Cyclones and Earthquakes - Essay Example

We cannot completely reduce the material damage done by these natural calamities but the number of human lives that are lost during these disasters can be considerably reduced. We can also lessen the after effects of the calamity like the emotional trauma of loosing near and dear ones. A number of psychological disorders like post traumatic disorder which can hamper an individual's normal life can be vanquished. The poor people are worst victims of a natural calamity. Lot of resources time and money is spent in trying to rehabilitate the individual who have suffered from these calamities.

As far as the aftermath of a calamity is concerned cyclone and earthquakes produce similar effects. All these natural phenomena's are a threat to the health and well being of an individual. We cannot avert a natural disaster but we can properly manage it and reduce the damage to human property and mind. Forecast of These natural phenomena is the only thing that can be done and can be utilized to reduce the risk to human life and property. These natural phenomena are a result of the careless utilization of the bounties of nature.

The director Salvano Briceno of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction has vey rightly said that "Not only is the world globally facing more potential disasters but increasing numbers of people are becoming vulnerable to hazards," There are people who believe that it is global warming which is increasing the number and severity of the of these natural phenomena. There is no conclusive proof to the fact that global warming is a contributing factor in the occurrence of these natural disasters.

Gradually over a period of time the temperature of the earth has increased as a result of human activity. This leads to the trapping of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere consequently raising the temperature of the earth. There is an increase in the number of hurricanes and cyclones in the world and this has been attributed to warmer sea surface and altered wind patterns .Global warming is seen as the cause of the warming up of the sea surface. In a sample study we can see that the number of cyclones in the Atlantic have increased from six in 1900 to 1930 to 15 in 1995 to2005 (Science Daily, n.p)There is no direct relation of earthquakes with global warming but it has been predicted that the melting of the glaciers in the Alaskan region can amount to greater activity of the mobile earth crust i.

e tectonic plates. The weight of the glaciers of the Alaskan region is acting as a deterrent for the movement of the tectonic plates. According to Sauber a leading researcher "Historically, when big ice masses started to retreat, the number of earthquakes increased. More than 10,000 years ago, at the end of the great ice age, big earthquakes occurred in Scandinavia as the large glaciers began to melt".( Science Daily, 2004) Therefore it can be deduced that global warming can lead to melting of ice in the Polar Regions and it turn can lead to heightened earthquake activity.

Earthquakes and cyclones share similarities as far as the affect of them on human life is concerned. They differ in the causes and different methods of prediction of these calamities. There are different ways in which we can protect ourselves from these natural dis