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Natural Disasters
The definition of natural disasters is any catastrophic event that is caused by nature or the natural processes of the earth. Natural disasters caused by movements of the earth occur with the minimum amount of warning and include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. The major natural disasters that this website will be focusing on are hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. Here are some facts about these natural disasters:
The definition of natural disasters is any catastrophic event that is caused by nature or the natural processes of the earth. Natural disasters caused by movements of the earth occur with the minimum amount of warning and include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. The major natural disasters that this website will be focusing on are hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. Here are some facts about these natural disasters:
- A tsunami is usually caused by an earthquake but can also be caused by a volcanic eruption, landslide, rapid changes in atmospheric pressure, or a meteorite
- In the deepest part of the ocean, tsunami waves are often only 1 to 3 feet tall. Sailors may not even realize that tsunami waves are passing beneath them
- The Indonesia 9.0 earthquake in 2004 released more energy than all the earthquakes on the planet in the last 25 years combined. A segment of seafloor the size of the state of California moved upward and seaward by more than 30 feet, displacing huge amounts of water
- Earthquakes kill approximately 8,000 people each year and have caused an estimated 13 million deaths in the past 4,000 years
- An average earthquake lasts around a minute
- The Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004 generated enough energy to power all the homes and businesses in the United States for three days
- Tropical Cyclone Katrina (2005) was the most costly hurricane on record causing an estimated $108 billion in damage in Louisiana and Mississippi. It also caused an estimated 1500 deaths
- Coastal regions are most at danger from cyclones
- The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically 30–65 km (20–40 miles) in diameter
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This is a diagram of how an earthquake works and forms
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This is a diagram of what a cyclone looks like in action and the different parts of the cyclone
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This is a diagram of how a tsunami is formed