Course Code: SCIE 219
Academic Year: 2024-2025
Dangerous Earth is an introduction to natural hazards and the natural disasters that they cause. These hazards can occur virtually anywhere on the globe and when they impact humanity they have the potential to become a disaster. Even here in seemingly peaceful Ontario, we should be aware of this fact. With our increasing global population, more people are under threat from natural hazards than ever before. In this age of technological innovation the lesson is that we cannot control nature - we can merely understand it. Dangerous Earth examines the science behind the hazards, as well as the human perspective in facing these hazards. This course begins with an overview of the structure of the Earth. From this introduction specific phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods and weather hazards are examined in detail. Disasters are examined throughout the course to illustrate the nature of the hazards.