Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- About the editor
- List of contributors
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The art and science of large-scale disasters
- 3 Multiscale modeling for large-scale disaster applications
- 4 Addressing the root causes of large-scale disasters
- 5 Issues in disaster relief logistics
- 6 Large-scale disasters: perspectives on medical response
- 7 Augmentation of health care capacity in large-scale disasters
- 8 Energy, climate change, and how to avoid a manmade disaster
- 9 Seawater agriculture for energy, warming, food, land, and water
- 10 Natural and anthropogenic aerosol-related hazards affecting megacities
- 11 Tsunamis: manifestation and aftermath
- 12 Intermediate-scale dynamics of the upper troposphere and stratosphere
- 13 Coupled weather–chemistry modeling
- 14 Seasonal-to-decadal prediction using climate models: successes and challenges
- 15 Climate change and related disasters
- 16 Impact of climate change on precipitation
- 17 Weather-related disasters in arid lands
- 18 The first hundred years of numerical weather prediction
- 19 Fundamental issues in numerical weather prediction
- 20 Space measurements for disaster response: the International Charter
- 21 Weather satellite measurements: their use for prediction
- Epilogue
- Index
3 - Multiscale modeling for large-scale disaster applications
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- About the editor
- List of contributors
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The art and science of large-scale disasters
- 3 Multiscale modeling for large-scale disaster applications
- 4 Addressing the root causes of large-scale disasters
- 5 Issues in disaster relief logistics
- 6 Large-scale disasters: perspectives on medical response
- 7 Augmentation of health care capacity in large-scale disasters
- 8 Energy, climate change, and how to avoid a manmade disaster
- 9 Seawater agriculture for energy, warming, food, land, and water
- 10 Natural and anthropogenic aerosol-related hazards affecting megacities
- 11 Tsunamis: manifestation and aftermath
- 12 Intermediate-scale dynamics of the upper troposphere and stratosphere
- 13 Coupled weather–chemistry modeling
- 14 Seasonal-to-decadal prediction using climate models: successes and challenges
- 15 Climate change and related disasters
- 16 Impact of climate change on precipitation
- 17 Weather-related disasters in arid lands
- 18 The first hundred years of numerical weather prediction
- 19 Fundamental issues in numerical weather prediction
- 20 Space measurements for disaster response: the International Charter
- 21 Weather satellite measurements: their use for prediction
- Epilogue
- Index
Summary
This chapter discusses various examples of large-scale disasters to illustrate the governing phenomena and the wide range of spatial and temporal scales involved. Due to the multiscale nature of disasters, an overview of applicable multiscale modeling techniques for investigating and predicting the behavior of large-scale disasters is presented. It is hoped that multiscale modeling techniques may help predict disasters before they occur; monitor and recover property, infrastructures, and environment; and provide response and quick relief in terms of damage mapping, communications, logistics, and medical facilities.
Introduction
Large-scale disasters can be classified into two groups: manmade and natural, as shown in Figure 3.1. Manmade disasters can be classified into technological disasters and human-related disasters. Some examples of natural disasters include avalanches, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, thunderstorms, and wildfires. Transportation accidents, nuclear and radiation mishaps, nano/microparticle emissions from transportation vehicles, air and water pollution, structural collapses, and power and utility failures are examples of technological disasters. Human-related disasters include war, terrorism, sabotage, arson, civil unrest, and mass hysteria (see the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration document no. OR-OSHA 212, at www.cbs.state.or.us/external/osha/pdf/workshops/212i.pdf). Additional examples, as well as a detailed overview of the science of disasters, can be found in Bunde et al. (2002).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Large-Scale DisastersPrediction, Control, and Mitigation, pp. 69 - 93Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008