| Disaster Rally

The 6 Types of Volcanoes and Their Characteristics

If you ask any K-12 teacher what the types of volcanoes are, they will be very quick to answer your question with the 3 volcano system: Shield, Cinder Cone and Composite Cone. There are those who make a very compelling argument however, that this system is far too limiting. “What about Yellowstone Caldera?,” they might ask. Oregon State University makes a very compelling argument that volcanologists would be much better served to classify volcanoes into 6 types instead of 3. Below is their proposed classification system, and the characteristics of each type.

The 6 Proposed Types of Volcanoes and Their Characteristics

Shield Volcanoes

Mauna Loa shield volcanoe, one of the major types of volcanoes — 1984 Mauna Loa Eruption

These types of volcanoes are considered the largest under the three volcano classification system. Under this system, they are just the largest ones that we would recognize with our eyes. Mount Kilauea and Mauna Loa (which is the largest among active volcanoes on our planet), are two of the most famous examples of these types of volcanoes.

Shield volcanoes are composed almost entirely of basalt, which is a type of volcanic rock that flows very fast in its lava form. This makes these types of volcanoes more shallow and wider, because the lava doesn’t have time to pile up on itself before it cools and solidifies into volcanic rock. They are also some of the gentlest volcanoes in our world, making mesmerizing fountains of lava at the eruption site that aren’t particularly explosive unless there is water present at the site of the eruption.

Stratovolcanoes

Stratovolanoes are the most common types of volcanoes on the planet. They tend to erupt with lava that is thicker and slower flowing, enabling it to pile up to great heights. Of course, as the lava piles up, it tends to form a sort of plug that locks in dangerous gasses and pyroclastic materials that build up until the pressure becomes so great that it causes an explosive eruption. This is what makes these such dangerous types of volcanoes to be near during an eruption.

Even greater than the danger of projectiles falling from the summit, is the possible pyroclastic flow, consisting of noxious gasses that are heavier than the air and ashes that flow down the side of the volcano and inexorably smother anything in their path. Mount St. Helens is a famous example of a stratovolcano. An even more famous example is Mount Vesuvius, which caused the destruction of Pompeii.

Monogenetic Fields

San Francisco Peaks Volcano Field — San Francisco volcanic field

Monogenetic fields are massive fields that contain hundreds or even thousands of volcanic vents. These types of volcanoes don’t look like volcanoes per se, but they are still volcanic in nature. The supply of magma is not nearly as forceful as it is with other types of volcanoes, so there is never a specific path for the magma chambers like you would see with a more traditional type of volcano. It seems that whenever they gently erupt, the magma finds a new path to the surface.

Believe it or not, America has quite a few of these types of volcanoes. One, called the San Francisco volcanic field has a misleading name. It’s actually in northern Arizona, just north of Flagstaff. There are also quite a few of these fields in Mexico.

Flood Basalts

Columbia River Basalt Group — Columbia River Basalt

The Columbia River Basalt province that covers a large portion of south east Washington is one example of these types of volcanoes. They are remarkable areas on our surface that are covered with dozens of meters thick and hundreds of kilometers long flows of basalt.

Flood basalts are poorly understood, but scientists now think that the thin flowing basalt gets so thick in these areas because new magma is injected into the old, hardened magma that has already erupted and cooled from the site. Over time, the flow becomes thicker and thicker till it reaches epic proportions.

Mid-Ocean Ridges

Some scientist feel that the mid-ocean ridges are simple one, enormous, tens of thousands of kilometers long volcano. This is the part under the ocean where our tectonic plates pull apart and squish back together. As they do so, magma escapes from the crust deep under the ocean at the places where these plates clash and pull apart and build ridges of fresh basalt.
While we have never seen one of these eruptions (as they are not one of the easiest places on Earth to get to), we have seen the evidence of them shortly after small earthquakes at the edges of the plates, including super heated water, dead marine life in the area and fresh deposits of basaltic rock.

Rhyolite Caldera Complexes

Lake Taupo satellite image — Lake Taupo caldera

In the year 83 AD, a massive eruption took place at north eastern Lake Taupo in New Zealand. It was the most massive eruption the world has seen in the past 5,000 years. The cause of this eruption was the incredible pressure building inside the magma vents under the Taupo caldera. The result was a devastating pyroclastic flow that destroyed 20,000 square kilometers of the island, not to mention an astounding ash cloud. Still, this is nothing compared to the devastation that scientists think the Yellowstone caldera is capable of producing.

