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Cairo University

Faculty of African Postgraduate Studies

Department of Natural Resources

(2nd Term 2022/2023)

Fall 2022

Ph.D. Earth Resources

 

Geohazards in Africa

(RES E605)

           

Introduction:

A hazard is a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation. Geohazards originate from internal earth processes or Earth surface related. Examples are earthquakes and volcanic activity

There is no region on Earth is immune from natural geohazards. Understanding the causes and nature of such phenomena, helps us to mitigate the effects of such disaster. Not all geohazards cause only disaser, but some are good for renewing georesources on the long run.
This course discusses the geological processes that cause natural hazards such as severe weather, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis, coastal hazards and earthquakes. Basic knowledge from Geology courses is extended and each topic is discussed in depth. Detailed hazard and risk assessments and application in Africa are undertaken in class and relevant writing and presentation skills are further trained.

Lectures in this course are designed to provide comprehensive knowledge for different types of geohazards. and our ability, or inability, to control and predict such events.

The students will gain an appreciation of natural disasters beyond the newspaper headlines, and will better understand how the effects of disasters can be reduced. Lecture topics can be read in recent text books and scientific findings published in peer-reviewed journals.

 

Objectives: 

The course focuses on the physical processes that take place in the Earth that cause geological hazards. The applications or examples will focus basically on the African continent.

The main objectives of this course are:

1. identify and evaluate the physical mechanisms and context of the geological natural hazard.

2.  judge the impact of natural hazards on the African continent,

3. assess the most effective hazard monitoring and mitigation measures,

​

Requirments and textbooks:

Several textbooks and variety of journal papers will be used in addition to lecture notes.  You may use the following textbooks:

  1. Plummer C.C., Carlson D.H., Hammersley L., 2016, Physical Geology, 15th ed., McGraw-Hill Education

  2. Tarbuck, E.J., and Lutgens, F.K., 2017, Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 12th ed., Prentice Hall, New Jaersy, 788p.

  3. Keller and DeVecchio (2016) ‘Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes’,Taylor & Francis, New York, 733p.

  4. Bolt, B.A., Horn, W.L., Macdonald, G.A., and Scott, R.F., 1977, Geological Hazards, 2nd ed., Springer-Verlag, 333p.

  5. Condie, C.K., 2022, Earth as an evolving planetary system, 4th ed., Elsevier, 379p.

  6. Schlluter, T., 2008, Geological Atlas of Africa, 2nd ed, 307p.​


Grading

Mid Term Exam (March 27, 2023) ..................................................  10%
Research Paper (Due May 8, 2023)..................................................  10%  (how to write term paper)   

Oral Exam  .......................................................................................  10%
Final Exam .......................................................................................  70%

 

   Course Notes in pdf​

  1. Introduction Natural Hazards and Disasters  (Top 10 disasters. video)

  2. Plate tectonics  (presentation in pdf)

  3. Earthquakes and and Tsunami (presentation in pdf)

  4. Climate Change_Natural (presentation in pdf)

  5. Climate Change_Human (presentation in pdf)

  6. Rivers and Floods (presentation in pdf)  (Text)

  7. Desertification (presentation in pdf)  (Text)

  8. Volcanoes (presentation in pdf)

  9. Landslides (presentation in pdf) (text)  (Video)

 

Last updated May 15, 2023

 

 

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