Ripples Across the World: Global Effects of Natural Disasters

Catalog description

Earthquakes and tsunamis create widespread devastation. Volcanic eruptions bury cities under ash and cause closures of distant airports. Heavy rains cause landslides and flooding. How do these disasters happen? What are the secondary global effects on societal infrastructure, on public health, on international trade? How do societal differences cause varied local responses and affect the global impact? This course focuses on evaluating the global effects of several recent geological disasters. Scientific and popular news sources are used to explore the underlying natural phenomena and the nature and global distribution of the effects from geologic, economic, and public health perspectives.