Nick Geo

 This week we will be discussing Extreme Whether and the effects it has on Afghanistan. First I would like to start out by Identifying where these Extreme Whether cases are most frequent. Places like Kandahar, Helmand, and Nimruz are most frequent to have extreme weather cases. In January, 160 people died due to frigid temperatures and a lack of fuel to supply heat. This was a very unfortunate event that demonstrated the capability of temperature drops in Afghanistan. As well as this, temperatures can rise too very rapidly causing precipitation patterns across Afghanistan to be altered and access to water becomes diminished. The map below shows the average annual temperature in different regions of Afghanistan. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/more-than-160-afghans-die-bitterly-cold-weather-2023-01-26/  https://www.unocha.org/news/afghanistan-alarming-effects-climate-change#:~:text=Rising%20temperatures%20are%20rapidly%20altering,common%20sight%20across%20the%20count...

 When discussing Afghanistan's mass wasting risks it is very important to look at the droughts that occurred in the country. Not only do these droughts cause people to move away to find more fertile lands, but they also cause landslides and flash floods. There are no real ways to combat a drought but Afghanies have thought of many different  " solutions for problems like floods and landslides are a hybrid combination of natural and built infrastructure,” said Hassan Partow, a Programme Manager at UNEP's Disasters and Conflicts Branch. “They are cost-effective and readily available, which is crucial in a country like Afghanistan.”" These infrastructures could seriously help improve the effects of these landslides and floods. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/facing-floods-and-landslides-afghans-turn-nature-protection  

 Unfortunately, or fortunately, Afghanistan is classified as a low hazard for Volcano activity. However, this does not mean there are no active volcanos in Afghanistan. Most of the volcanic activity comes from the Eastern region of Afghanistan. These volcanos such as the Dacht-i-Navar grouping, the Loman Volcano grouping, the Vakak group, and the Zardolou grouping have all not erupted since the Pleistocene era.  https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/1-afghanistan/VA#:~:text=In%20the%20area%20you%20have,but%20over%2010%2C000%20years%20ago.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Afghanistan

  Afghanistan has earthquakes that have reached up to seven point six on the Richter scale. Although, earthquakes are not very common in Afghanistan. The largest earthquake occurred in the Kabul region in 1956. In case of an earthquake, measures you should take in order to stay the most safe are to stay away from windows and outer walls. You should also make sure to cover the back of your head and if outside, make your way to an open area that is not next to any buildings nor trees. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/earthquakes/during.html#:~:text=Stay%20away%20from%20outer%20walls,and%20buildings%2C%20and%20stay%20there. https://www.worlddata.info/asia/afghanistan/earthquakes.php#:~:text=In%20Afghanistan%2C%20there%20are%20partly,the%20direct%20consequences%20of%20earthquakes.  

 Afghanistan lies on the borders of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate. Afghanistan also sees activity from the southwest at the Arabian plate. These three tectonic plates extend hundreds of kilometers from the south, to the west, and to the east. I found it very cool that Afghanistan borders three tectonic plates I have never seen that before. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1264/pdf/OFR-1264.pdf  

       Afghanistan is a country that is located at the crossroads of central and south Asia. It is landlocked and is mostly mountains and plains. The climate is very dry and the summers are especially hot with drastically cold winters. Afghanistan has also had a bloody past that peaked a lot of interest for me even though that is not the subject. All in all, I find Afghanistan to be a beautiful country that is rich in culture and high-flying kites. A hazard is a danger or a potential risk of danger, a disaster is an unexpected event whose consequences can be severely destructive, and a catastrophe is an event causing great and often sudden damage. Reference: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/afghanistan  Afghanistan lies on the borders of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate. Afghanistan also sees activity from the southwest at the Arabian plate. These three tectonic plates extend hundreds of kilometers from the south, to th...