Why have natural disasters increased?

Natural disasters are unpreventable occurrences that take place, ranging from mild to absolutely destructive. Scientists have concluded that the surges in climatic disasters is due to both man-made and natural elements. Contrary to popular belief, the sole cause of the increase is not attributed to global warming.

How can human activities trigger earthquakes?

Human activities can't trigger earthquakes. Earthquakes are most commonly formed at converging or subducting lithospheric plates, most often with an oceanic plate subducting under a lithospheric plate. For example- in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the oceanic Pacific plate subducted under the continental North American minor plate called the Okhostk. This created stress because the plate slipped 80m before it stopped and started to melt. These plates were originally moving towards each other because of convection currents with the Earth's core as the heat source and the mantle as its heat medium. These currents move lithospheric plates through convection drag, slab push and ridge pull, the three main hypotheses for why oceanic and continental plates move on the earth's aesthenosphere.

Are disaster today less natural than they used to be? Why or why not?

Yes; people are having more control over the environment like population density or cutting down trees. Things like this can help trigger more natural disasters.

Is it just humans causing or triggering the natural disasters or is there another factor such as climate, weather, or something else that is not humans. Thanks.

humans don't trigger natural disasters. They're called _natural_ for a reason lol Actually all natural disasters are related to weather and climate. If you're thinking about normal disasters like war, then that's all our fault. Mother nature ain't do nothing to cause no wars

In Trinidad & Tobago there has been an increase in the number of floods experienced after heavy rainfall. While these can be attributed to natural disasters, the increasing severity of these floods is no doubt related to rising sea levels as a consequence of melting ice caps caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the heavy use of fossil fuels all over the world.

The increased number of floods may also be due to the destruction humans are causing to natural barriers of these disasters.

Tsunamis are less natural than they use to be.

What do you mean? Tsunamis are always natural because they are caused by subducting lithospheric plates moved by convection cells and currents in the mantle from the Earth's core.

Main content

Big History Project

Course: Big History Project > Unit 10

Lesson 2: The Biosphere | 10.1

ACTIVITY: Natural Disasters

Google Classroom

Purpose

Humans have been subject to the impact of natural disasters for as long as they have been on Earth. Disasters, unfortunately, are happening all the time. They are typically the result of a variety of factors, which begs the question, are these natural disasters really “natural,” or are they a result of something man made? This activity is designed to get you to think about the variety of factors that contribute to natural disasters.

Process

Take 30 seconds to make a list of all the types of natural disasters you can think of. Look at the Natural Disasters Chart, which lists some major recent disasters around the world. Choose one disaster from the chart and brainstorm a list of all the factors that made this particular disaster so devastating.

Most natural disasters do have a bigger impact today than they did 50 or 100 years ago. The severity of the disasters is usually larger, likely due to changing weather patterns and changes in population density and housing.

For Further Discussion

Now, think about the disaster you picked and examine it in relationship to the following question: Are disasters today less “natural” than they use to be? Why or why not?

Share your chosen disaster and your answer to this question in the Questions Area below. Then, look at someone else’s choice of disaster and see if you can expand upon their thinking or provide more reasons for whether or not their disaster is less “natural” than it used to be.

Want to join the conversation?

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Lizbeth Ramirez
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Lizbeth Ramirez's post “Why have natural disaster...”
Why have natural disasters increased?
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(8 votes)
Answer
- Mr. Khan Khan
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Mr. Khan Khan's post “Natural disasters are unp...”
  Natural disasters are unpreventable occurrences that take place, ranging from mild to absolutely destructive. Scientists have concluded that the surges in climatic disasters is due to both man-made and natural elements. Contrary to popular belief, the sole cause of the increase is not attributed to global warming.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (7 votes)
Pranayini Mansingh
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Pranayini Mansingh's post “How can human activities ...”
How can human activities trigger earthquakes?
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(1 vote)
Answer
- Betty :)
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Betty :)'s post “Human activities can't tr...”
  Human activities can't trigger earthquakes. Earthquakes are most commonly formed at converging or subducting lithospheric plates, most often with an oceanic plate subducting under a lithospheric plate. For example- in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, the oceanic Pacific plate subducted under the continental North American minor plate called the Okhostk. This created stress because the plate slipped 80m before it stopped and started to melt. These plates were originally moving towards each other because of convection currents with the Earth's core as the heat source and the mantle as its heat medium. These currents move lithospheric plates through convection drag, slab push and ridge pull, the three main hypotheses for why oceanic and continental plates move on the earth's aesthenosphere.
  Comment on Betty :)'s post “Human activities can't tr...”
  (5 votes)
Veronica Villarreal
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Veronica Villarreal's post “Are disaster today less n...”
Are disaster today less natural than they used to be? Why or why not?
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(0 votes)
Answer
- sawatronapakt
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to sawatronapakt's post “Yes; people are having mo...”
  Yes; people are having more control over the environment like population density or cutting down trees. Things like this can help trigger more natural disasters.
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  (4 votes)
(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻'s post “Is it just humans causing...”
Is it just humans causing or triggering the natural disasters or is there another factor such as climate, weather, or something else that is not humans. Thanks.
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(0 votes)
Answer
- OJBear
  Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to OJBear's post “humans don't trigger natu...”
  humans don't trigger natural disasters. They're called natural for a reason lol
  
  Actually all natural disasters are related to weather and climate. If you're thinking about normal disasters like war, then that's all our fault. Mother nature ain't do nothing to cause no wars
  Button navigates to signup page
  (3 votes)
gwendolyn
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to gwendolyn's post “In Trinidad & Tobago ther...”
In Trinidad & Tobago there has been an increase in the number of floods experienced after heavy rainfall. While these can be attributed to natural disasters, the increasing severity of these floods is no doubt related to rising sea levels as a consequence of melting ice caps caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to the heavy use of fossil fuels all over the world.
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(0 votes)
Answer
- michaelchomework1234
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to michaelchomework1234's post “The increased number of f...”
  The increased number of floods may also be due to the destruction humans are causing to natural barriers of these disasters.
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  (3 votes)
russiankid46
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to russiankid46's post “why is it”
why
is it
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(1 vote)
Answer
minnysofa
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to minnysofa's post “Tsunamis are less natural...”
Tsunamis are less natural than they use to be.
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(0 votes)
Answer
- Betty :)
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Betty :)'s post “What do you mean? Tsunami...”
  What do you mean? Tsunamis are always natural because they are caused by subducting lithospheric plates moved by convection cells and currents in the mantle from the Earth's core.
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  (4 votes)
alton west
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to alton west's post “One I find it altaming th...”
One I find it altaming that many of the disasters take place in America but I digress. I chose the hurricane Katrina. Thinking about how hurricanes occur I would say that their frequent occurrence as of late is a result of climate changes ultimately caused my the human influence on the environment which makes them ultimately unnatural occurrences.
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(0 votes)
Answer
Tiffany Tian
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Tiffany Tian's post “Which natural disasters r...”
Which natural disasters relate the biosphere?
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(0 votes)
Answer
hubertla
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to hubertla's post “What factors help in the ...”
What factors help in the size of a natural disaster?
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(0 votes)
Answer