In this paper, we will determine how natural disasters affect the climate of planet Earth, therefore, we consider it necessary to define this phenomenon and its main manifestations (types):
The term natural disasters is used for two different concepts, in a sense overlapping. Catastrophe in literal translation means a turn, a restructuring. This value corresponds to the most general idea of catastrophes in natural science, where the evolution of the Earth is seen as a series of different catastrophes that cause a change in geological processes and types of living organisms.
Interest in the catastrophic events of the past is fueled by the fact that an inevitable part of any forecast is the analysis of the past. The older the catastrophe, the more difficult it is to recognize its traces.
Lack of information always breeds fantasies. Some researchers explain the same steep milestones and turns in the history of the Earth by cosmic causes - meteorite falls, changes in solar activity, seasons of the galactic year, others - by the cyclical processes taking place in the bowels of the planet
The second concept - natural disasters refers only to extreme natural phenomena and processes, as a result of which people die. In this understanding, natural disasters are opposed to man-made disasters, i.e. those caused directly by human activity
The main types of natural disasters
Earthquakes are underground shocks and vibrations of the Earth's surface caused by natural causes (mainly tectonic processes). In some places on the Earth, earthquakes occur frequently and sometimes reach great strength, breaking the integrity of the soil, destroying buildings and causing loss of life.
The number of earthquakes recorded annually on the globe is in the hundreds of thousands. However, the vast majority of them are weak, and only a small proportion reaches the degree of catastrophe. Until the 20th century known, for example, are such catastrophic earthquakes as the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, the Vernensky earthquake in 1887, which destroyed the city of Verny (now Alma-Ata), the earthquake in Greece in 1870-73, etc.
By its intensity, i.e. according to the manifestation on the surface of the Earth, earthquakes are divided, according to the international seismic scale MSK-64, into 12 gradations - points.
The area of occurrence of an underground impact - the focus of an earthquake - is a certain volume in the thickness of the Earth, within which the process of releasing the energy accumulated for a long time takes place. In a geological sense, a focus is a gap or a group of gaps along which an almost instantaneous movement of masses occurs. In the center of the focus, a point is conventionally distinguished, called the hypocenter. The projection of the hypocenter onto the Earth's surface is called the epicenter. Around it is the region of the greatest destruction - the pleistoseist region. Lines connecting points with the same vibration intensity (in points) are called isoseists.
Flooding - significant flooding of the area with water as a result of a rise in the water level in a river, lake or sea, caused by various reasons. Flooding on the river occurs from a sharp increase in the amount of water due to the melting of snow or glaciers located in its basin, as well as as a result of heavy precipitation. Flooding is often caused by an increase in the water level in the river due to blockage of the channel by ice during ice drift (jam) or due to clogging of the channel under a fixed ice cover by accumulations of intra-water ice and the formation of an ice plug (jam). Floods often occur under the influence of winds that bring water from the sea and cause an increase in the level due to the delay at the mouth of the water brought by the river. Floods of this type were observed in Leningrad (1824, 1924), the Netherlands (1952).
On sea coasts and islands, floods can occur as a result of flooding of the coastal strip by a wave formed during earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in the ocean (tsunami). Similar floods are not uncommon on the shores of Japan and other Pacific islands. Floods can be caused by breaks of dams, protective dams. Flooding occurs on many rivers in Western Europe - the Danube, Seine, Rhone, Po, etc., as well as on the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers in China, Mississippi and Ohio in the USA. In the USSR, large N. were observed on the river. Dnieper and Volga.
Hurricane (French ouragan, from Spanish huracan; the word is borrowed from the language of the Caribbean Indians) is a wind of destructive force and considerable duration, the speed of which is over 30 m / s (according to the Beaufort scale 12 points). Tropical cyclones, especially in the Caribbean, are also called hurricanes.
Tsunami (Japanese) - sea gravity waves of very large length, resulting from the shift up or down of extended sections of the bottom during strong underwater and coastal earthquakes and, occasionally, due to volcanic eruptions and other tectonic processes. Due to the low compressibility of water and the speed of the process of deformation of the bottom sections, the water column resting on them also shifts without having time to spread, as a result of which a certain elevation or depression forms on the ocean surface. The resulting perturbation turns into oscillatory movements of the water column - tsunami waves propagating at high speed (from 50 to 1000 km / h). The distance between neighboring wave crests varies from 5 to 1500 km. The height of the waves in the area of their occurrence varies between 0.01-5 m. Near the coast, it can reach 10 m, and in areas unfavorable in terms of relief (wedge-shaped bays, river valleys, etc.) - over 50 m.
About 1000 cases of tsunamis are known, of which more than 100 had catastrophic consequences, which caused complete destruction, washing away of structures and soil and vegetation cover. 80% of tsunamis occur on the periphery of the Pacific Ocean, including the western slope of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. Based on the patterns of occurrence and spread of tsunamis, the zoning of the coast is carried out according to the degree of threat. Measures for partial protection against tsunamis: creation of artificial coastal structures (breakwaters, breakwaters and embankments), planting forest strips along the ocean coast.
