Natural Hazards and Disasters

3 Units

An introduction to the scientific causes of natural hazards, disasters, and their impact on human society. The course emphasizes both the processes behind these natural hazards and the societal factors that influence vulnerability, resilience, and outcomes. Topics include earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and emerging global threats from a changing climate such as wildfire and sea level rise. Students will explore how communities can reduce risk, adapt to changing hazard patterns, and recover from catastrophic events employing real-world examples of risk assessment, preparedness, resilience-building, and strategies for responding to natural disasters.