LARTS 464 Natural Disasters and Catastrophes
In this course students will have the opportunity to integrate the basics of earth science and the natural world through the study of what we know about the causes, locations, and effects of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, floods, meteorite strikes, landslides, and hurricanes. Natural disasters can seriously disrupt the basic function of societies, posing significant and widespread threats to life, property, and the environment. Though we have improved our disaster warning, response, and recovery systems, our engineered structures, political and cultural trends, and emergency management and responses may have lulled us into a false sense of security. This course will investigate how loss of life and property damage can be minimized by using geologic knowledge to improve upon disaster response and relief.