Drought is a prolonged and significant lack of precipitation, more often at elevated temperatures and low air humidity, as a result of which moisture reserves in the soil dry out, which leads to a decrease or death of the crop. The beginning of a drought is usually associated with the establishment of an anticyclone. The abundance of solar heat and dry air create increased evaporation (atmospheric drought), and soil moisture reserves are depleted without replenishment by rains (soil drought). During drought, the flow of water into plants through the root systems becomes more difficult, the consumption of moisture for transpiration begins to exceed its inflow from the soil, the water saturation of tissues decreases, and the normal conditions for photosynthesis and carbon nutrition are disturbed. Depending on the season, there are spring, summer and autumn droughts. Spring droughts are especially dangerous for early crops; summer causes severe damage to both early and late grain and other annual crops, as well as fruit plants; autumn are dangerous for winter seedlings. The most destructive are spring-summer and summer-autumn droughts. Most often, droughts are observed in the steppe zone, less often in the forest-steppe zone: 2-3 times a century, droughts occur even in the forest zone. The concept of drought is inapplicable to areas with a rainless summer and extremely low rainfall, where agriculture is possible only with artificial irrigation (for example, the Sahara, Gobi, etc.).
To combat droughts, a complex of agrotechnical and reclamation measures is used to enhance the water-absorbing and water-retaining properties of the soil, to retain snow in the fields. Of the agrotechnical control measures, the most effective is the main deep plowing, especially soils with a highly compacted subsurface horizon (chestnut, solonets, etc.)
Landslides - sliding displacement of rock masses down the slope under the influence of gravity. Landslides occur in any part of a slope or slope due to an imbalance in rocks caused by: an increase in the steepness of the slope as a result of water washing; weakening of the strength of rocks during weathering or waterlogging by precipitation and groundwater; the impact of seismic shocks; construction and economic activities carried out without taking into account the geological conditions of the area (destruction of slopes by road cuts, excessive watering of gardens and vegetable gardens located on slopes, etc.). Most often, landslides occur on slopes composed of alternating water-resistant (clay) and water-bearing rocks (for example, sand-gravel, fractured limestone). The development of a landslide is facilitated by such an occurrence when the layers are located with an inclination towards the slope or are crossed by cracks in the same direction. In highly moistened clay rocks, landslides take the form of a stream. In plan, landslides often have the shape of a semicircle, forming a depression in the slope, called a landslide cirque. Landslides cause great damage to agricultural land, industrial enterprises, settlements, etc. To combat landslides, bank protection and drainage structures are used, slopes are fixed with driven piles, planting vegetation, etc.
Volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes are geological formations that arise above channels and cracks in the earth's crust, through which lava, hot gases and rock fragments erupt to the earth's surface from deep magmatic sources. Volcanoes usually represent individual mountains composed of eruptions. Volcanoes are divided into active, dormant and extinct. The former include: those that are currently erupting constantly or periodically; about the eruptions of which there are historical data; about the eruptions of which there is no information, but which emit hot gases and water (solfatar stage). Dormant volcanoes are those whose eruptions are not known, but they have retained their shape and local earthquakes occur under them. Extinct volcanoes are called heavily destroyed and eroded volcanoes without any manifestations of volcanic activity.
Eruptions are long-term (for several years, decades and centuries) and short-term (measured by hours). Eruption precursors include volcanic earthquakes, acoustic phenomena, changes in the magnetic properties and composition of fumarole gases, and other phenomena. An eruption usually begins with an increase in gas emissions, first along with dark, cold lava fragments, and then with red-hot ones. These emissions are in some cases accompanied by an outpouring of lava. The height of the rise of gases, water vapor, saturated with ash and lava fragments, depending on the strength of the explosions, ranges from 1 to 5 km (during the Bezymyanny eruption in Kamchatka in 1956, it reached 45 km). The ejected material is transported over distances from several to tens of thousands of kilometers. The volume of ejected clastic material sometimes reaches several km3. The eruption is an alternation of weak and strong explosions and lava outpourings. Explosions of maximum force are called climactic paroxysms. After them, there is a decrease in the strength of explosions and a gradual cessation of eruptions. The volumes of the erupted lava are up to tens of km3.
climate natural disaster atmosphere
The problem of global warming is increasingly reminiscent of itself. This is already affecting the lives of earthlings now, because in recent years, in the middle latitudes with a temperate climate, the air temperature in the summer months has regularly begun to exceed 40 degrees Celsius, while hurricanes and heavy rainfall are replacing the African heat. Such natural disasters cause a lot of inconvenience and losses, however, climate scientists predict that in the coming years climate shocks will become commonplace.
In particular, according to the Svopi.ru portal, climatologists from all over the world are calling for attention to global changes in the Earth's climate that are already taking place today, because, according to scientists, climate turbulence will fully make itself felt by 2020 with a series of natural cataclysms that could turn into a global catastrophe.
