Natural Disaster Essay Example for Free

Natural Disaster Essay Abstract The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, is the deadliest natural disaster ever of this kind. Aside from a massive number of casualties, this tsunami caused heavy economic damage and severe destruction to the natural environment of stricken countries. Given the significant destruction and suffering, it resulted in massive international support through financial and humanitarian aid. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and a better understanding of the causes, the impacts and actions that could have been taken to limit the damage. Introduction The December 26 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami ranks among the ten deadliest natural disasters ever recorded thus far with a death toll over 225 000 and thousands of individuals missing. The large tsunami waves were generated by a massive earthquake off the northwest coast of Sumatra Island in Indonesia (Rossetto 2007). Tsunami waves spread across the Indian Ocean, damaging the shores of countries near and far from the epicenter (Rossetto 2007). It produced considerable damage and its impact went beyond the toll of human casualties. It had widespread economical, environmental and psychological impacts. Among the worst hit regions were the countries in and around the eastern Indian Ocean. Such natural disaster causes tremendous human suffering and immediately solicited responses worldwide with significant financial support and humanitarian aid. Sequences of Events (Earthquake Tsunami) The 9.0 magnitude earthquake of 26 December 2004 that occurred off the northwest coast of Sumatra in Indonesia was the third largest earthquake ever recorded. With an epicenter located near the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the quake was generated as a result of the sliding of a portion of the India plate beneath the Burma plate (Risk Management Solution, 2006). The result was a fault rupture, displacing the seafloor (Figure 1) and a large volume of the ocean, triggering devastating waves that hit the coastline of 11 Indian Ocean countries (Bilham 2005). The tsunami waves travelled across the Indian Ocean with an average velocity of 640 km/h (Rossetto 2007). However, tsunami waves tend to behave differently in deep water than in shallow water (Rossetto 2007). Once the tsunami reaches shallow water along the coastline, the wave velocity decreases while its amplitude increases significantly from the mass amount of energy built by the wave, causing even more destructive waves and substantial inland inundation (Rossetto 2007). In Aceh, north of the island of Sumatra, wave height reached 24 meters once it hit the shores and rose up to 30 meters inland, with a maximum wave height recorded to be 60 meters (Paris 2007). Being the landmass closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, Aceh province was the hardest hit area from the eastward-moving tsunami followed by Sri Lanka because of non-existing landmass between it and the epicenter of the quake to protect the coastlines (Athykorala 2005). The fault rupture of the earthquake was in a north-south orientation, which meant that the strength of the tsunami was greatest in east-west direction (Athykorala 2005). Hence, despite being located near the epicenter, some regions escaped the worst from the tsunami given their position relative to the fault rupture. With this said, Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being farther away from the epicenter (Athykorala 2005). Depending on the distances involved, the tsunami could propagate up to hours before reaching some coastlines. Aceh, Nicobar and Andaman were among the first regions to feel the effect of the tsunami, eventually hitting coastal regions of Thailand, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania (Figure 2). At last, its effects were also detected along the west coast of North and South America, which includes Vancouver and British Columbia. Causes A tsunami is produced by a sudden vertical shift of the seafloor causing a displacement of a massive volume of water, usually an ocean. Depending on the size of the sea floor displacement, it will have a different impact on wave formation from the surface water. These displacements can be a result of underwater disturbances such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, meteorite impact and landslide (National Geographic). As for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered it and caused an estimated 1600 km of fault line slipped about 15 meters along the zone where the Indian plate subducts beneath the Burma plate (Rossetto 2007). As the northern rupture continued, it transformed from a subduction (Figure 3) to a strike-slip fault; two plates slide pass one another in opposite direction. With this said, displacement caused by this earthquake generated a tsunami that ranks among the deadliest natural disasters ever occurred. Impacts Beyond the heavy toll of human lives, the Indian Ocean Tsunami has caused severe economical, environmental and psychological consequences, which will affect the regions for upcoming years. With 174 500 casualties, 51 000 missing and roughly 1.5 million displaced, the toll of human casualties from this tsunami has no modern historical equal (Risk Management Solution 2006). Among the countries hit by the tsunami, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India were left with