Final Hazards Report - Malaysia

Attached is my final report, typed in a Word document to make sure it was the proper length and format. Thanks for reading! It has been a wonderful semester, I have loved learning a lot with you all, and I look forward to reading my classmate's final posts as we wrap the class up. I wish you all luck on the midterm as well and best of luck for all of our future endeavors. And thanks, professor, for always being there with help and guidance along the way. This has been a fun and informative class.

Kaylee's Final

Extreme weather in Malaysia

Malaysia is situated along tectonic plates, accounting for a significant disaster hazard at any moment, but this is not even the worst of Malaysia's weather patterns. Climate change has taken a significant toll on the weather all over the globe, but Malaysians tend to agree that the Pacific Southeast has been afflicted by unpredictable winds and tornadoes, landslides, and flooding, among other extreme conditions. However, the climate overall remains drier "than usual," but random rainstorms wreak havoc on Malaysians who endure egregious flooding and unstable soils after these periods.
I came across a very interesting article detailing the increased severity of weather conditions in the country circa 2014 (and in recent years), outlining these changes in weather and pointing towards a global climate change with increasing episodes of hazardous weather.
People debate about the impact of human on the environment, and whether we represent a threat to the earth's stability; but we are constantly uncovering new evidence of global warming trends and natural activity that is unusual or occurring more frequently than in previous recorded decades.
A famous tsunami that occurred in the pacific Southeast was even depicted in a Hollywood film. The changes in weather are not only increasing, they are concerning.
Another phenomenon occurring in Malaysian cities (and around the world) is the documented "urban island heat effect" in which an urban city (and its impending congestion, vehicular smog, "a local climactic condition in which a metropolitan are my become as much as 22 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding countryside."(317). This brings to mind cities like Los Angeles, where downtown/Glendale area can get into the 90s during the summer, but nearby coastal cities, (or high elevation foothill towns) like Santa Monica are a few degrees cooler (maybe low-mid 80s). Travel up about 45 minutes to Santa Barbara, and the weather may be 10-15 degrees cooler than the hot city of LA (70s-80s). It makes sense that the high rise buildings and the surrounding asphalt and concrete jungle soak up significant warmth throughout the day and make it that much hotter than other areas.

Sources:
http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/features/2014/12/15/dry-muddy-and-very-windy-malaysian-weather-gets-extreme-in-2014/

Natural Hazards, Keller, DeVecchio

Landslides/Mass Wasting in Malaysia

Malaysia has had significant mass wasting problems within the last few years, and much of this is because flat, static land is not abundant in the nation. Therefore, much of the 'urbanization' and growth has meant expanding population-dense cities towards hills and sloped regions, vastly increasing the number of landslides Malaysia has seen. When you combine these elements with the moist tropical weather they tend to experience, it is understandable that their hills become unstable with heavy rain and cause landslides. The unstable sediment is infused with water and many landslides are caused my 'creeping', or slowly moving, rocks and sediment that eventually result in a massively growing landslide, or cause minor damage. This phenomena is not usually something we can see with our own eyes, until the problem increases exponentially and is rolling downhill towards your home.
Not surprisingly, much of the activity can be attributed to seismic activity, volcanoes, and other natural hazards (of which Malaysia suffers a lot). These events are all related, and reflect the inherent environmental dangers that population-dense areas tend to perpetrate.
Malaysia, well aware of the dangers, does their absolute best to warn citizens and keep them safe through the many natural dangers they are at risk of. Recently (May 2016), Malaysians were at risk of "La Nina", or the lasting effects of the dangerous El Nino system. The possibilities ranged from "infectious diseases" to "flooding and landslides".
 "‘There will be a movement in the earth, as the mechanics of the soil can hold only so much water before it will start to become mobile - and cause a landslide.' (Malaysian Digest). 
At this time it was necessary to warn individuals in impacted areas, as well to provide resources like food and water to those whose homes were damaged. Having ample rescue teams and safety/authorities on guard is also essential to maintaining the safety of the civilians.


SOURCES:
http://www.malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/611571-prepare-for-infectious-diseases-landslides-flash-floods-and-disasters-during-the-coming-la-nina.html

http://www.unibuc.ro/prof/scradeanu_d/docs/2014/mai/20_18_53_18LANDSLIDE_HAZARD.pdf

http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2015/06/05/malaysia-earthquake-1/