Experts predict that in four years the population of the Earth will feel the serious consequences of these changes. It is assumed that hurricanes and minor earthquakes will be the least of the troubles that await the Earth, however, researchers draw attention to the fact that climate change, which has been predicted for a long time, does not pass as evenly and gradually as experts predicted earlier. According to climatologists, these processes will manifest themselves unexpectedly, and where they are least expected. At the moment, there is a strong opinion in the scientific community that for the first time, climatic turbulence will most acutely manifest itself in the UK, since the British Isles are located in the zone of cyclones from the subtropics and northern air currents at the same time.
Recall that one of the consequences of the currently observed global warming is also the catastrophic melting of Arctic ice and continental ice caps. They play a big role in climate balance by reflecting large amounts of sunlight, which keeps the Earth from overheating. At the same time, the dynamics of the growth of average monthly and average annual temperatures, which continue to break new records with each fixation period, also contributes to the stability of glaciers that have been untouched for tens of thousands of years in various parts of the world. Mankind has already forgotten about the snows of Kilimanjaro, scientists predict the complete melting of the Arctic ice in the coming years. At the same time, a serious threat looms over the Greenland ice sheet, the melting of which could raise the level of the world's seas by many meters.
According to climatologists from the UK, Holland and Germany, in the period from 2011 to 2014, as a result of observations, a record loss of ice cover was recorded in Greenland. The study devoted to this is published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The researchers found that during this period, the largest island of the planet lost a total of about a trillion tons of ice, which is equivalent to contributing to global sea level rise by 0.75 millimeters per year. At the same time, it was found that the most intensive ice melting occurred in 2012, when summer temperatures reached record high values.
This was established using observations by the CryoSat satellite, on which a radio altimeter is installed. The spacecraft's estimate of Greenland's loss of ice sheet was, according to the ESA, with the highest accuracy available and is close to data from NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites.
According to the United Nations Information Center, by 2030, 250,000 people will die annually from the effects of global climate change, and these data are in addition to previously announced forecasts. Infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea, malnutrition and heat stroke will be the main causes of the increase in mortality. Expected further warming and the associated increase in humidity will lead to the spread of various disease-carrying insects, and crops will suffer due to droughts, rainstorms and extreme heat - more people will go hungry.
As air pollution increases, the flowering period of plants will be prolonged, resulting in an increase in the number of people suffering from asthma and pollen allergies. As a result of pollution of water sources, floods and warming, diseases caused by dirty water will spread.
In just 60 years, more than 3,000 New Yorkers will die each year from climate change-related heatwaves, US scientists warn. According to official figures alone, more Americans die from heat waves than from all other natural disasters combined. According to American climatologists, over the next 60 years the situation will only get worse. This is stated in a new study published in the specialized journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The New York City Panel on Climate Change predicts that by 2080, the average annual temperature in the metropolitan area will increase by 5.3 to 8.8 degrees Fahrenheit (2.9 to 4 .9 degrees Celsius). According to the 2014 National Climate Assessment report, the number of hot days will triple by then.
A catastrophe is a sudden natural phenomenon or human action that caused numerous casualties or caused damage to the health of a group of people who simultaneously need emergency medical care or protection, which caused a disproportion between the forces and means or forms and methods of daily work of health authorities and institutions, with on the one hand, and the emerging need for emergency medical care on the other hand.
Between 2000 and 2012, more than 700 thousand people died as a result of disasters, 1.4 million were injured, and about 23 million were left homeless. In total, 1.5 billion people have been affected by disasters in one way or another. The total economic damage amounted to 1.3 trillion dollars (for comparison: Russia's GDP for 2013 was 2.097 trillion dollars).
Natural and man-made disasters cause damage that affects all areas of society. The devastating effects of disasters are often long-term.
Disasters testify to the physical, social, economic and environmental vulnerability and insecurity of the human population.
An important task of our time is to improve the prediction of disasters and the development of methods for the rapid and effective elimination of their consequences.
Most destructive disasters are of natural origin (earthquakes, extreme weather events). However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has demonstrated that a number of measures can be applied to reduce the severity and frequency of extreme weather events caused by anthropogenic climate change. They consist in the introduction of sustainable development practices, which will be aimed at protecting the environment and at the same time improving the health and well-being of people.
In order to avoid man-made disasters, regular inspections of the equipment of enterprises and infrastructure facilities that pose a potential danger (railways, factories, stations) for wear and tear and other necessary measures to prevent man-made disasters and eliminate their consequences should be carried out.
This paper will consider the main types of natural and man-made disasters, their causes, consequences, as well as examples of the world's largest natural and man-made disasters.
2. Classification
There are several criteria for classifying disasters. These include: damage caused, flow time, coverage area, number of victims, and others. One of the most common criteria is the nature of origin. On this basis, they usually distinguish:
- Anthropogenic disasters - arise due to human activities (shipwrecks, accidents at nuclear power plants);
- Natural disasters - occur under the influence of the forces of nature (tsunamis, earthquakes, floods).
It should be noted that man-made disasters in the broadest sense can be of a natural nature (landslides in settlements caused by malfunctioning water supply systems; floods resulting from dam breaks). Here, man-made disasters will be considered as opposed to natural ones. In other classifications, man-made disasters are distinguished.
