Year 9 Geography
Investigating Australia’s Identity – Natural Hazards
NATURAL HAZARDS AND NATURAL DISASTERS
What is a Natural Hazard ………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………
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What is a Natural Disaster …………………………………………………………………………..………………………………
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Fill in the blanks:
Type of
Definition
Examples
hazard
Atmospheric
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Hydrological
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Geological
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Biological
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Technological
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Human
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Which of these would happen in Australia?
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Year 9 Geography
Investigating Australia’s Identity – Natural Hazards
What are the factors which determine how vulnerable a community is to natural hazards?
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If people know that they live in an area that is prone to natural hazards, what can they do to
lessen the effects of the hazard?
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Imagine you lived in Cairns. What natural hazards would you need to prepare for? How would
you prepare for them?
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Examine the pictures below. Label them with the correct category (Technological, Human, etc)
Year 9 Geography
Investigating Australia’s Identity – Natural Hazards
Write a list of movies that involve natural disasters or natural hazards
MOVIE
Twister
HAZARD/DISASTER
Cyclones/Tornados
NATURAL HAZARDS GLOSSARY
bushfire: fire burning out of control in the open; also called a wildfire
cold front: boundary between warm air and advancing cold air
drought: a period of below average precipitation
earthquake: series of shock waves that are generated by a disturbance in the Earth's crust
epicentre: the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
fire front: the edge of the fire that spreads at the fastest rate
firebrand: aerial burning fuel that blows ahead of the fire front
firestorm: an intense fire, which may generate strong convection currents and violent winds
that cause long range spotting and flame spirals
flash flooding: sudden and destructive rush of water usually downhill following heavy rains on
higher land
flood: an unusual accumulation of water that over flows from rivers, lakes or the ocean onto
land that is not normally covered by water
flood mitigation: measures aimed at preparing for floods and trying to reduce their effects,
such as constructing artificial levees, strengthening bridges, raising road levels and enlarging
drains
fuel: any material that burns
heatwave: a short period (usually a few days) of well above average temperatures
La Niña event: a period of well above average rainfall in eastern Australia, which often brings
floods
natural disaster: occurs as a result of a hazardous natural event that dramatically affects a
community
natural hazard: a natural event or object that is a potential source of harm to a community
Richter scale: used to measure the energy of earthquakes
tropical cyclone: sever weather event that occurs when warm, moist rising air begins to spiral
upwards. Tropical cyclones are often accompanied by very strong winds, heavy rain and rough
seas.
Year 9 Geography
Investigating Australia’s Identity – Natural Hazards
Natural Hazards Cloze Passage
Use the words in the word bank to fill in the blanks:
life
eucalyptus
shaking
migrate
greater
spiral
intense
history
hazard
entering
Tropics
alter
gutters
humans
release
pressure
extensive
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are the results of a ……………………………………………… of pressure along plates found
within the Earth’s crust. The release of the pressure leads to a …………………………………………..
effect of the ground which can lead to …………………………………………… damage to buildings and as
a result possible loss of human ……………………………….. .The intensity of an earthquake is
measured and recorded by a Richter scale.
Tropical Cyclones
Tropical cyclones are strong winds accompanied by heavy rainfall. They are intense low
………………………….. systems. Cyclones are formed in an area of the world referred to as the
……………………………….., and to be more precise, they are formed between the 5o – 20o latitude
belt. While cyclones are formed in this belt, they can ……………………………………. or move out of
the tropics. The winds inside the cyclones are often ………………………………….. than 120km/hr.
Flooding
A flood can be described as “too much water where we do not want it”. Flooding is a natural
event which is made worse by ………………………………. actions. By constructing features like:
drains, …………………………………………….., and the clearance of vegetation, we
……………………………………… or change the natural cycle of water flow which leads to too much
water ………………………………………. our rivers in a short period of time which leads to flooding.
Tornadoes
These hazards are rare in Australia and occur mainly in the south-mid-west of the United
States. A tornado is an intense ………………………………………….. of air surrounding a column of
rising air towards a cloud. The damage of a tornado is fairly ……………………………… . However the
damage caused by a tornado is limited to a “direct hit”. Therefore it is not uncommon for one
house to be damaged while the house next door is left untouched.
Bushfire
Bushfires are a fairly common …………………………………. experienced in Australia. A bushfire needs
three main components: fuel, ignition and oxygen. The Australian bush has an extremely high
fuel load. In some plants like the ………………………………………… high levels of oil in the leaves
make the bush highly flammable. Once a fire gets started, ………………………………. has shown us
that it is hard to put out or control. The best way to manage bushfires is to prevent them from
happening.