Natural Hazards

Earthquakes, mass movements of slopes, volcanic eruptions are localised geological events but they can produce far-reaching tsunami, and thus pose a major threat to people and social infrastructure not only in their immediate vicinity but also over long distances.

These geohazards are not limited to the continents, but occur on and under large areas of the seabed. Landslides can be found, for example, at all tilded seabeds from shallow waters to the deep sea, underwater volcanoes endanger small seas (e.g. the Aegean) and oceans (e.g. the Pacific), and the most devastating earthquakes are triggered in subduction zones (e.g. the Pacific Ring of Fire).

Scientific knowledge of the extent of these geohazards, the spatial and temporal dimensions are essential for assessing and mitigating the risk to communities, critical infrastructure and the environment.