3. Natural disasters
Classification of natural disasters
Natural disasters are divided according to their origin into two types:
- endogenous - associated with the internal energy and forces of the Earth (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis);
- exogenous - due to solar energy and activity, atmospheric, hydrodynamic and gravitational processes (hurricanes, cyclones, floods, storms).
Causes of natural disasters
One of the causes of natural disasters is a natural disaster, a natural phenomenon that leads to the destruction of material values, death of people and other consequences.
Main types of natural disasters:
1. Geological
- Earthquake
Earthquake - tremors and vibrations of the earth's surface resulting from sudden displacements and ruptures in the earth's crust and upper mantle and transmitted over long distances. - Eruption
Volcanic eruption - volcanic activity in which volcanic lava and hot gases erupt to the surface. In addition to the direct volcanic eruption, volcanic ash and pyroclastic flows (a mixture of volcanic gases, stones, ash) cause great damage. - Avalanche
An avalanche is a mass of snow or ice that falls or slides down steep mountain slopes. Particularly destructive avalanches can completely destroy settlements. - collapse
Collapse - separation of rock masses from the slope and rapid downward movement. They occur on the banks of rivers, seas, in the mountains under the influence of precipitation, seismic shocks, human activity - Landslide
Landslide - the separation of earthen masses from the slope and their movement along the slope under the influence of gravity. - sel
A mudflow is a powerful mud, mud-stone or water-stone stream, which is formed in the beds of mountain rivers due to a sharp flood caused by heavy rains, snowmelt and other reasons.
2. Meteorological
- hail
Hail - a type of precipitation in the form of dense ice particles (hailstones) of irregular shape of different sizes. - Drought
Drought - prolonged dry weather, often at elevated air temperatures, with no or very little precipitation, leading to depletion of moisture reserves in the soil and a sharp decrease in relative humidity. - Blizzard
A blizzard is the transport of snow by the wind over the surface of the earth. - Tornado
A tornado is an extremely strong atmospheric vortex with air circulation closed around a more or less vertical axis. - Cyclone
Cyclone - an atmospheric vortex with reduced pressure in the middle and air circulation in a spiral.
3. Hydrological
- Flood
Flooding is the flooding of an area with water. - Tsunami
Tsunamis are very long sea waves that occur during strong underwater and coastal earthquakes, as well as during volcanic eruptions or large rockfalls from a coastal cliff. - Limnological catastrophe
A limnological catastrophe is a rare natural phenomenon in which carbon dioxide dissolved in deep lakes is released to the surface, causing asphyxiation of wild and domestic animals and people.
4. Fires
- Forest fires
Forest fires are spontaneous or human-induced fires in forest ecosystems. - Peat fires
Peat fires - burning of a layer of peat and tree roots.
In a separate group of causes of natural disasters, the impact of space objects on the Earth is distinguished: a collision with asteroids, the fall of meteorites. They pose a great threat to the planet, since even a small celestial body in a collision with the Earth can cause devastating harm.
Consequences of natural disasters
Killed and wounded
Between 1965 and 1999, 4 million people fell victim to major types of natural disasters.
Geographically, the number of deaths from natural disasters is divided as follows: more than half (53%) are in Africa, 37% in Asia. The most destructive in Africa were droughts, and in Asia - cyclones, storms, tsunamis.
In terms of the number of people affected by natural disasters, Asia dominates over all continents (89%). In second place is Africa (6.7%), followed by the Americas, Europe and Oceania, totaling 5%.
The number of victims of various natural disasters in Asia:
- 55% from floods
- 34% of droughts
- 9% from tsunamis and storms
Economic damage
The vulnerability of countries to natural disasters is related to their social and economic development. Cities with high population density and developed infrastructure bear the greatest economic, social and material damage.
In absolute terms, the economic damage is greater for developed countries due to the extensive infrastructure and high concentration of capital. However, the ratio of direct damage to GDP shows that low-income countries suffer more damage.
The economic damage from natural disasters is growing rapidly every year. In the 1960s, it amounted to about 1 billion dollars, in the 1970s - 4.7, in the 1980s - 16.6, in the 1990s - 76. There were cases when the damage caused to the economy from the catastrophe exceeded GDP.
The most economically destructive natural disasters are typhoons, storms, floods and earthquakes. This can be seen by examining the diagram of the economic damage to Europe from natural disasters (Figure 1)
Figure 1. Economic damage to European countries from natural disasters (1989-2008)
Impact of natural disasters on the environment
Under the influence of natural disasters, large-scale changes in the geographical situation or landscape type occur, which lead to certain sequential changes in the state of biogeocenoses of the area (successions).
4. Man-made disasters
Classification
Typically, man-made disasters are divided into two main groups:
- industrial (radiation, chemical emissions)
- transport (air accidents, railway accidents)
This is not an exhaustive classification. Fires, social catastrophes (wars, terrorist acts) are sometimes distinguished into separate groups.
Another classification criterion is origin. Man-made disasters can be caused by negligence and ill-conceived actions on the part of personnel, external causes (in the case of shipwrecks), equipment malfunction and many other reasons.
According to the scene: accidents at nuclear power plants, chemical plants, bacteriological laboratories, emergencies on the water, railways, air crashes and others.
