Precautions for earthquakes, volcanoes
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

In the last lesson, I started to offer some possible answers to section (c) of Question 8, taken from the June 2008 exam paper. This section is asking you to explain precautions that can be used to reduce the impact of the natural hazards named. Hurricane was discussed in the previous lesson so the focus for this lesson will be on earthquake and volcano.

Volcanic eruptions do not happen abruptly. There are indicators before an eruption occurs. As a result, people can be advised of an eminent eruption and this serves as a warning. Precautions that individuals can use to reduce the impact of a volcano when a warning is issued include:

• Evacuate at once, especially if your home is located within a few kilometres of the volcano.
• Do not panic - earthquakes are normal occurrences when an active volcano is about to erupt. Instead, proceed to taking the precautionary measures.
• Beware of volcanic mud - sudden rains, especially at the crater of the volcano, would lead to an abrupt mudflow. The mud can contain pre-volcanic eruption debris and could be quite hot. You may suffer from burns coming from a mudflow.
• Beware of volcanic debris - when the volcano finally erupts, it may emit volcanic debris. Be prepared to see falling rocks and small stones coming from the crater. Take a safe shelter during the eruption.
• Prepare gas masks because the volcanic eruption may also be accompanied by foul odour coming from the release of sulfur. You may suffocate or may not be able to breathe normally during a volcanic eruption.
• Beware of volcanic lava - lava is the centrepiece of the eruption. It is also the most destructive material the volcano will produce during an eruption. It is composed of very hot mud that may instantly burn down any material. Avoid contact with the lava.
• Tune in to your local radio station - after the eruption, listen to the weather on radio or turn on the TV for news and updates. Wait for the volcanologist's advice as to when you can safely get back to your homes.

(Source: http://www. articlebase.com/environment-articles/emegency-plan)

There are a number of strategies that can be used to reduce the impact of earthquakes. They all involve being fully prepared for the impact.

• Install adequate warning systems. Warnings of the onset of earthquakes can be detected by organisations and governments. This involves the use of special sensing equipment. However, this alone will not be of much use without effective communication systems in place. Warning systems should be linked to government agencies, rescue and emergency services and, of course, to the public.
• Have a unified plan of action. Time is of the essence in the case of major disasters. Delay in support and or action can result in further deaths. Local, national and international support services should know exactly what to do and how to work together to produce a rapid, efficient and effective support system.
• Provide rapid and efficient support services after an earthquake. Apart from medical assistance, people need food, water and accommodation. Moreover, they need these things fast! Delays in bringing rescue services to the affected areas of the population can result in people dying when they have been trapped in buildings. Manual movement of large amounts of rubble can prove virtually impossible to achieve in a few hours for large areas of destruction. Therefore, heavy duty machinery is needed to reduce the time taken for rescues to be carried out.
• Provide information before the earthquake strikes. This can involve the use of radio, TV and newspapers. Everyone should know:

(i) What precautions they need to take for their own safety and for the safety of others.

(ii) How to secure their home and belongings against damage.

(iii) What to do during an earthquake.

Good building design can reduce hazard risk. Some of the ways of reducing earthquake risks are:

• Strengthening and compacting reclaimed land, for example, tall buildings may have reinforced concrete piles driven deep into the ground
• Using steel beams in building construction (which can sway, stretch or vibrate without breaking); masonry buildings with no steel reinforcement are more likely to collapse
• Attaching a building to its foundations with anchor bolts
• Strapping water heaters to the wall with steel bands and bolting cupboards to the wall.

(Sources: website http://www.scienceblog.org/community/modules.php and The Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography by Mark Wilson.)

School of Dance student, Kymmone Ennis, performs a piece choreographed by lecturer, Marlon Simms, at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts' Carol Service held on Sunday, December 7. - Contributed