Natural Disasters in Azerbaijan PDF

Natural disasters, specific of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Natural disasters cause mass destruction, loss of wealth and people.\ Under the disaster meant the various phenomena of nature. Natural disasters are - earthquakes, floods, landslides, forest fires, mudflows, snow drifts, volcano eruptions,...

Natural disasters, specific of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Natural disasters cause mass destruction, loss of wealth and people.\ Under the disaster meant the various phenomena of nature. Natural disasters are - earthquakes, floods, landslides, forest fires, mudflows, snow drifts, volcano eruptions, droughts, etc. *Earthquakes* Earthquake refers to the fluctuations of individual sections of the earth\'s crust resulting from the displacement of the rock masses in a certain area at a depth of earth. Earthquakes are tectonic, volcanic, landslide and induced. The energy released by earthquakes is much higher than the one released by the megaton nuclear explosions and the destruction is similar to the one in the heart of ground explosion.\ \ Earthquakes occur mainly in mountainous areas. Our country is located on the seismically active territory. Tectonic earthquakes occur very frequently. Tectonic earthquakes are tremors or vibrations of the earth\'s surface caused by the fractures and movements of the lithospheric plates in the earth\'s crust. The energy of great power, produced by an earthquake, spreads in the form of elastic seismic waves. The main parameters that characterize the nature and the force of the earthquake - the amplitude, the focal depth, the intensity of the energy on the earth\'s surface. Focal depth can vary in different seismic areas ranging from 0 to 700 km. Energy intensity is measured on the surface of the earth according by the twelve-point Richter scale corresponding to the strength of the earthquake: discreet, very weak, weak, moderate, quite strong, strong, very strong, destructive, devastating, destroying, disastrous, catastrophic, very catastrophic.\ Heart of the earthquake, or point under the ground, which is the source of an earthquake is called the hypocenter (\"hypo\" - deep). Directly above it there is located the epicenter (epi-small) around which is an area that has experienced an earthquake of strongest tremors. **Volcanic earthquakes** are caused by volcanic eruptions. The eruption can be usually predicted by underground rumble, pounding and tremors. On the slopes and the crater of the volcano there appear cracks, through which poisonous gases and hot water are erupted. **Landslide earthquakes** occur in case of collapse of underground caverns and abandoned mines. Tremors and seismic waves do not reach great strength and distribution. **Induced earthquakes** are formed as a result of the pressure created under construction dams, reservoirs, etc. **Characteristics of the earthquake source** **1. 2-3-4 points.** **Unobtrusive (1 point)** -- can be marked only by seismic equipment. **Very weak (2 points)** -- is marked by seismic equipment. This kind of earthquake is felt only by individuals who are in state of immobility. **Weak (3 points)** -- swinging of lamps and open doors, only a small part of the population can feel it. **Moderate (4 points)** --is recognized by a slight rattle (cod) of the window glass, creaking doors and walls. **2**. **5-6 points. Fairly strong (5 points)** -- is felt by most of those who are outdoor and by all those who are inside the house. This kind of earthquake is also characterized by shaking of buildings, swing of furniture. Clock pendulums stop. There are cracks in the plaster. The window panes are broken. **Strong (6 points)** -- is felt by everyone. Many run out onto the street in fear. Pictures fall off the walls, some pieces of plaster break off. ***3. 7-8 points. Very strong (7 points) - strongly suspended objects, furniture is being shifted. There appear damages (cracks) in the walls of the stone houses. Anti-seismic (resistant) constructions remain intact. Old buildings are seriously damaged. Landslides are formed on riverbanks.*** ***Destructive (8 points) - On steep slopes and moist soil there appear cracks.. Monuments are budged and overturned. Houses are severely injured.*** ***4. 9-10 points. Devastating (9 points) - stone houses are strongly damaged and destroyed. Old wooden houses bend.*** ***Destroying (10 points) - There are cracks in the soil (sometimes up to a meter wide), roads are deformed. Landslides and avalanches from the slopes are formed. Resistant constructions collapse, pipes burst, trees are broken.*** ***5. 11-12 points. Catastrophic (11 points) -- there appear wide cracks in the surface layers of the earth, landslides and avalanches. Buildings are completely destroyed. Railroad rails are greatly distorted.*** ***Strongly disastrous (12 points) - Changes in the soil reach enormous sizes. Numerous cracks, landslides, mudslides and waterfalls are formed. The flow of rivers is deflected. Not a single building can withstand this catastrophe. Plants and animals are killed by landslides.