Causes
The main causes of man-made disasters are:
- Equipment malfunction, failure of engineering systems, violation of the operation mode of equipment
- Erroneous actions of personnel, non-compliance with safety regulations
External influences
The most frequent man-made disasters:
- explosions and fires at enterprises storing, processing or producing explosives
- in coal mines, underground
- traffic accidents
The main cause of fires is a violation of safety rules, technical defects leading to fire, human negligence, as well as malicious intent.
Explosions occur due to human error, the presence of a high concentration of flammable gases and dust in the air, violations of the rules for storage, transportation and processing of hazardous substances.
Most experts believe that major aviation accidents are usually caused by a malfunction of the engine and other aircraft systems, pilot error, weather conditions, and collisions with objects in the air.
Accidents on railways occur due to defects in the railway track, rolling stock, overloading of the railway line, errors of the track operator and driver.
There are hundreds of chemical enterprises and nuclear power plants in the world, and the accumulated radioactive and chemical waste is enough to destroy all life on the planet several times.
Chemical accidents are a violation of the production process, accompanied by damage or destruction of pipelines, tanks, storage facilities, vehicles and leading to the release of chemical pollutants into the biosphere.
Radioactive disasters occur as a result of loss of control over radioactive material.
Consequences of man-made disasters
According to the material and energy characteristics, the consequences of anthropogenic disasters can be divided into:
- mechanical
- physical (thermal, electromagnetic, radiation, acoustic)
- chemical
- biological
The consequences of man-made disasters are divided into short-term (destroyed infrastructure) and long-term (radioactive contamination of the environment) according to the period of influence and the time spent on their elimination.
When assessing the scale of man-made disasters, various indicators can be taken as a basis: the number of deaths; the total number of victims; the nature of the damage to the environment; financial losses and others.
Like natural disasters, man-made disasters inflict heavy economic damage, although they are inferior to the first in terms of the number of victims.
A distinctive feature of man-made disasters is the serious environmental damage they cause.
Accidents in the fuel and energy complex, air and shipwrecks, accompanied by the leakage of substances hazardous to ecosystems into the environment, entail the death of organisms, mutations in biological species, and the destruction of habitats.
The release of radioactive substances in catastrophes caused by accidents at nuclear power plants has long-term consequences: death of people from cancer, radiation sickness, hereditary diseases in subsequent generations, and radioactive contamination of the environment.
In general, industrial accidents and catastrophes are a very significant negative factor for the state of the environment and public health. Disruptions to natural ecosystems resulting from catastrophes and the death of many biota components can be irreversible.
5. Catastrophe prediction
To predict a catastrophe means to determine its place, time and force. A feature of modern natural disasters is that when they occur, there is a combination or simultaneous action of several initiating factors. Seismologists monitor changes in various characteristics of the Earth in order to establish the relationship between them and the occurrence of natural disasters.
However, there are a number of obstacles in determining the causes and the possibility of predicting hazardous natural phenomena and emergency situations, which are associated with the peculiarities of the functioning of the existing monitoring and forecasting system.
The difference between man-made disasters and natural disasters is that they are sudden and it is impossible to predict them. But there are prerequisites for man-made disasters and ways to predict them.
Prerequisites for man-made disasters are physical phenomena that provide objective evidence of the occurrence of a potential man-made disaster. Timely detection of the prerequisites allows taking measures to eliminate the catastrophe or, in case of its inevitability, to minimize the damage.
Such prerequisites include a defect or equipment failure due to technical reasons or as a result of meteorological, seismic activity; geophysical factors associated with the concentration of hazardous substances at enterprises and others.
The experience of creating and operating complex engineering systems has allowed humanity to develop and implement methods for monitoring their safety and performance.
Catastrophe forecasting is a complex and important task of our time. The security and development of mankind depends on this.
6. Examples of major disasters
Hurricane Katrina
Flooded New Orleans August 23-30, 2005, USA.
Hurricane Katrina is the most destructive hurricane in US history.
The hurricane made landfall along the northern Gulf of Mexico, which is highly vulnerable to storm surge. The states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida became the disaster zone. The total number of victims of the hurricane is approaching 2000. Thousands of people were left without homes and jobs, infrastructure facilities in dozens of cities were partially or completely destroyed. The hurricane caused coastal erosion and oil spills. About $100 billion was spent on the restoration of the affected regions.
The Chernobyl accident
Destroyed fourth unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant April 26, 1986, USSR.
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is the explosive destruction of the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with the release of a large amount of radioactive substances into the environment. The largest accident of its kind in the history of nuclear power
the number of victims and economic damage.
On April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, completely destroying the reactor. The main cause of the accident is believed to be human error. The consequences of the accident are long-term. The number of victims can only be estimated. It is estimated at tens of thousands (the victims include people suffering or dying from radiation sickness, cancer, children with developmental disabilities, born after the accident, and others). The accident caused a tragic environmental disaster. The cloud formed from the burning reactor carried various radioactive materials across Europe and the USSR. Vast territories were exposed to radiation contamination.
Indian Ocean earthquake (2004)
December 26, 2004, Asia.
An underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami, considered the deadliest natural disaster in history. 18 countries were in the disaster zone, 300 thousand people suffered - local residents and tourists. In Sri Lanka, the tsunami caused the largest railway disaster in history.
Bhopal disaster
December 3, 1984, India.
The Bhopal disaster is the largest man-made disaster in terms of the number of victims, caused by an accident at a chemical plant producing pesticides in the Indian city of Bhopal. As a result of the release of vapors of methyl isocyanate, 18 thousand people died. The number of victims varies from 150 to 600 thousand. The official reason has not been established. It is believed that the crash was caused by a safety violation.
The crash of the Doña Paz
December 20, 1987, Philippines
The collision of the Philippine ferry "Dona Paz" with the tanker "Vector" is considered the largest maritime disaster in peacetime.
The collision resulted in a spill and fire of oil products from the tanker. Both ships sank. About 1500 people died. It was revealed that the ferry was overloaded, and the tanker was without a license.
Flood in China (1931)
1931, China.
In 1931, south-central China was subjected to devastating floods that claimed the lives of between 145,000 and 4 million people. The largest rivers of the country came out of their banks: the Yangtze, Huaihe, Huanghe. This natural disaster is considered the largest natural disaster in history.
Winter of terror
1950-1951, Europe.
The Winter of Terror is the 1950-1951 season, during which 649 avalanches descended in the Alps. Avalanches destroyed several settlements in Austria, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Italy. About 300 people died.
Fires in Russia (2010)
Smoke over the European part of Russia 2010, Russia
Due to the lack of precipitation and abnormal heat from July to September, the European part of Russia was engulfed in forest fires. As a result of the disaster, 55,800 people died.
Dozens of cities were subjected to heavy smoke.
Limnological catastrophe on Lake Nyos
Lake Nyos after a limnological catastrophe on August 21, 1986, Cameroon.
A limnological catastrophe occurred on Lake Nyos, which released a huge amount of carbon dioxide gas. Gas rushed in two streams
along the mountain slope, destroying all living things at a distance of up to 27 km from the lake. The disaster claimed the lives of 1700 people.
Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion
Fighting a fire on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform April 20, 2010, USA.
The accident in the Gulf of Mexico (80 kilometers from the coast of Louisiana) on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. One of the largest man-made disasters. The accident was the largest oil spill in US history.
The accident claimed the lives of 11 people and caused a major environmental disaster.
7. Conclusion
A catastrophe is an unexpected, powerful and uncontrollable phenomenon of a natural or anthropogenic nature, entailing human casualties, economic, environmental and social damage.
From ancient times to the present, humanity has been confronted with disasters and is trying to counteract and control them. With the development of science and technology, it was possible to significantly improve methods for predicting disasters and eliminating the consequences of disasters, but at the same time, such problems as global warming, environmental disasters, and mutated life forms appeared.
Disasters include not only natural disasters (hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes), but also "man-made" or man-made disasters (accidents at work, wars, terrorist attacks), which also cause significant environmental damage.
Governments and public organizations are joining forces to develop an international strategy to reduce the impact of disasters. This is a difficult task requiring decisive economic and political action.
The subject of natural and man-made disasters is very broad and the world is becoming more and more interested in analysis, review and search for new solutions. The study of disasters is essential to the safety and prosperity of mankind.
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- Sano, Y., Kusakabe, M., Hirabayashi, J., Nojiri, Y., Shinohara, H., Njine, T. and Tanyileke, G. (1990). Helium and carbon fluxes in Lake Nyos, Cameroon: constraint on next gas burst. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 99(4), pp.303-314.
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“... In fact, humanity does not have not only 100 years, but even 50 years! The maximum that we have is several decades, taking into account impending events. Over the past two decades, alarming changes in the geophysical parameters of the planet, the emergence of a variety of observed anomalies, an increase in the frequency and scale of extreme events, an abrupt increase in natural disasters on Earth in the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere indicate the release of an extremely high level of additional exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) energy. As you know, in 2011 this process began to enter a new active phase, as evidenced by noticeable jumps in the released seismic energy, recorded during more frequent strong earthquakes, as well as an increase in the number of powerful destructive typhoons, hurricanes, a widespread change in thunderstorm activity and other anomalous natural phenomena ... » from the report
What awaits humanity tomorrow - no one knows. But the fact that our civilization is already on the verge of self-destruction is no longer a secret to anyone. This is evidenced by daily events around the world, to which we simply turn a blind eye. A great amount of material has been accumulated that reflects the reality of our life and future events. As an example, a very impressive video - taking place from September 2015 to the present day.
The subsequent photographs are by no means a method of shock therapy, this is the harsh reality of our life, which is neither THERE, but HERE - on our planet. But for some reason we turn away from this, or we prefer not to notice the reality and seriousness of what is happening.