Volcanic Activity in Malaysia

This week's focus on volcanoes further explores the ever-present risks of natural hazards present in our modern, civilized world. Not surprisingly, around 2/3 of the world's volcanic activity occurs within the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which coincides with many of the planet's most active plate boundaries (Keller/DeVecchio, 131). The volcanoes traced around this "ring of fire" vary in type of volcanic rock produced, and severity/activity.
Volcanic activity is not only present in the country of Malaysia, but also in surrounding nations like Indonesia and the Philippines, which tend to experience some of the most disastrous volcanic activity on the planet. Naturally, all the above nations are within proximity of the infamous "Ring of Fire". Therefore, Malaysia is threatened by volcanic activity much like it is threatened by seismic activity (earthquakes). Malaysia has only one "possibly active" volcano, the Bombalai Volcano, which is considered explosive. It is currently dormant but still possesses the capability of destruction if its dormant status is interrupted by plate activity. Nearby volcanoes in neighboring countries also pose a significant threat, as ash and other debris can travel great distances, blanketing cities and destroying property.
The most recent volcanic activity near Malaysia has been occurring in Sinabung, Indonesia, which is considered to be an ongoing safety hazard. So far, the Sinabung volcano expunged ash 10,000-14,000 feet in the air, travelling southwest. This is not in the direction of Malaysia, but had the air carried the ash further north, and at a greater capacity, Malaysia could certainly be threatened. It is not likely, but Malaysia is not exempt from volcanic hazards although they are relatively safe in regards to volcanoes.
Because of the dormant status of the Bombalai volcano, Malaysia does not have any explicit measures posted online about how to protect oneself from the threat of earthquakes, but certain safety measures will indeed be taken if a significant threat is detected. Warning the public, particularly the locals affected by the disaster, is the first plan of defense Malaysia will take to protect its citizens from impending natural disasters. National Geographic, however, has posted several safety measures to take in the event of volcanic activity. Besides evacuating via the routes indicated (avoiding "debris, mud flows, and lava"), it is important to have "emergency items like flashlights, radios, and even facial masks". It is also important to seal off any places where ash or debris entering the home may be possible.

Sources:

• http://volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm#vn_261080
• https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/malaysia.html
• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/volcano-safety-tips/

Malaysia: Seismicity & Earthquake Preparedness Measures

This week's objective was to analyze the seismicity and earthquake preparedness measures a particular country has. In my case, according to the USGS and IRIS websites, no remotely significant earthquakes (2.5+)  have been reported within the country of Malaysia, although its surrounding neighbors have experienced a few mild to moderate earthquakes over the last thirty days. It is very likely that the earthquakes that occurred off the coast of neighboring countries could have been felt to some degree in parts of Malaysia. 

Neighboring countries (in Polynesia) have had a few earthquakes within the last week (some small ones within the last day) ranging from the low 2.0s in Indonesia to a significant 6.5 magnitude quake in the Philippine islands. The tectonic plates hugging Southeast Asia form a shape that often coincides with common earthquake patterns. The earthquakes shown on the 30 day map indicate a strong correlation between seismic activity and their neighboring plates.

While the last month has been uneventful, Malaysia is no stranger to natural hazards. Earthquakes are reportedly not as common in Malaysia as they may be in countries like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, but they are prone to other disasters that threaten safety.

However, Malaysia is not underprepared in the event of an earthquake. The Malaysian government offers plentiful information and tips for how to react to an earthquake depending on where you are at the time of the event, and how to cautiously avoid any dangerous activity after the fact. Television and radio alerts are broadcasted in the event of an emergency. 

Interestingly enough, Malaysian buildings are not build to withstand the dangers of an earthquake. Authorities advise citizens to go to clear open spaces and avoid buildings, falling objects, etc. Malaysian government authorities have gone to great measures to prepare citizens for future earthquakes after past tragedies left them vulnerable and ill-prepared.

Sources:

-http://malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/29-4-tile/596578-chance-of-malaysia-getting-earthquakes-are-slim-but-we-need-to-be-prepared.html)

http://www.met.gov.my/en/web/metmalaysia/education/earthquakeandtsunami/whatshouldyoudoduringtheearthquake

http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/zoom/index.phtml?rgn=Polynesia

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

Malaysia & Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics, or the general study of "processes associated with the creation, movement, and destruction" of the earth's plates, is responsible for a wide array of natural disasters (pg 34). Malaysia, my country of choice to study this semester, is surrounded by a large convergent plate called the "Sunda" plate, which was long considered a part of the Eurasia plate that surrounds much of Southeast Asia. Asian countries tend to have a lot of tectonic activity, and thus a high number of natural hazards and catastrophes. According the the textbook, the plate surrounding Malaysia (on the left side) is moving around 72 mm/year towards the Southeast Asian island countries.
Vietnam, Thailand, and the surrounding South China sea also lie along the Sunda plate, and are frequented by tectonic activity as well. The Sunda plate is not a major plate, such as the Eurasian or Indo-Australian plates it feeds to. It also lies near the Philippine plate, which is consequently near the Pacific and Caroline plates.

Sources:
(Natural Hazards, 4th ed., Keller, DeVecchio)
(http://tectonicsofasia.weebly.com/sunda-plate.html, Tectonics of Asia)

Week One: Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes

Hazards, disasters, and catastrophes occur in the natural world, and are usually unstoppable by human means.

A natural hazard is a natural process or event that is a potential threat to human life and property. No area of the US is considered entirely 'hazard-free'.
A natural disaster is a hazardous event that occurs over a limited time span within a defined area. Disasters will meet one of the following criteria:

• 10 or more killed
• 100 or more affected
• Declared state of emergency
• Requested international assistance

A catastrophe is a massive disaster that requires a significant expenditure of money and time (years) for recovery. (ex: Hurricane Katrina, $100+ billion in damages/loss)

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