Predicting
Natural Hazards
Natural Hazards
A claim about probability (likelihood) of a natural hazard based on scientific understanding and evidence
Forecast
A location in Earth’s crust and mantle where two tectonic plates crash into one another, either one going under the other, or colliding into one another.
Convergent Boundary
A sudden violent shaking of the ground.
Earthquake
The chance (probability) that a danger or hazard will occur.
Risk
A push or pull exerted on an object.
Force
An event that occurs before a natural hazard and can help in predicting that the hazard will occur.
Precursor
A location in Earth’s crust and mantle where two tectonic plates move apart from one another.
Divergent Boundary
A mass of violently rotating winds in a funnel shaped cloud.
Tornado
How often an event occurs over a defined time period.
Frequency
An abnormal rise in sea level along the coast caused by a storm
Storm Surge
A scientific claim about the likelihood of a natural hazard event occurring in a particular place.
Natural Hazard Forecast
A location in Earth’s crust and mantle where two tectonic plates slide past one another.
Transform Boundary
A large amount of water covering an area where there is usually no water, especially over what is normally dry land.
Flood
A system for classifying the intensity of a hurricane based on its wind speed
Saffir-Simpson Scale
A fracture in the earth’s crust where two blocks of rock are pushed past one another.
Fault
An instrument used to measure the shaking from an earthquake
Seismometer
A landscape feature formed by a divergent plate boundary where new crust is formed.
Mid-Ocean Ridge
The sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of rocks and/or lava and gas from the ground.
Volcanic Eruption
Extent of damage or loss from a natural hazard event
Severity
To lessen the effects (severity) of a natural hazard.
Mitigate
The visual representation of a hurricane forecast that is drawn on a map.
Cone of Uncertainty
A landscape feature formed by a convergent plate boundary where crust is destroyed.
Oceanic Trench
A rotating storm with violent winds that forms over warm ocean water.
Hurricane
A measurement of the energy or strength of a natural hazard event.
Magnitude
To make measurements and observations over time to keep track of something.
Monitor