Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor, Lecturer, Tutor
Damian Gore
Contact via Email, Zoom, Phone
11WW 425
By email appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
60cp at 1000 level or above
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
ENVS6237
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Unit description |
Unit description
The importance of natural hazards and their impacts is growing as population increases and the world is increasingly overshadowed by a changing climate. Natural hazards include those from the solid earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes; weather-related impacts from floods, tropical cyclones, drought and bushfires; biohazards; and rarer 'megahazards' such as asteroid impacts. The impacts from natural hazards can cause humanitarian disasters and cost billions of dollars. But what are the most important hazards, and where do the disasters occur? How can we manage and reduce disaster impacts? This unit approaches natural hazards via an understanding of how they occur, what they do and how we can mitigate their impacts. This approach allows future societies to be more resilient to the impacts of natural hazards. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Final examination | 40% | No | Date TBA |
Natural hazards and disasters | 20% | No | 30/08/20 |
Practical quizzes | 40% | No | Weeks 3, 5, 9, 11, 13 |
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Date TBA
Weighting: 40%
Final examination at a time set by the University timetable
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 30/08/20
Weighting: 20%
A written piece linking topical natural hazards with disasters. A range of sub-topics will be offered based on recent world events.
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 3, 5, 9, 11, 13
Weighting: 40%
Quizzes based on the outcomes from the practicals.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
LECTURES
Two one hour lectures will be held on Mondays (1500-1600 h) and Thursdays (1200-1300 h) each week from Week 1. All lectures will be online. Lectures provide the framework with which to focus your study of the subject and are essential for you to engage with. You should supplement them by reading, especially from the textbook, but also from current journals, which contain the most up-to-date information. All lecture material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. The iLearn site contains suggested readings, but please don't limit yourself to those. Lectures will be available by the start of the lecture period, through iLearn https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ.
PRACTICALS
One two hour practical will be held each week, in Weeks 2-10 and Week 13. All practicals will be online. Practicals will be held at times stipulated by the timetable, and I will be available online for consultation while you work through your practicals. I’ll supply more information on those later. Each student should complete all practical sessions. Practicals contain material to supplement the lectures, or comprise practical exercises to give you skills to help with your understanding and the workplace. All practical material is assessable in the quizzes or final examination. Practicals provide greater depth to related lecture materials and will assist learning by encouraging your active participation. Important material for the practical classes is included on iLearn.
ASSESSMENTS
The assessments tasks with percentage weightings are as described above; five assessable practicals valued at 8% each (total 40%), a 20% assignment, and a final examination valued at 40%. Further details will be on iLearn.
Wk | Lecture 1 | Lecture 2 | Practical | Assessment |
1 | Introduction | Hazard & Risk | No prac class | |
2 | Earthquakes | Volcanoes | Hazard & Risk | |
3 | Mass movements | Convective storms | Earthquakes | Quiz 1 |
4 | Tornados | Tropical cyclones | Volcanoes | |
5 | Hail | Lightning | Tropical cyclones | Quiz 2 |
6 | Floods | Tsunami | Floods | |
7 | Coastal & oceanic | ENSO | Tsunami | Written assignment |
8 | Drought & extreme heat | Bushfires | ENSO & drought | |
9 | No lecture (Labour Day) | Biohazards & pandemics | Bushfires | Quiz 3 |
10 | Technological hazards | Global change & loss | Pandemics | |
11 | Risk assessment | Vulnerability & disasters | No prac class | Quiz 4 |
12 | Emergency managment | Megahazards | No prac class | |
13 | Revision | No lecture | Revision | Quiz 5 |
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