CIG   05423
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES GEOLOGICAS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
Climate and Geomorphologic disasters in Latin America
Autor/es:
GARCIA, N,; NIETO FERREIRA, R; LATRUBESSE, E.
Libro:
Geomorphology of Natural Hazards and Human Exacerbated Disasters in Latin America
Editorial:
Elsevier
Referencias:
Año: 2008; p. 1 - 27
Resumen:
Because most of its territory is located in tropical and equatorial areas, climatic factors are a
main driver of natural disasters in Latin America. For instance, intense tropical rainfall in
mountain areas is responsible for some of the most catastrophic floods and landslides in Latin
America, such as those that occur in northern Venezuela, Colombia, and southeastern
Brazil. The El Nino-Southern Oscillation also triggers a variety of geomorphologic hazards
along the continent such as the floods, landslides, and coastal erosion that affect desert areas
of the Pacific coast and the floods and landslides that affect southeastern Brazil and the La
Plata Basin. In Central America and Mexico, hurricane landfalls from the Eastern Pacific
and Atlantic Ocean bring intense rainfall, winds, and storm surges that cause devastating
floods and landslides.
Many of the devastating effects of natural hazards and disasters have been aggravated
by increased human-induced vulnerability in various Latin American regions. Humaninduced
desertification in Patagonia and accelerated fluvial erosion in south and southeastern
Brazil are examples of negative human effects on the Latin American landscape that
aggravate the effects of natural disasters. Climatic trends in South America during the last
few decades, in particular in the Argentinean plains, have also contributed to flood
aggravation.