Hanshin, Japan
Tohoku, Japan
Agree indisputable fact is that a huge number of people, as well as each individual separately, are not fully aware of the complexity and seriousness of the current situation on Earth today. For some reason, we turn a blind eye to this, adhering to the principle: "the less you know - you sleep better, you have enough worries, my hut is on the edge." But the fact that every day on the entire planet Earth, on different continents there are floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes - scientists, newspapers, television, the Internet inform. But, nevertheless, the media, for certain reasons, do not reveal the whole truth, carefully hiding the true climate situation in the world and the urgent need for urgent action. This is one of the main reasons why most people naively believe that these terrible events will not affect them, at a time when all the facts indicate that an irreversible global process of climate change has begun. And already in our time there is a rapid growth of such a worldwide problem as global cataclysms.
These graphs clearly demonstrate that over the past decade, the world has seen a significant increase in the number of natural disasters, and dozens of times.
Rice. 1. Graph of the number of natural disasters in the world from 1920 to 2015. Compiled on the basis of the EM-DAT database.
Rice. 2. Graph with a cumulative total showing the number of earthquakes in the United States of magnitude 3 and above from 1975 to April 2015. Compiled from the USGS database.
The statistics given above clearly show the climatic situation on our planet. Most people today, lulled and blinded by illusion, do not even want to think about the future. Many feel that something is happening to the climate around the world and understand that natural anomalies of this kind indicate the seriousness of everything that is happening. But fear and irresponsibility are pushing people to turn away and again plunge into the usual bustle. In modern society, it is considered quite normal to shift the responsibility for everything that happens to us and around us to someone. We live our lives relying on the fact that the state authorities will do everything for us: they will create good conditions for living in a peaceful life, and in case of danger, great scientists will warn us in advance and the state authorities will take care of us. The phenomenon is paradoxical, but this is how our consciousness works - we always believe that someone owes us something and forget that we ourselves are responsible for our lives. And here it is important to understand that in order to survive, people themselves need to unite. Only the people themselves can lay the foundation for the worldwide unification of all mankind, no one but us will do this. The words of the great poet F. Tyutchev fit perfectly:
Unity, - proclaimed the oracle of our days, -
Perhaps soldered with iron and blood only ... "
But we will try to solder it with love, -
And then we will see that it is stronger ...
It would also be appropriate to remind our readers of the current refugee situation in Europe. There are only about three million of them, according to official figures, but huge problems of banal survival have already begun. And this is in a civilized, well-fed Europe. Why, it would seem, even rich Europe is not able to adequately solve the problem of migrants? And what will happen if about two billion people undergo forced migration in the coming years?! The following question also arises: where do you think millions and billions of people will go if they manage to survive in global cataclysms?But the problem of survival will become acute for everyone: housing, food, work, etc. What will happen then if we, in a peaceful life, given the format of a consumer society, are constantly fighting for our piece of matter, starting from MY apartment, MY car and ending with MY mug, MY armchair and MY favorite, inviolable slippers?
It becomes clear that we can survive the period of global cataclysms only by joining our efforts. The coming trials will be possible to pass with honor and the least number of human casualties, only if we are a single family, united by friendship, humanity and mutual assistance. If we prefer to be a herd of animals, then the animal world has its own laws of survival - the strongest survive. But are we animals?
“Yes, if society does not change, then humanity simply will not survive. During the period of global changes, people, due to the aggressive activation of the Animal nature (which obeys the general Animal mind), like any other intelligent matter, will simply fight for survival on their own, that is, peoples will exterminate each other, and those who remain alive will be destroyed by itself. nature. It will be possible to survive the coming cataclysms only with the unification of all mankind and the qualitative transformation of society in the spiritual sense. If, by joint efforts, people can still change the direction of the world community from the consumer channel towards true spiritual development, with the dominance of the Spiritual nature in it, then humanity will have a chance to survive this period. Moreover, both society and future generations will be able to reach a qualitatively new stage in their development. But only now it depends on the real choice and actions of everyone! And most importantly, many smart people on the planet understand this, see the impending catastrophe, the collapse of society, but do not know how to resist all this and what to do. Anastasia Novykh "AllatRa"
Why do people not notice, or pretend not to notice, or simply do not want to notice those numerous threats of planetary global cataclysms and all other acute problems facing all mankind today. The reason for such behavior of the inhabitants of our planet is the lack of real Knowledge about man and the world. Modern man has replaced the concept of the true value of life, and therefore today few people can confidently answer such questions as: “Why does a person come into this world? What awaits us after the death of our body? Where and why did this whole material world appear, which brings not only happiness, but also a lot of suffering to a person? Surely there must be some meaning to this? Or maybe the Great Divine Plan?
Today we have with you books by Anastasia Novykh that answer all these questions. Moreover, having become acquainted with the Primordial Knowledge about the world and man, set forth in these books, most of us accepted them as a guide to action for internal transformation of ourselves for the better. Now we know the purpose of our life and we know what we need to do in order to achieve it. We gratefully meet obstacles on our way and rejoice in victories. And it's wonderful! In fact, this Knowledge is a great gift for mankind. But having come into contact with them and accepting them, we are responsible for our actions and for what is happening around us. But why do we forget about it? Why do we constantly forget about what is happening now on other continents, in other cities and countries?
"The personal contribution of each person to the common cause of the spiritual and moral transformation of society is very important"- book "AllatRa" "Now"- this is the right time to ask yourself the question: What contribution can I personally make to create the conditions necessary to unite all people in order to survive the impending disasters?