the most serious damage and death tolls. The aftermath of the tsunami was even worse than anticipated with deaths recorded as far as 8000 km away from the epicenter, along the east coast of Africa. Thousands of individuals were carried away by the waves into the open sea and the ones who survived were left with no food or clean water and open wounds (National Geographic 2005). Given a high risk of famine and epidemic diseases, the level of death increased significantly (National Geographic 2005). With this said, given the extent of the disaster, it instantly spurred international support and assistance through financial and humanitarian aid for the people affected by the tsunami (National Geographic 2005) A humanitarian campaign was quickly put in place to provide temporary sanitation facilities, nutrition and fresh water to contain the spread of diseases (National Geographic 2005). The main economic impacts of the Indian Ocean Tsunami were the damage inflicted to the fishing and tourism industry. As a result of the tsunami, marine fishery and aquaculture harvests of affected nations were severely depressed (UKabc 2006). This was in part due to lack of fishing stocks, but also damage to necessary equipment such as fishing boats and gear (UKabc 2006). As a major economic activity and a provider of foreign exchange income, fishing also provided employment to a large span of individuals. This disaster lead to high income loss for coastal fishing communities that relied heavily on fishing seasons as their primary source of income. In addition, water surges and flooding (Figure 4) destroyed many important buildings and properties along the coasted cities that were affected, including touristic resorts (Risk Management Solution 2006). Although, most tourist infrastructures remained intact following the tsunami, tourism industry faced numerous cancellations (Rossetto 2007). Thus, the loss suffered by the fishing and tourism sector will have long-lasting economic consequences for these coastal regions. The tsunami impacts on the environment were both widespread and destructive (Figure 5). The main effect on the natural environment includes critical damage inflicted on the ecosystems from the salt-contamination of freshwater supplies and soil (Athykorala 2005). Seawater contaminated wells and invaded porous rocks on which stricken communities depended for water (Rossetto 2007). Hence, unless seawater can easily be pumped out, these communities were likely to depend on outside aid for water and food for upcoming months. In addition, an increased salt concentration in the soil will have a damaging effect on plants causing them to wilt and die (Athykorala 2005). As a result, some plantation sites were completely destroyed and would take several years before full recovery. This tsunami can have an immediate devastating impact on the psychological and social well being of individuals exposed to it. Such disaster results in tremendous destruction, but also creates concern for mental health of the survivors. There was great concern over the youngsters because children and adolescents are considered to be more vulnerable than adults to such traumatic events (Bhushan 2007). Within the first 6 months following it, 23-30% of children were diagnosed with full and persistent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders (Bhushan 2007). This can impede with their psychological functioning, which is critical for their future development. Actions Although the tsunami could not be prevented, its impact could have been mitigated. Unlike earthquakes, tsunamis can be detected in advance from a Tsunami Warning System that uses a network of ocean-floor and surface sensors (Sausmarez 2005). However, such warning system did not exist in the Indian Ocean back in 2004, which left individuals of affected nations completely surprised by the tsunami (Sausmarez 2005). No effective communication infrastructure was available to warn population on the coastlines. Following this natural disaster, an important issue arises about the population’s education of warning signs and precautions that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of death during a tsunami. For instance, if individuals had a better understanding of tsunamis, it could have saved thousands of lives. For example, they should be able to recognize that a receding sea is an indication of impending danger (Athykorala 2005). With this said, improving public awareness could be beneficial in that it prepares them to react accordingly to protect their lives and lives of others. At a United Nations conference in 2005, an agreement was made upon establishing a Tsunami Warning System in the Indian Ocean (Sausmarez 2005). This system of warnings has been active since 2006 (Unescopress 2006). Conclusion The 26th December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami ranks as the most devastating tsunami ever with over 225 000 deaths. Concerns resulting from this tsunami include damage inflicted on the natural environment, vegetation, buildings and other man-made structures, but more importantly on life. Although this event caused large economic and social consequences, it led to inevitable improvement and development of measures to reduce risk of life and economic losses. For instance, in order to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and properties on exposed coastlines, a warning system has been implemented in the Indian