2020-2021 / GEOG2050-1

Natural risks

Duration

20h Th, 2d FW

Number of credits

 Master in geography : general (120 ECTS)3 crédits 

Lecturer

Alain Demoulin, Aurelia Hubert

Coordinator

Aurelia Hubert

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The courses is divided in two: 

  • Part I focuses  on landslide and volcanic risk  (10h Th) with Prof. A. Hubert-Ferrari
  • Part II focuses on seismic risk  (10h Th) with Prof. A. Demoulin
Part I:
* Risk- Hazard-Vulnerability: Risk study and dangerous evnts (definition and characteristics), history of dangerous events, magnitude-frequency relation, Introduction to Risk: Elements-at-risk, Vulnerability, Hazard * Volcanic Hazard: Generality (risk/hazard, active volcano, frequency, eruption duration, size, impact, cost), basic knowledge about volcanoes and eruptions (structure, relief, why volcanics eruption occur ?, origine of volcanism, lava, magma, volatile), direct volcanic risk around active volcano, indirect volcanic risk, prediction methods and goals of the evaluation of volcanic risk and hazard * Landslide Hazard with in chapter 1: mouvement de masse subaérien (definition, type of mass movements, geometry, distribution, mapping, dynamics of mass movement, factors controling mass movements, monotoring), chapter 2 : Landslide hazard (impact, risk analysis components, Landslide susceptibility analysis)
Part II:
  • A few basic definitions in mechanics
  • The seismic process: stick-slip mechanism, rupture propagation, seismic cycle, strong earthquakes and aseismic fault creep as end members of a continuum
  • Measuring earthquakes: seismic waves, magnitude and macroseismic intensity, focal mechanism
  • Effects of earthquakes: on-fault, direct (including site effects), indirect (landslides, liquefaction, city burning)
  • Seismic hazard assessment: basics of paleoseismology, hazard modelling, attenuation, PGA maps
  • The seismicity of Belgium and NW Europe

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

- Notion on the mechanics of landslide and volcanic eruptions
- Understanding of landslide and volcanic risk/hazard
- Understanding of landslide susceptibility maps
- Understanding of the seismic process and its various expressions on Earth, ability to recognize the meaning of magnitude values, to build and interpret focal mechanisms, to elaborate a paleoseismological research project

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Part I (10h):
Virtual Course with podcasts and feed-back on Lifesize
Perosnal work sur base d'articles scientifiques 
Part II:
ex cathedra course (in room) 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Part I: virtual
part II: face mask mandatory

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Part I: A formal schedule will be organized with the students with maximum 2 chapters per week, and a virtual meeting at the end of the listening by the student of every podcast chapter
Part II: see above

Recommended or required readings

Part I: podcast
Part II:
required: lecture notes and PowerPoint files provided on MyULiège

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Any session :

- In-person

oral exam

- Remote

oral exam

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred remote


Additional information:

Part I :  


  • 50% sur un podcast (présentation orale) on landslides  from litterature
  • 50% on a written report on volcanic hazard and risk on a given active volcano 
Part II:
oral examination (written in the June session if more than 5 students) - if sanitory disorder persists, remote oral examination (LifeSize)

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Part I: aurelia.ferrari@uliege.be
Part II: Alain Demoulin - ademoulin@uliege.be - tel 04.3665660

Items online

Articles_Risques Naturels_Partim 1
Articles pour la présentation orale

Cours Risques Naturels Partim 1
3 partim