Manlin 6M

How Do Natural Disasters

Affect US?
Natural Disasters affect us in many ways. Natural disaster is deadly event that is caused by Earth.
There are many natural disasters and most of them can cause lots of deaths, damage and more.
More than 2.6 million people have been affected by natural disasters in the past decade. Some
natural disasters like floods and wildfires can be stopped, but some like earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions cant be stopped. Scientists say that one of the reasons why natural disasters occur is
the plates. Earth crust are consists of nine different plates. These plates keep moving all the time.
But when they meet each other they can cause terrible damage.
There are many natural disasters including Tornadoes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Wildfires, Volcanic
Eruptions and more. So when natural disasters occur everyone should be ready for the damage
and deaths they can cause.
Volcanic Eruptions
A volcanic eruption is when lava (magma) burst out of a volcano. Volcanic eruptions are caused
when pressure inside the volcano builds up the pressure and then it releases the power which
causes lava to burst out of the volcano. Lava may move slowly but they can destroy almost
anything in its path. Lava can reach speeds up to 30kph and its temperature is between 700.C
1250.C. The name Volcano come from the name Vulcan, he is the roman god of fire. It is possible
to escape a volcanic eruption. However, Volcanoes throws ash into the air which can cause many
people to die, not only that some volcanoes are so violent they can send ash that can block the
sun for almost a whole week. Volcanoes also release
deadly gases into the atmosphere which can kill plants,
animals, people and lots more. Sometimes when ash is
sent very high into the air lighting can react to ash, which
can cause more damage. Most volcanoes are near the
ring of fire, thats where most of the plates meet. Thats
why volcanic eruptions are named as one of the most
deadly disasters that could ever occur.

Mount Saint Helens Eruption
Mount Saint Helens (Reference to the picture below) had
been dormant since 1857 until, 1980. In March 18 8:32 it
erupted and everyone came to watch the fascinating view,
but the volcano was so violent it blew its top off and the
lava came rushing out of the volcano. Lava was around
Lava
Manlin 6M

649.C (1200.F) and speeds up to 20kph, destroying almost anything in its path. It killed more than
53 people and may were left homeless. The ash covered the sun for almost a day. Mount Helens
also caused the worlds biggest avalanche ever recorded. The damage that Mount Helens caused
cost them more than $1 million. Mount Helens is still growing now and may cause another violent
eruption in the future.


Tsunam I
Tsunamis are a series of large waves that are caused by earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions and the Earths plates. Tsunamis are created when
theres a disturbance in the sea floor, which causes powerful large
waves. The pressure of the sea behind creates an enormous force. Waves
get faster in deep water and waves get higher in shallow water. Tsunamis
have enough power to destroy almost anything in its path from cars to
factories. Tsunamis are mostly caused by powerful earthquakes. Some
people mislead tidal waves as tsunamis. Tidal waves are caused by the
rotation of Earth. The word Tsunami comes from Japanese language
meaning Harbour Waves. Tsunamis can travel speeds up to 800kph and
can be almost 500mhigh.

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
In December 26, 2004 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia and caused a massive Tsunami.
The earthquake had enough power to power the whole U.S for six
months. The plates in this area had been pushing each other for
thousands of years causing a big earthquake. The tsunami killed
more than 155,000 people, 500,000 were injured and millions
homeless. The damage exceeded in more than $10 billion. The
tsunami became the worlds deadliest tsunami. The tsunami hit
Africa which was pretty far from Indonesia but still had enough
power to kill people and destroy buildings. The plates in this area are
still pushing each other and it can produce deadly tsunamis and
earthquakes in the future.
Earthquakes
Earthquakes are caused when Earths plates build pressure and release it, and then the energy
breaks earths crust. Earthquakes break buildings, destroy cars and even kill people. But many
earthquakes dont have enough power to kill people, but it can cause larger earthquakes later.
Countries affected
Tsunami cycle
Manlin 6M

Each year millions of earthquakes are too weak to be recorded
and 20,000 earthquakes hit earth every year. When
earthquakes occur scientists use a device to find out if there is
an earthquake nearby. It is called a seismograph; it records any
earthquake above 0 magnitudes. It also ranks them from 0 to
10 magnitudes. You wouldnt feel a magnitude 3, but a
magnitude 6 can break buildings and kill people. Not all
earthquakes can destroy buildings; some buildings are
specially designed to survive earthquakes. Sometimes
earthquakes destroy factories which releases poisonous gases
into the atmosphere, which everyone would have to evacuate the place forever.
The Chile Earthquake
In 1960 May 22, a magnitude 9.5 earthquake hit southern
Chile. This became the worlds biggest earthquake. It killed
more than 1,655 people; injured around 3,000 and 2,000,000
were left homeless from the earthquake. There was probably
less chance of surviving this earthquake. This earthquake
shook the whole world and it still claims to be the deadliest
earthquake. This earthquake created a tsunami 80 feet high
and many died from the tsunami. The earthquake also made
the earth move slightly faster.
Conclusion
Natural disasters are forces of nature that can destroy houses and kill many people, but they make
earth comfortable to live in. Volcanoes make new land for us and fertilize soil for farmers. Some
even believe that a huge volcanic eruption wiped out all of the dinosaurs and let us to live safety.
Natural disasters are caused by Earth and we should be ready no matter what. Natural disasters
can hit anywhere and it could be strong or weak.




Seismograph
The Chile earthquake 1960