These “super volcanoes” are more properly classified as rhyolite caldera complexes and they still are not fully understood by science. They don’t even look like volcanoes, but are instead the result of eruptions so massive that the land collapsed completely in on itself over the massive magma chambers that feed them. These eruptions cause calderas that can be hundreds of miles across. Thankfully, these incredibly destructive and fascinating types of volcanoes only erupt on the rarest of occasions.

Summing Up

It’s important to remember of course that all classification systems are subjective. The three volcano system leaves out the most important systems in our world, such as super calderas and the mid-ocean ridges. It would be hard to argue that these systems don’t affect our world.

Some simply classify volcanoes by whether they are dormant, active or reactivated. They authors of Volcanoes of the World, on the other hand, very thoroughly classify 26 types of volcanoes. This may be overkill to anyone but a volcanologist. This six type system seems to pretty well sum up the major types of volcanoes that affect our environment.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

6 Disaster Preparedness Tips to Keep You Safe

The top disaster scenarios that kill people in the United Sates are floods, storms and earthquakes, wildfires and even epidemics. In disasters, most people killed – 63 percent – are due to storms. Most people affected by disaster at one time are those who are experiencing flooding. From natural disasters to terrorist attacks, there are things you can do to help keep you and your family safe. Here are six disaster preparedness tips to help you safely survive.

Disaster Preparedness Tips

1. Always Have Three Ways Out

No matter where you find yourself, you should keep three ways of escape in the back of your mind. Disasters of all types often come with little to no warning, and getting trapped is a major risk. Whether you are at home in your living room, at a meeting at work on the 30th floor of an office building, or at a concert to see your favorite band, you should always have three ways out. This is known as tertiary redundancy and is one of the most valuable disaster preparedness tips you can learn.

You have a primary, secondary and tertiary means of escape. Apply this idea indoors and out to prevent being trapped. If you find yourself in a situation with only one way out, your threat risk has elevated to unacceptable.

2. Fortifications

The reasons forts were popular during military engagements are because they provided protections and safety from the enemy. Fortifications provide protection during disasters. It is why fallout shelters were popular during the height of the cold war. It is why families have tornado shelters in Kansas.

Fortifications need to be designed according to your disaster risk profile. If you are in an area prone to earthquakes, you want to be in a building fortified to withstand a quake. If you are in a crime risk area, you want a safe room in your dwelling to be able to retreat to. In flood-prone areas, you need quick access to a shelter on higher ground, and a fortification that floats (a boat) would be beneficial. Overall, disaster preparedness tips often fail to mention how fortifications make you a hard target, which increases your chances of surviving disaster.

3. Skills Training

If you only remember one of these disaster preparedness tips, it should be this one. Skills training imparts to you knowledge that can be called upon in any disaster scenario or situation. A lot of skills training teaches you how to respond quickly and without having to waste valuable time considering what-if questions.

Probably the most valuable skills that can be used in every disaster situation are medical skills. Knowing how to maintain the ABCs (Airway, Breathing and Circulation) of life when doctors, hospitals and emergency services are overwhelmed or incapacitated can save your life as well as family members’ lives. Begin with Red Cross first aid and CPR training, and build your skill sets from there.

4. Redundant GO Bags

Whether you call them bug-out bags or GO bags, they are just a collection of necessary items in an easy-to-transport container kept in convenient locations. They contain basic survival items needed for your situation and location.

Your GO bag at work may contain, in addition to other items, sweats and pair of boots to be able to evacuate on foot without trying to do it in heels and a skirt. A GO bag in your car should contain clothing and footwear for the climate and terrain as well as a temperature-stable calorie source and potable water. Home GO bags should contain enough items to survive three days with minimal shelter and public grid sources. If you rely on medications, find a way to keep backups close by and safe. Do not forget to cycle them out for a fresh supply before expiration.

