Volcanic Hazards

Assignment: Write a 1.5- to 2-page, double-spaced paper (see Green Sheet for format) about the single volcanic hazard assigned to you. Bring two (2) copies of the paper.

1. pyroclastic flow (ash flow, nueé ardente)
2. ash fall (tephra fall)
3. mudflow (lahar)

Questions to address:
What is the hazard, i.e., how is it recognized/defined?
What risks does the hazard pose? Use recent or historical examples to illustrate.
Are the risk levels similar for humans and for property? Use recent or historical examples to illustrate.
Is the hazard similarly common at the two main types of volcanoes?

Sources:
Links via the course Web site
Other links via Web search engines
Books on volcanoes
Course reader (as a last resort; I won’t be very impressed if this is your main source)

Be ready to summarize your findings in 5 minutes for the other members of your group. You will then write a &Mac178;1-page paper in class that integrates the findings of all group members.

Submit the course via turnitin.com (instructions on the last page of the Green Sheet).

Earthquake Hazards

Due in class for class discussion: Monday, 22 March 04
BRING TWO (2) COPIES!


Assignment: Write a 1.5-page, double-spaced paper (see Green Sheet for format) about the single volcanic hazard assigned to you. Bring two (2) copies of the paper.

1. landslides (seismically induced) (A-F)
2. liquefaction (& ground subsidence) (G-Ma)
3. tsunami (seismically induced) (Mc-Z)

Questions to address:
What is the hazard, i.e., how is it recognized or defined?
What risks does the hazard pose? Use recent examples to illustrate.
What kinds of landscapes are most affected (i.e., in which landscapes should development be avoided or limited)?
What parts of the Bay Area, if any, are at risk due to this hazard?

Sources:
Links via the course Web site
Other links via Web search engines
Books on earthquakes
Course reader (as a last resort; I won’t be very impressed if this is your main source)

Be ready to summarize your findings in 5 minutes for the other members of your group. You will write a <1-page paper in class on 22 March that integrates the findings of all group members.

Due May 16 (final class meeting)

Assignment
Write a 1.5-page, double-spaced paper (see Green Sheet for format) on the topic describe below.
Submit the paper to turnitin.com. Bring two (2) copies of the paper.

Everyone will write on the same topic.
In class, you will have 15 minutes to share, review, and revise your findings in a small group.

Topic: Residential earthquake insurance in California
Research the recent and current status of residential earthquake insurance in the state of California. The following questions should serve as starting points for your investigation, but shouldn’t limit you. This topic affects all of us, and you should be conversant with the issues when you leave this course.

What’s the California “linkage law” (NOT a formal name; mid-1980s), and why did it contribute to the earthquake insurance crisis in the mid-1990s?
What kind of coverage is available? Premiums? Deductibles? Special conditions? Who qualifies?
What is the California Earthquake Authority (CEA)?
How do Chuck Quackenbush and John Garamendi fit into this picture?
What happens if a major earthquake (or earthquakes) causes $100 billion in losses to properties insured by the CEA?

Sources:
An excellent (though lengthy, and now several years old) article by Professor Thomas Russell (Santa Clara University) on the Geol 112 Web site (click on Other Readings, then on Insurance)
Other links via Web search engines
Newspaper, magazine, and journal articles
Interviews with employees of insurance companies

Look for sources NO OLDER than 1994; much new stuff has happened since 1999.

Suggestion: Avoid a lengthy introductory paragraph. Perhaps use an introductory sentence or two, but then get on with the paper.