“It is important to raise public awareness of the problems of the near future. All socially active people need to take an active part in the unification and rallying of the world society today, ignoring all selfish, social, political, religious and other barriers that the system artificially separates people. Only by joining our efforts in the global community, not on paper, but in deed, it is possible to have time to prepare the majority of the inhabitants of the planet for those planetary climate, world economic global shocks and changes that are coming. Each of us can do a lot of useful things in this direction! By uniting, people multiply their capabilities tenfold ”(From the Report).
To unite all mankind into a single family, a general mobilization of our forces and capabilities is necessary. The fate of all mankind today hangs in the balance, and a lot really depends on our actions.
At the moment, ALLATRA IPM participants from all over the world are jointly implementing projects aimed at uniting all people and building a creative society. Everyone who remains indifferent to the future of all mankind and feels a sincere need to sincerely help people not in words, but in deeds, and is ready to lend a helping hand right now, can join this project to inform the inhabitants of the planet about upcoming cataclysms and ways out of the current circumstances through the unification of all the people of the planet into a single and friendly family.
It's no secret that time is running out. Therefore it is very important now understand that only together we can survive the coming cataclysms. The unification of people is the key to the survival of mankind.
Literature:
Report “On the problems and consequences of global climate change on Earth. Effective Ways to Solve These Problems” by the international group of scientists of ALLATRA International Public Movement, November 26, 2014 http://allatra-science.org/publication/climate
J.L.Rubinstein, A.B.Mahani, Myths and Facts on Wastewater Injection, Hydraulic Fracturing, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and Induced Seismicity, Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 86, Num. 4, July/August 2015 link
Anastasia Novykh "AllatRa", K.: AllatRa, 2013 http://books.allatra.org/ru/kniga-allatra
Prepared by: Jamal Magomedov
Often in the news you can hear that a natural disaster has happened somewhere. This means that a strong storm or hurricane swept through, an earthquake occurred, or a turbulent mud stream descended from the mountains. Tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, drought - all these natural phenomena are devastating, they kill people, demolish houses, neighborhoods, and sometimes entire cities from the face of the earth, causing serious economic damage.
Definition of a cataclysm
What does the word "cataclysm" mean? This, according to the definition of Ushakov's explanatory dictionary, is a sharp change in the conditions of organic life, which is observed on a significant surface of the Earth (planet) and is due to the influence of atmospheric, volcanic and geological processes.
The explanatory dictionary edited by Efremov and Shvedov defines a cataclysm as a destructive change in nature, a catastrophe.
Also, each dictionary indicates that in a figurative sense, a cataclysm is a global and destructive change in the life of society, a disastrous social upheaval.
Of course, you can see common features in all definitions. As you can see, the main meaning that the concept of "cataclysm" carries in itself is destruction, disaster.
Types of natural and social disasters
Depending on the source of occurrence, the following types of disasters are distinguished:
- geological - earthquake or volcanic eruption, mudflow, landslide, avalanche or collapse;
- hydrological - tsunami, flood, breakthrough to the surface from the depths of a gas reservoir (CO 2);
- thermal - forest or peat fire;
- meteorological - hurricane, storm, tornado, cyclone, snowstorm, drought, hail, prolonged downpour.
These natural disasters differ in character and duration (from several minutes to several months), but they all pose a threat to human life and health.
In a separate category, man-made disasters are distinguished - accidents at nuclear installations, chemical facilities, sewage treatment plants, dam breakthroughs and other disasters. Their occurrence provokes a symbiosis of natural forces and the anthropogenic factor.
The most famous social cataclysm is war, revolution. Also, social emergencies can be associated with overpopulation, migration, epidemics, global unemployment, terrorism, genocide, separatism.
The most terrible cataclysms in the history of the Earth
In 1138, a powerful earthquake occurred in the city of Aleppo (modern Syria), which completely wiped the city off the face of the earth and claimed 230 thousand human lives.
In December 2004, a 9.3 magnitude underwater earthquake hit the Indian Ocean. It triggered a tsunami. Huge 15-meter waves reached the shores of Thailand, India and Indonesia. The number of victims reached 300 thousand people.
In August 1931, in China, due to monsoon rains, a severe flood occurred, which claimed the lives of 4 million (!) People. And in August 1975, due to a powerful typhoon in China, the Banqiao Dam was destroyed. This provoked the largest flood in the last 2000 years, the water went 50 kilometers deep into the mainland, created artificial reservoirs with a total area of 12 thousand km2. As a result, the death toll reached 200 thousand people.
What can expect the blue planet in the future
Scientists predict that strong catastrophes and cataclysms await our planet in the future.
Global warming, which has been worrying progressive minds for more than 50 years, may in the future provoke unprecedented floods, droughts, heavy rains, which will lead not only to millions of victims, but also to a global economic and social crisis.
Also, do not forget that the asteroid 99942 weighing 46 million tons and 500 meters in diameter is inexorably approaching our planet. Astronomers predict a likely collision in 2029 that will destroy the Earth. NASA has created a special working group to address this very serious
