warning system?
5. Aftermath
a. Was the government response appropriate?
b. Is there an approximate dollar loss for damage?
6. Discuss whether human or structural losses could have been avoided.
 Were homes placed too close to the coast? Should there be a better
warning system? Were homes poorly constructed for the nature of the
hazard?
7. Sources: List all sources of your information.
Where can I find information?
1. Use your textbook as a starting point. On page 29, for example, there is an
excellent listing of web sources. There are additional web sources at the end of
each chapter.
2. CSUN library. We’ll go over how to use the site in class.
3. Visit internet websites but make sure they are reputable. In other words, they
should be from an educational institution, government organization, or some other
reputable source. Billy Bob’s personal Yahoo communities site doesn’t count. If
using Wikipedia, make sure it is properly cited and clear it with me first.
4. Newspaper and magazine archives are also good sources.
Presentation:
In addition, lab students will make an oral presentation on their findings using a
PowerPoint format. Follow the outline for the written paper (above), but focus on the
nature of the hazard and the government response (as much as is known).
Use illustrations to help your audience understand the significance of the problem.
Oral presentations will be 10-15 minutes in duration and will occur in Weeks 13, 14, and
15.