Earth's Natural Hazards: Understanding Natural Disasters and Catastrophes

OUR PLANET IS A DYNAMIC PLACE
Global pandemics, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclonic storms and many other natural hazards occur across our planet every day and have significant human impact. This textbook examines how normal processes of the Earth-atmosphere-hydrosphere-space systems result in events that are capable of dealing disastrous blows to humans on the scale of individual lives to civilizations.
Earth’s Natural Hazards: Understanding Natural Disasters & Catastrophes focuses on events such as pandemics, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes, tsunami, tornadoes, climate change, and meteorite impacts, and their local, national and global repercussions. In particular, we examine the spatial and temporal occurrences of these hazards, methods and processes for hazard preparedness, response and recovery, and the social, economic and policy aspects that affect and, in many cases, compound the magnitude of the disasters associated with these natural phenomena.
Earth’s Natural Hazards features: A chapter focusing on epidemics and global pandemics, with case studies from contemporary and ancient societies. Case Studies highlighting current events with discussions of their timelines and impact. An updated full-color text with photos, graphs and maps to help illustrate the broad range of natural disasters that are discussed. Questions for Thought which function as study guide questions at the end of each chapter. References to current websites and publications for additional resources.