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Main geohazards versus man-made hazards

Short answer

Main geological hazards are earthquakes, landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions, subsidence, and swelling soils. They differ from man-made hazards by natural origin and cannot be prevented, only mitigated; man-made hazards like dam failure can be prevented by proper management.

What are the main geological hazards? How do they differ from man-made hazards?

Main geological hazards

  1. Earthquakes (and tsunami, surface rupture, liquefaction).
  2. Landslides, rock falls and other mass movements including debris flow.
  3. Floods, GLOF and LDOF.
  4. Soil erosion and gully/bank erosion.
  5. Volcanic eruptions.
  6. Subsidence and sinkholes (karst, mining, groundwater withdrawal).
  7. Swelling and collapsing soils.
  8. Snow and ice avalanche.

Difference from man-made hazards

PointGeological hazardMan-made hazard
OriginNatural earth processesHuman activities and failures
ControlCannot be prevented; effects can be reducedCan be prevented by proper management
ExamplesEarthquake, landslide, floodDam failure by poor design, industrial accident, fire, pollution, war
PredictionProbabilisticDepends on human error and design

Note that human acts (deforestation, road cutting) can trigger geohazards such as landslides.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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