Utah’s Geology
Natural Disasters and Staying Safe

This is a no gum class.
Please dispose of it properly!
Bell Activity
 Read page 38-39 and answer questions 25-27 on your study guide.
 Finish your tan paper. It is due tomorrow!!
 If you finish these questions early, work on the rest of your study guide. It is homework unless you find time during school to get it done!!
 Where should your backpack be?

Today we will be learning about…
 Social Studies Objective –
We will understand and describe how natural forces are still shaping Utah. We will also identify ways to stay safe in a natural disaster.
 Language Objective –
We will talk about cause and effect relationships, and practice describing these relationships.
 Behavior Objective – Participation: You actively listen to the lesson, asking and answering questions. You work and stay on-task in your group.

Utah is still being shaped by natural forces
 Natural forces, big and small, are still changing the land and environment here in Utah.

Disasters in Utah
 The earth is still changing around us.
 When those natural forces harm humans and their environment we call them natural disasters.
 Because of our varying climate and terrain, Utah can experience a variety of disasters.

All sorts of trouble!
 Wildfires can strike during the hot, dry summer months and severe storms during the winter season can blanket parts of the state, causing power outages and increasing avalanche danger.

What can we do to stay safe?
 Despite these risks, there are steps each person can take to ensure they are prepared for a variety of disasters.

What types of natural disasters can occur in Utah?
 Avalanches
 Debris flows
(mudslides)
 Droughts
 Floods
 Severe weather
 Wildfires
 Earthquakes

What is an avalanche?
 An avalanche is a mass of snow sliding down a mountainside.
 Avalanches occur when stresses, such as the pulling of snow downhill by gravity, exceeds the strength between snow grains.
 Four ingredients are needed to produce an avalanche: 1.Snow
2.Weak layer in the snow cover 3.Steep slope 4.A trigger

What is a debris flow?
 Debris flows are often called mudslides, mudflows, or debris avalanches.
 They consist of debris mixed with water. Debris is mainly soil and anything else, such as trees and rock fragments, that are picked up as the flow moves down a slope or channel.
 They often happen after a fire in the summer.

What is a drought?
 A drought is caused when less precipitation
(rain, snow, etc.) than is normal falls during a year, or over the space of several years.
 Drought is a normal part of the climate for virtually all regions of the United States, but it is of particular concern in the west.

What is a flood?
 Floods occur when there is too much water to be absorbed into the ground or to be contained in a river or stream.

What is severe weather?
 Severe weather refers to winter storms, blizzards, heavy snow, freezing rain and lightning, all hazards common to the
State of Utah.

What is a wildfire?
 A wildfire occurs when a trigger
(lighting, fireworks, etc.) starts a fire in an area of dry brush
(bushes, grasses, trees).

What is an earthquake?
 Earthquakes are a sudden movement in the earth, typically along a fault line .
 Utah is earthquake country. Earthquakes can strike at any time without warning causing major damage to homes and critical infrastructures. They are almost always followed by aftershocks that can be even larger than the initial quake.

Earthquakes in the USA

Utah is Earthquake country
 Every years there are many small earthquakes in
Utah.
 These small earthquakes release stress in the ground.

Cache Valley Faults

Earthquake Magnitudes
 Although Utah can have large earthquakes, they are not as large as the ones near a plate boundary.

 Because large parts of Utah are in an ancient lake bed (Lake
Bonneville) the ground can become like quicksand in an earthquake.
Liquefaction

So how do we stay safe if a disaster occurs?
 Knowledge is power!
 Understanding how and why disasters occur can help you stay safe.
 Also, make a plan so that is a disaster does happen, you and your family know what to do.
 For more information, go to the Utah
Department of Public
Safety homepage .

Is your family prepared?
 Take this test to see if you are ready for an emergency.
 Does your family have an emergency plan that you have practiced in the last year?
 Do you have an emergency kit
(72 hour)?
 Do you have an emergency food supply/storage?
 Do you have a room that you could use as a shelter?
 Can you pack up your car quickly in case you need to evacuate?
 Does your family have a list of items that should be brought with in case you need to evacuate?
 Do you have supplies in case the power goes out for several days+?
 Do you have supplies for your pets for several days to weeks?
 Does your family have cash money to use in an emergency?
 Does anyone in your family need special medicine, and does your family have enough to last for days+?

What did you learn?
 If you answered yes to most of these questions, your family may be able to handle an emergency well.
 If you answered no to most of these questions, talk to your family about becoming prepared. Become the
Emergency Expert for your family!!