*** Earthquakes are characterized by the following consequences: \- The destruction and overturning of buildings, the rubble of which kill people. As you know, it is not the earthquake that kill people, but the collapsed buildings, constructed by people. \- The emergence of massive explosions and fires that occur as a result of closures of energy networks, industrial accidents and the presence of large quantities of flammable liquids in the cities. \- The destruction and obstruction of settlements as a result of the formation of numerous cracks, landslides and mudslides. \- The flooding of settlements and entire regions due to the formation of waterfalls, deviation of rivers, etc. \- Poisoning of people by suffocating gases during volcanic eruptions. \- Destruction of people and the destruction of buildings by fragments of volcanic rocks. \- Backfill of settlements by volcanic ash and sand. \- Defeat of people and communities by the ignition of a fiery molten lava flowing down the slopes of the volcano at a speed of 30 km / h \- Collapse of settlements in landslide earthquakes. \- Destruction and flushing of settlements by tsunami. \- The psychological impact on people, leading to severe mental injury, sometimes with fatal outcome. **What to do when you get a notification about the earthquake?** The first tremors usually occur suddenly. It is important to immediately inform the population, since after the first there usually appear aftershocks. Therefore: \- To take the place of door and window openings. As soon as the first tremors subside quickly leave the building ( go outside). \- At companies and institutions all work is stopped, the population, workers and employees, the formation of Civil Defense head for the assembly area. The executive committees (enterprises) of seismic areas always include in their plan early establishment of tent Fund, through which it was possible to evacuate population, prepare evacuation facilities and necessary supplies of food, medicines, etc. To prevent industrial accidents and massive fires, steps to synchronize the system outages by a signal indicating the beginning of the earthquake, are taken. In Nakhchivan Republic as well as in Lachine, Qubadli, Zangelan, Sheki, Zagatala and the North Absheron - earthquakes up 8 points are noted, Shamakhi-Ismayilli zone - up to 9 points. ***Characteristic features of earthquakes:*** ***-Appearance of gas smell in the ecologically clean regions.*** ***- Anxiety of birds and animals.*** ***- Flashes and sparking of closely located but not touching each other\'s electrical wires.*** ***- Bluish glow of the inner surface of the walls of houses.*** ***- Spontaneous ignition of fluorescent lamps shortly before the quake.*** ***Flood*** ***Flood -- is a temporary flooding of much of the land surface caused by natural forces.*** ***Floods occur due to the following reasons:*** ***1. Floods caused by the abundant precipitation of rain or melting. The river spills during floods and high water, that is the rising of water level from snow melting in t spring and as a result of torrential rains in autumn.*** ***2. Floods occurring under the impact of. It is observed on the coast and in the estuaries of the rivers flowing into the sea. Surge wind keeps the water in the estuary, thereby increasing its level in the river.*** ***3. Floods caused by underwater earthquakes.*** ***Flood is a real threat to life and health of people, equipment deteriorates, , as the water in the rivers rise by several meters, crops and property perish.*** ***Flooding of objects, settlements, agricultural land, etc. may occur as a result of the destruction of hydraulic structures: dams and dikes. Destruction of the dam at the reservoir, resulting in a zone of catastrophic flooding, is the most dangerous of all.*** **Mudflows** **Mudflow *(in translation from Arabic - \"rapid flow\") -- is a flow channel, which involves a large number of clastic material, with a density of 1.5-2higher than the density of water, moves in the form of a wave with a height of 20-40 m to the front and speeds of up to 20-30 m / s (10-100 km / h, and puts pressure on the obstacles*** ***with the power of tens of tons per square meter. Mudflows arise as a result of the following events:*** ***1. From floods with balanced and clastic material,.*** ***2. As a result of intense and prolonged rainfall, coarse-grained landslides from the mountain slopes are formed. Mudflows are typical for mountainous areas with a slope channel*** 6^о^-20^о^. ***Mudflows are able to destroy almost any building, houses, bridges, croplands.*** ***Fires*** ***There are two kinds of fires: forest fires and man-made fires. Forest fires are extremely dangerous. They are destroying the forest, products harvested in the forest, buildings and structures. Forest fires are caused by different factors:*** ***- Non-compliance with fire safety measures.*** ***- From lightning during a thunderstorm.*** ***- By not fulfilling their responsibilities by monitoring service*** ***- Sabotage.*** ***- Drought*** ***In Azerbaijan there are only a few forests. Only 11% of the territory is covered by forests. The greatest fire risk is noted in southern and eastern parts of Zagatala and forests west of Oguz.*** ***The forests on fire Yardimli, Guba, Gusar and the southern part of Gabala regions are known for their moderate fire risk.*** ***Veld fires are most likely to occur in the country. Ty include fires of dry grass and ripe bread, oil fires.*** ***Methods of fire fighting:*** ***-For fire entanglement of edge beams branches are used.*** ***- For fire entanglement of edge beams loose soil is used.*** ***- Barrage band, ditches, water quenching, solutions.*** ***Droughts*** ***Droughts occur as a result of rainfall deficit, anomalies of air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture*** ***Landslides occur most often at the expense of cutting slope by erosion or abrasion, shock or additional load on the slope. Landslide may be stationary for many years and experience a few short period of activation when its speed can reach tens of meters per hour. The most widespread landslides are observed Bailova settlement of Baku.***.