Ocean and will lead to improved communication in such situation. In addition, a lack of knowledge, preparedness and mitigation strategies also justifies the significant death tolls. Thus, program of mitigation and preparedness should be put into place in order to educate individuals to better cope when facing such a disaster. Finally, given that this tsunami has a return period of longer than 500 years; it is unlikely that a natural disaster of this magnitude will occur in the near future. Nevertheless, if it were to happen, these nations have the necessary protective measures to cope. Bibliography Top of Form Bottom of Form Athykorala, P., Resosudarmo, B. (December 01, 2005). The Indian Ocean Tsunami: Economic Impact, Disaster Management, and Lessons. Asian Economic Papers, 4, 1, 1-39. Top of Form Rossetto, T., Peiris, N., Pomonis, A., Wilkinson, S., Re, D., Koo, R., Gallocher, S. (January 01, 2007). The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004: observations in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Natural Hazards, 42, 1, 105-124. Top of Form Nirupama, N. (January 01, 2009). Socio-economic implications based on interviews with fishermen following the Indian Ocean tsunami. Natural Hazards, 48, 1, 1-9. De Sausmarez, N. (January 01, 2005). The Indian Ocean Tsunami. Tourism and Hospitality: Planning Development, 2, 1, 55-59. Paris, R., Lavigne F., Wassimer P. Sartohadi J. (2007). Coastal sedimentation associated with the December 26, 2004 tsunami in Lhok Nga, west Banda Aceh (Sumatra, Indonesia). Marine Geology 238 (1-4): 93-106 Bilham, Roger. A Flying Start, Then a Slow Slip. Science. Vol 308, No. 5725, 1126-1127. May 20, 2005. Top of Form Bhushan, B., Kumar, J. S. (May 01, 2007). Emotional Distress and Posttraumatic Stress in Children Surviving the 2004 Tsunami. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12, 3, 245-257. Bottom of Form UKabc. (2006). Indian Ocean Tsunamis Devastate Fisherfolk. UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition. Retrived November 1, 2001, from http://www.ukabc.org/tsunamis.htm Risk Management Solution. (2006). Managing Tsunami Risk in the Aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake Tsunami. Retrived November 1, 2011, from http://www.disastersrus.org/emtools/tsunami/IndianOceanTsunamiReport.pdf National Geographic. (January 07, 2005). The Deadliest Tsunami in History? National Geographic News. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html Unescopress. (2006). Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning system up and running. Building peace in the minds of men and women. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=33442URL_DO=DO_TOPICURL_SECTION=201.html National Geographic. (n.d). Tsunamis. National Geographic News. Retrieved November 1, 2001, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tsunami-profile/ USGC. (n.d). Magnitude 9.1 – Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra. Science for a changing world. Retrieved November 1, 2001, from http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2004/eq_041226/neic_slav_l.html National Geographic. (n.d) Tsunami. National Geographic New. Retrieved November 1, 2001, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/tsunami-general/#/tsunami01-coastal-flooding_21847_600x450.jpg USGS. (n.d). Details of Tsunami Generation. Pacific Coastal Marine Science Center. Retrieved November 1, 2001, from http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/sumatraEQ/model.html

Interview Follow Up or Thank You Letter :: Interview Follow Up Thank You Letters

Kara Kreme 1234 Tennis Court Sports, CA 95616 (530) 765-4321 kkreme@email.edu March 1, 2001 Ms. Kristi Krispy, Coordinator The Internship and Career Center University of Somewhere One Chance Avenue Sports, CA 95616 Dear Ms. Krispy, Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Student Advisor this afternoon, Friday, March 1, 2001. It strengthened my interest in the position and reinforced my confidence in my ability to excel should I be selected for the position. My experience working with fellow Somewhere students, organizational skills, and work ethic would benefit students visiting the ICY, and would allow me to grow professionally. My position as a Resident Advisor in Dasher Hall provides me with outstanding training. As we discussed in today’s interview, selection is a very personal issue for most students. As an RA, I am often praised for my ability to work with residents on issues that require sensitivity. I am fortunate to balance my strong people skills with strong organizational skills. I realize that during the interview I may not have emphasized my administrative abilities as fully as I would have liked. Thanks to my summer job with LK&N, I have extensive experience meeting deadlines, maintaining records, and generating reports. In fact, the database I am most familiar with is ACCESS, the program used by ICY Student Advisors. I trust that my ability to perform the job will be evident if you talk with Resident Director Donna Donalds, my supervisor at Somewhere Housing. To verify my administrative skills I encourage you to contact Megan Megster, Customer Records, LK&N, at (999) 454-5454. Her name is not on the Reference Sheet I left with you at the conclusion of the interview. In closing, I would like to restate my interest in the Student Advisor position with the Somewhere Internship and Career Center for the 2001-2002 academic year.

