9/3/2014 Intro to Natural Disasters-III

http://classes.geology.illinois.edu/14FallClass/geo118/Lectures/3-Intro_Nat_Disasters-III.html 1/2
GEOL 118 #3 Introduction to Natural Disasters - III
I) Population Growth (anthropogenic hazard) - Continuously increasing number of people on our
planet is THE number one environmental problem. Why? (photo #1, photo #2, graph #1)


Current rate of population growth is exponential, therefore annual growth rate is ~constant percentage of
population, not constant number of people. So, increasing (>) number of people added to world each year.
Example of linear growth (add 10 people per year) vs. exponential growth (100% increase each year) (link).
Assume 10 people in year 1. After 8 years, exponential growth yields 1,280 people + linear growth yields
80 people.
Annual rate of world population growth is ~1.1%, but still have exponential curve. At 1.1% growth, world
population will double every ~64 years. It took 10,000 generations to reach world population of 2 billion in
1900; it took one generation (~25 years) to add most recent 2 billion people. Growth is occurring (+ will
occur) mainly in underdeveloped parts of world (India, Asia, + Africa) (map). Annual population increase
(total + %) is decreasing, however.
Eventually Earth will reach its carrying capacity - maximum number of people (+ animals) that Earth can
support due to finite amount of natural resources (land, soil for crops, energy, water, minerals, + metals). As
carrying capacity is reached, Earth will become increasingly uninhabitable as natural resources <, natural
hazard damage >, + negative impact on environment > (> pollution + damaging effects of global warming +
ozone hole).
Example of Easter Island (link #2, link #3, link #4, link #5) in SE Pacific Ocean: inhabited 1,500 years
ago by Polynesian islanders. Rich culture flourished (famous large carved statues) + population soared to
7,000 around 1400 AD before declining to poverty by 1722 when first Europeans arrived. Island reached
carrying capacity by stripping timber, used for offshore fishing (canoes), transportation (of 20-ton statues),
fuel, + housing. When timber was gone, culture collapsed, reverting to cannibalism + tribal warfare.
Survivors lived in caves + made meager living by farming.
Current age of mass extinction; ~thousands of species go extinct every year (normal = 10 - 100 extinctions
per year). What is Earth's carrying capacity? Hard to determine exactly, some value between current
population (7.19 billion in September, 2014) and ~9.3 billion projected for 2050. Solution to population
crisis? Zero population growth where death rate balances birth rate; religious, political, + cultural
roadblocks.
II) Energy on Earth - All processes on Earth require energy, which comes from many sources. Natural
disasters occur when there is sudden release of energy near Earth's surface.
Major sources of energy for natural disasters = external sources (from Sun + meteorite impacts) + internal
sources (from radioactive decay + gravity). Sun's energy + Earth's gravity drive all weather, including
severe weather, floods, landslides, sinkholes, + waves (coastal erosion). Earth's internal heat + gravity
9/3/2014 Intro to Natural Disasters-III
http://classes.geology.illinois.edu/14FallClass/geo118/Lectures/3-Intro_Nat_Disasters-III.html 2/2
drives moving tectonic plates + associated EQ's, volcanic eruptions, + mountain uplift (> landslide hazards).
External Energy = 1) Energy from Sun - reaches Earth as radiant (light) energy + comprises
99.98% of energy received by Earth. ~30% is immediately reflected back into space by
atmosphere + oceans; ~50% is absorbed (by water + Earth), converted to heat (driving
circulation in atmosphere + oceans), + eventually escapes back into space; 23% evaporates
water (mostly in tropics) to begin hydrologic (water) cycle. Tiny amount is absorbed by plants
during photosynthesis + stored in plants, used by other organisms, or stored in fossil fuels like
coal + oil.
2) Meteorite impact energy - meteorites + asteroids have enormous kinetic energy (fast-moving
+ can be very large), which is transferred to Earth during impact; impact generates very high
temperatures (10,000C or more) + pressures (> million atmospheres); meteorite collisions were
much more common during early history of Earth (generated lots of heat, which is still
escaping from Earth's interior); could be considered internal heat source but ultimately derived
externally.
Internal (geothermal) energy = only tiny amount of energy to Earth's surface (~0.02%): 1)
Radioactive Decay - Certain elements like U, Th, + K have unstable form that is radioactive,
i.e., atoms spontaneously release subatomic particles + energy (decay) to become more stable;
energy release heats rock in Earth's interior + heat slowly moves to Earth's surface.
2) Gravity - All objects at Earth's surface (rain, snow, + earth in landslide) are continually
pulled toward Earth's center by gravity. Some of Earth's internal energy is produced by
gravitational compaction of Earth's interior.
Geologic Cycles Earth consists of different systems (components): atmosphere, hydrosphere (water),
lithosphere (rock + soil), + biosphere (living organisms), which continuously interact with each other
exchanging both matter + energy on cyclical basis. These various geologic cycles play major role in
development of natural disasters. Examples of geologic cycles:
Hydrologic Cycle (figure) shows movement of water through different reservoirs (locations where water
resides); main reservoirs = oceans, atmosphere (clouds), glaciers, lakes + streams, groundwater
(underground water in tiny spaces in rock), + biosphere. Ocean is largest reservoir with 97% of all water.
Main pathway through which water moves is atmosphere. Solar energy causes evaporation of surface
waters + atmospheric circulation; gravity causes water to flow back to oceans (rain + snow, river, glacial, +
groundwater flow).
Chemical Cycles - Movement + reservoirs of specific elements such as carbon (+ N, P, O, S, + others) =
carbon cycle (figure). 4 major reservoirs in carbon cycle = biosphere (building block of life), lithosphere (in
carbonate minerals, rocks + fossil fuels, coal + oil), hydrosphere/oceans (as dissolved ions), + atmosphere
(as carbon dioxide, CO
2
, gas).
Rock Cycle (figure) - involves cycling of elements among different rock types (igneous, sedimentary, +
metamorphic), so mostly involves lithosphere (but also hydrologic + chemical cycles). Geologic processes
convert one rock type to another. Energy for processes near Earth's surface = solar energy + gravity (control
erosion + weathering); energy driving subsurface processes = geothermal energy + gravity (control uplift,
burial, melting, + metamorphism).