Natural Disasters

The Earth experiences natural disasters as a result of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, flooding, storms, drought and wildfires. These events dramatically impact humanity and the environment. Increasing population and poor land use practices compound the effects of natural disasters. This course is designed for undergraduate students of any major who are interested in understanding natural disasters and how we can minimize the dangers and damages of these events. We will review case histories of recent and historical events, focusing on how forecasting, prediction, warning systems, education, and planning can reduce human vulnerability to natural disasters.