GEOG 3310 - Introduction to Natural Hazards

Is your house on the Wasatch Fault? Is it likely to be flooded, or buried by a landslide? How likely are tornadoes in the Salt Lake Valley? This course examines the physical principles of naturally occurring geologic and weather processes, methods of investigating hazards, techniques for assessing risk, and methods of mitigation. Course focuses on earthquakes, landslides, floods, debris flows and other hazards. Lectures will draw on Utah examples of these hazards whenever possible, and present current understanding the magnitude of the hazard, areas at risk, recurrence intervals, and mitigation measures. Homework projects will be directed towards identifying global and local areas where hazards exist.