We all know that natural disasters happen all over the world, and they can be utterly devastating for people’s lives and the environments we live in. There are many different natural causes leading to natural disasters, and being aware of these causes enables us to be better prepared when they do arrive.
One of the most common natural disasters is flooding, which occurs when a river bursts its banks and the water spills out onto the floodplain. During wet periods, flood warnings are often put in place because of a great deal of heavy rain. There are other risk factors for flooding that we have to mention such as steep-sided channels cause fast surface run-off, the lack of vegetation and woodland break the flow of water. In other words, there is little to slow the floodwater down.
Earthquakes are another common natural disaster on the list that can cause many fatalities. Earthquakes are caused by the movements of the plates in the earth’s crust. These plates do not always move smoothly and can get stuck, and then cause a build-up of pressure – the reason why earthquake occur. In addition to this, an earthquake under the water can also cause a tsunami by pushing large volumes of water to the surface causing great waves.
Tsunamis can also be caused by underwater volcanic eruptions which are another natural disaster caused by magma escaping from inside the earth. An explosion takes place, releasing the magma from a confined space, and that is why huge quantities of gas and dust are always released during a volcanic eruption. Inside of the volcano, the magma travels up and then pours out over the surrounding area as lava.
