Two Deadly Natural Disasters: Earthquakes vs. Hurricanes

             Every year, hundreds of people are killed by natural disasters. Whether it be a flash flood in Kansas, a mudslide in Ecuador, or a sandstorm in Libya, mother nature sometimes throws whatever she has in her arsenal at mankind. However, which natural disaster poses the worst threat. Two prominent events are earthquakes and hurricanes. One is a horrendous atmospheric disturbance, while the other is an unseen, earthened terror. On account of predictability, occurrences, and power, which one is the greater of the two evils.
             First, an earthquake can rarely, at best, be predicted. Many people ask, "Can earthquakes be predicted?" Many receive answers such as this: Although it is known that most global earthquakes will concentrate at the tectonic plate boundaries, there is no reliable method of accurately predicting the time, place and magnitude of an earthquake. Most current research is concerned with minimizing the risk associated with earthquakes, by assessing the combination of seismic hazard and the vulnerability of a given area. Many seismic countries, however, have research programs based on identifying possible precursors to major earthquakes. This includes the study of dilatancy, how rocks crack and expand under the increased stress associated with the earthquake. Some major earthquakes, but not all, are heralded by the occurrence of foreshocks, which can be detected by dense local monitoring networks. Other instruments can measure changes in the levels of radon gas, electrical and magnetic properties, velocity changes of seismic waves and changes in topography. Long term monitoring and examination by these sensors is required as some or all of these factors may change due to the opening of cracks prior to the earthquake. All attempts to predict earthquakes have, however, been generally considered as failures and it is unlikely that accurate prediction will occur in the near future. Efforts will, instead, be channeled int...

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Two Deadly Natural Disasters: Earthquakes vs. Hurricanes. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 09:21, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/89548.html