【People's Education Press】High School Geography Compulsory Course 1: Natural Disasters Around Us: Threats and Challenges Coexist

Natural disasters are not only extreme manifestations of energy release in Earth's surface systems, but also existential challenges that human civilization must confront. This lesson aims to build 'disaster awareness,' understand China's basic national conditions as a region prone to natural disasters, and establish the core strategy for comprehensive disaster reduction:‘Prevention First, Integration of Prevention, Resistance, and Rescue’as the central strategy for integrated disaster reduction.

Figure: Diagram of the Relationship Between Hypocenter and Epicenter — The location where rock layers rupture inside the Earth, causing vibrations, is called the hypocenter.

Core Scientific Definitions

Natural Disaster: An event caused by natural factors that damages human life, property, and living environments.
Meteorological Disaster: Widely distributed and most frequent, including floods, droughts, typhoons, etc.
Geographical Distribution Pattern: China spans two of the world’s major earthquake belts (the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Eurasian Belt), making it one of the countries most severely affected by earthquakes globally.

Logical Restructuring of Modern Disaster Prevention

From passive relief towardDisaster Relief and Assistancesystem transformation. By combining 'engineering measures' (e.g., disaster-prevention reservoirs, rain gardens) with 'non-engineering measures' (e.g., earthquake early warning systems, legal frameworks), we build a robust defense for survival.

QUESTION 1

According to the course definition, what is the term for the place inside the Earth where rock layers break and cause shaking?

Epicenter (Epicenter)

Hypocenter (Hypocenter/Focus)

Epicenter Distance (Epicenter Distance)

Fault Zone (Fault Zone)

QUESTION 2

What is China's core strategy for natural disaster prevention and mitigation?

Post-disaster reconstruction, economic priority

Prevention first, integration of prevention, resistance, and rescue

One-way defense, fully relying on engineering measures

Evacuation before disaster, full evacuation

QUESTION 3

Why has China become one of the countries most severely affected by earthquakes worldwide?

Spanning the world’s two major earthquake belts

Lowest population density in the world

Affected only by the Pacific Ring of Fire

Tectonic activity has completely ceased

QUESTION 4

Which of the following measures belongs to 'non-engineering' disaster reduction?

Building flood control embankments

Establishing an earthquake early warning system

Constructing rain gardens

Reinforcing building structures

QUESTION 5

What type of natural disaster is the 'rain garden' primarily used to address?

Earthquake disasters

Meteorological disasters (e.g., urban flooding)

Geological disasters (e.g., landslides)

Marine disasters

Comprehensive Disaster Reduction: From the Tangshan Earthquake to Modern Rain Gardens

Analyze the causes of disasters and the application of modern prevention strategies

Reading Material: At 3:42 AM on July 28, 1976, a magnitude 7.8 great earthquake struck Tangshan, Hebei Province. Due to its shallow focal depth of only 12 km and location in a densely populated area, it caused massive damage. Meanwhile, modern cities promote 'rain gardens' (e.g., rainwater retention areas of 30–40 square meters in residential zones) to cope with heavy rainfall, transforming disaster threats into ecological opportunities.

1. Based on the material, explain the relationship between focal depth and destruction level, and analyze the reasons for the severe losses in the Tangshan earthquake.

Answer:
【Reference Answer】: Relationship: Generally, under the same magnitude, the shallower the focal depth, the closer the released energy is to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and greater destructive power. Reasons: (1) The Tangshan earthquake was a shallow-focus quake (depth only 12 km), with extremely strong destructive force; (2) The quake occurred in the early morning when most residents were sleeping indoors, leaving very little reaction time; (3) Tangshan is a densely populated industrial city with buildings lacking sufficient seismic resistance.

2. Briefly explain how rain gardens embody the principle of 'prevention first, integration of prevention, resistance, and rescue.'

Answer:
【Reference Answer】: (1) 'Prevention first': Rain gardens, through ecological design, possess functions of storage, infiltration, and purification even before rainfall occurs, thus preventing urban flooding. (2) 'Integration of prevention, resistance, and rescue': As an engineering measure for 'prevention', they slow down peak flows via bioretention basins (resistance), reducing the pressure on subsequent emergency rescue efforts (rescue), thereby achieving a transition from passive drainage to proactive management.