Answering questions
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

In today's lesson, the discussion of question eight taken from the June 2008 examination continues. Let me hope that you read the question, which was given in the last lesson. With reference to your geography syllabus, you should have observed that the specific objectives on which this question is based are:

• Describe the impact of one of the following on life and property: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes
• Explain the response to natural hazards in a named Caribbean country at an individual, national and regional level.
  It goes without saying that you must understand the question before you attempt to answer it. A method that has been suggested to assist you in understanding the question is that of decoding the question. To do this, you must first identify the word that tells you what you are supposed to do, that is, the key verb. Refer to section b of the question. Just in case you missed the last lesson, here is that section of the question:
• For a country you have studied, describe FOUR ways in which EITHER an earthquake OR a volcanic eruption OR a hurricane affected life or property.

Key verb

The key verb here is describe. This means that you are to write down details about the object. This leads to the second aspect of decoding the question, namely, the object. This tells you on what to perform your task. To help you identify the object, ask yourself - What am I required to describe? Again, in reference to the question, the response would be - how one of the natural hazards named (earthquake, volcanic eruption, and hurricane) has affected life or property. The third aspect of decoding is that of identifying the limiting factor. This tells you how to go about your task. Within the context of the question, the description of the effect on life and property of any of the natural hazards must be for a country you have studied. Note also that you are limited to the number of ways you should describe, that is, four.

Let us now list the possible answers to this section of the question. By the way, did you go through your textbooks to find the answers as I had suggested in the last lesson? I hope you did. There is information in the following recommended textbooks:

• The Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography by Mark Wilson
• Geography for CSEC by Jeanette Ottley, et al
• CSEC New Integrated Geography by Sheldon G. Bleasdell, et al.

Question requirement

Several Caribbean territories, as well as other countries, have been affected by each of these natural hazards. In your answer, you must refer to one that you have studied in order to satisfy the requirement of the question. Failure to do so will result in you losing marks.

Earthquakes have affected life or property as listed below:

1. The ground vibrates during an earthquake. These tremors that are produced by earthquakes threaten all built structures and natural features standing above the Earth's surface. These may collapse, and bury the people inside them.

2. Ground fissures can break pipelines, roads and bridges and cause fires in the process. This is especially possible if the earthquake is a powerful one.

3. A powerful submarine thrust-fault earthquake of magnitude 7.0 or more can produce giant waves or tsunamis. These underwater earthquakes can sweep away coastal settlements.

4. Landslides may be triggered on steep slopes, particularly if the ground is already wet or unstable. Structures built on these slopes where the landslides occur will be destroyed. Persons will become homeless and lives may be lost. Vegetation, if present, will be removed since the slope has become destabilised. Roads can be blocked by debris, or can fall away when the slope below the roadway is unstable.

5. Liquefaction may result where reclaimed land or loose sediments, which are saturated with water, may behave like a liquid during an earthquake.

6. Floods are possible as earthquakes may burst a dam, resulting in a rush of raging water down the valley below. This can cause the loss of lives and property.

The other natural hazards will be discussed in the next lesson. Continue reading the textbooks for information on the question.

Students pay close attention to items on display at the fifth staging of the Jamaica Agricultural Society's 'Eat Jamaican Day', at the Denbigh agricultural showground, in Clarendon. - Contributed