John Dewey Essay

Synopsis John Dewey was born October 20, 1859, in Burlington, Vermont. He taught at universities from 1884 to 1930. An academic philosopher and proponent of educational reform, in 1894 Dewey started an experimental elementary school. In 1919 he cofounded The New School for Social Research. Dewey published over 1,000 pieces of writings during his lifetime. He died June 1, 1952, in New York, New York Early Life John Dewey was born on October 20, 1859, to Archibald Dewey and Lucina Artemisia Rich in Burlington, Vermont. He was the third of the couple’s four sons, one of whom died as an infant. Dewey’s mother, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, was a devout Calvinist. His father, a merchant, left his grocery business to become a Union Army soldier in the Civil War. John Dewey’s father was known to share his passion for British literature with his offspring. After the war, Archibald became the proprietor of a successful tobacco shop, affording the family a comfortable life and financial stability. Teaching Career The autumn after Dewey graduated, his cousin landed him a teaching job at a seminary in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Two years later, Dewey lost the position when his cousin resigned as principal of the seminary. After being laid off, Dewey went back to Vermont and started teaching at a private school in Vermont. During his free time, he read philosophical treatises and discussed them with his former teacher, Torrey. As his fascination with the topic grew, Dewey decided to take a break from teaching in order to study philosophy and psychology at Johns Hopkins. George Sylvester Morris and G. Stanley Hall were among the teachers there who influenced Dewey most. Upon receiving his doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 1884, Dewey was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. At Michigan he met Harriet Alice Chipman, and the two married in 1886. Over the course of their marriage, they would give birth to six children and adopt one child. Philosophy Dewey’s philosophical treatises were at first inspired by his reading of philosopher and psychologist William James’ writing. Dewey’s philosophy, known as experimentalism, or instrumentalism, largely centered on human experience. Rejecting the more rigid ideas of Transcendentalism to which Dewey had been exposed in academia, it viewed ideas as tools for experimenting, with the goal of improving the human experience. Dewey’s philosophy also claimed than man behaved out of habit and that change often led to unexpected outcomes. As man struggled to understand the results of change, he was forced to think creatively in order to resume control of his shifting environment. For Dewey, thought was the means through which man came to understand and connect with the world around him. A universal education was the key to teaching people how to abandon their habits and think creatively. Education Reform John Dewey was a strong proponent for progressive educational reform. He believed that education should be based on the principle of learning through doing. In 1894 Dewey and his wife Harriet started their own experimental primary school, the University Elementary School, at the University of Chicago. His goal was to test his educational theories, but Dewey resigned when the university president fired Harriet. Writing Dewey wrote his first two books, Psychology (1887) and Leibniz’s New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding (1888), when he was working at the University of Michigan. Over the course of his lifetime, Dewey published more than 1,000 works, including essays, articles and books. His writing covered a broad range of topics: psychology, philosophy, educational theory, culture, religion and politics. Through his articles in The New Republic, he established himself as one of the most highly regarded social commentators of his day. Dewey continued to write prolifically up until his death. Later Life and Death In 1946, Dewey, then 87, remarried to a widow named Roberta Grant. Following their marriage, the Deweys lived off of Roberta’s inheritance and John’s book royalties. On June 1, 1952, John Dewey, a lifelong supporter of educational reform and defender of rights for everyman, died of pneumonia at the age of 92 in the couple’s New York City apartment.

How to Focus on Studying 7 Top Techniques

Weve all struggled with poorly-timed distractions. Youre sitting at a desk, studying intently, and then: wham! Unrelated thoughts—breakfast this morning, the funny movie you saw last week, or that upcoming presentation youre nervous about—invade your mind. Or maybe youre totally immersed in your work, but your roommates, friends, or family members barge into your study space at an inopportune moment. Internal and external distractions, like the ones described above, cause us to lose focus. But by honing your concentration skills, you can defend against these disruptive forces. The techniques outlined below will help you maximize your focused study time, as well as regain your focus if you become distracted. Turn Off Distracting Technology Its not a good idea to study with your cell phone on, even if its set to vibrate. As soon as you get a text, youre going to look—the promise of a notification is too tempting! Avoid the temptation altogether by shutting your devices off and even putting them in another room. Need an even more drastic option to keep yourself honest? Ask a friend or family member to hold onto your phone during your study session. The same goes for your computer and tablet unless youre using it to study. In that case, be sure to disable every distracting application and notification before you begin the study session. If you find yourself giving in to social media or game cravings, try an app like Freedom or Self Control to temporarily block access. Tell your friends and family that youre entering study mode so that they know not to contact you unless theres an emergency. Choose Your Study Environment Wisely Unless your friends happen to be good study partners, study alone. Post a sign on your door telling roommates or family members to stay away. If you have kids, seek an hour or two of childcare if possible. If your home environment is distracting, gather your study supplies and head over to a comfortable study spot. If youre studying at home​, choose a quiet room with limited clutter. If distracting background noises bother you, pick up some noise-canceling headphones and turn on a study playlist (preferably instrumental) or white noise. Create the best possible environment for studying before you open your books so that you dont have to pause mid-session to make a change. Anticipate Your Physical Needs If youre studying intently, youre going to get thirsty. Grab a beverage before you open the book. You may even need a power snack while youre working, so grab some brain food, too. Use the bathroom, put on comfortable clothes (but not too cozy), and set the air/heat to the temperature that best suits you. If you anticipate your physical needs before you start studying, youll be less likely to get out of your seat and lose the focus you worked so hard to gain. Study During Your Peak Brain Times Schedule your most challenging study sessions during peak energy periods, when you anticipate feeling most energized and focused. If youre a morning person, that means you should be studying as early as possible. If youre a night owl, choose an evening time slot. If you arent sure what time works best for you, reflect on your most successful studying experiences. What time of day did they take place? When does your brain feel most effective in general? Pencil in study sessions during these periods, and stick with them. Answer Your Internal Worry Questions Sometimes the distractions arent coming from the external world–theyre invading from within! If youre worried about a particular issue—When am I going to get a raise? or What will happen if I fail this test?—you might find yourself struggling to stay focused. Luckily, theres a solution. It might feel a little silly, but actually answering those internal questions will help you redirect your mind back to wherever it needs to go. If you catch yourself worrying, identify your key worry question and answer that question in a simple, logical manner, like so: When am I going to get a raise? Answer: I will speak to my boss about it tomorrow.Why cant I understand this material? Answer: I am studying like Im supposed to be, so Im confident that I will figure it out. But if I am still struggling with this material by the end of the week, I will speak to my teacher about getting extra help. You can even write out the question and the answer on paper, then fold it up and pack it away for later. The goal here is to acknowledge the worry, accept that its there (dont judge yourself for it!), then return your attention to the task at hand. Get Physical Some people frequently feel the need to be doing something physically. They might feel antsy and energetic, or simply struggle to focus in sedentary settings. Sound familiar? Youre probably a kinesthetic learner, which means that you learn best when your body is engaged along with your mind. Improve your focus during study sessions with the following techniques: Pen: Underline words when you read. Cross off incorrect answers when youre taking a practice test. Moving just your hand may be enough to shake off the jitters. If its not, move to step #2.Rubber band. Stretch it. Wrap it around your pen. Play with the rubber band while youre answering questions. Still feeling jumpy?Ball. Read a question sitting down, then stand up and bounce the ball against the floor as you think of an answer. Still cant focus?Jump. Sit down and read a question, then stand and do 10 jumping jacks. Sit back down and answer the question. Reframe Negative Thoughts Negative thoughts make studying all but impossible. If you find yourself frequently repeating self-defeating thoughts, try reframing them into more positive statements: Negative: This concept is too hard for me to learn.Positive: This concept is tough, but I can figure it out.Negative: I hate this class. Studying for it is so boring.Positive: This class isnt my favorite, but I want to study the material so that I can succeed.Negative: I cant study. I get so distracted.Positive: I know I lost focus earlier, but Im going to try again. The next time a negative thought invades your brain, acknowledge it and try to turn it into a positive statement. Over time, studying will feel less like a burden and more like an intentional choice youre making in order to achieve your goals. This mindful approach will make you feel more empowered and motivated and subsequently will increase your focus.