5. Carry a Light

On September 11, 2001 when the planes hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, how much value do you think could have been placed on a tiny flashlight to help survivors navigate through the blackness, debris and smoke? Tiny, yet powerful, LED flashlights are reliable, bright and run a long time on a set of batteries. This makes them them one of the easiest disaster preparedness tips to carry out. There are even military grade tactical models that are battle tested. However, instead of plunking down all your money on one fancy light you might forget at home, a bunch of cheaper ones located in all the places you may find yourself in makes more sense.

Keep them in your car, at your desk at work, in your backpack, briefcase or purse, and maybe stow one in your pocket. Penlights that are actual pens and lights are still available and extremely valuable in a disaster situation. Alternate safe lighting for sheltering in place at home is beneficial too.

6. Maintain Emergency Backups

Professional operators, whether they be international spies or just savvy moms who want to have all their ducks in a row, have backups of important things available in case primary sources fail. You should have backup copies of everything from your banking information to insurance policies and birth certificates available off site from where your primary originals are stored. Some cash and other supplies kept off site from your dwelling can help you too.

If you keep important papers in a safe at home, then you should have copies at a trusted location outside of your geographic disaster zone. For example, if you live in a wildfire area, you do not want your backups kept at your neighbor’s house that is equally as vulnerable to fire as your house is. If you rely on medications, health equipment or other such things, maintain backups off site as well. Do not rely on medical services being available during a time of disaster.

Summing Up

These are fundamental disaster preparedness tips that deal with planning and skills more than gadgets. Disaster gear can be compromised in a moment. Your stored up supply of food and water can be instantly wiped out in a disaster. In conclusion, being able to move quickly away from a disaster area with just the basics is most helpful in most disaster situations.

Share your own thoughts and experiences with disaster situations. What do you think will get you through a disaster? Do you think you should rely more on gear or skills? Share your best disaster preparedness tips to help others survive.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2, 3

How Is Hail Formed and Why It’s Different from Snow

Have you ever watched a hailstorm and wondered just how is hail formed while the ice pounds away at car hoods and trees, causing its path of destruction? It’s tempting to watch hail as it smashes into the ground and destroys everything in its path, but you should go inside and stay away from windows when this occurs.

This is because the winds from a thunderstorm can drive hail sideways and cause it to smash through windows. As fascinating as hail is, it’s a dangerous condition. If you’re unlucky enough to be caught outside in hail, your first order of business should be to take shelter. Now that you’re safe inside, let’s learn how is hail formed.

What Is Hail?

There are four types of precipitation that fall from clouds: snow, sleet, rain, and hail.

Hail is by far the most damaging and dangerous form of precipitation. This is because hail is made of solid and sometimes very heavy pieces of ice. Some of these pieces are as heavy as a pound or more and they fall to the ground at very fast speeds. Learning how is hail formed can explain how these ice pieces can get so large, fast and dangerous.

Hail can fall to the earth at between 9 meters per second and 48 meters per second depending on its size and the weather conditions. That’s a little bit faster than the average fastball pitch in professional baseball. Now, imagine how dangerous it could be to have hundreds of these fastballs coming at you at once.

The deadliest hailstorm in recorded history took place in 1360 during the Hundred Years War as the English army was caught in the open by a particularly vicious storm that killed nearly 1,000 soldiers. To understand how these hailstorms can become so dangerous, it’s important to know how is hail formed.

How Is Hail Formed?

The basics

So, how is hail formed? First, it’s important to understand that all precipitation starts out as snow. This is because the upper atmosphere, where storm clouds form, is so cold that water can only exist in frozen form. Precipitation accumulates in the clouds when tiny droplets of water freeze around specks of dust. This dust can come from many different sources including ash from volcanoes, dirt particles lifted from farming, wind and tornadoes, and even from meteors that burn up in the atmosphere.

The frozen specks of water crystallize around these microscopic particles, becoming the unique snowflakes that we all love to see in the winter. If it is summer, these snowflakes will likely melt on the way back down to the earth and fall on us in the form of rain drops.

To Be More Explicit…

Sometimes those tiny snowflakes get caught up in a cycle of updrafts caused by warm air circulating into the clouds. When this happens, they can become big, nasty, destructive hail instead of gentle snow or soothing rain. This occurs because very powerful thunderstorms create strong updrafts that lift large amounts of warm air far up into the highest parts of the atmosphere before they suddenly cool and fall back down. As the warm air flows up, snowflakes get caught in the updraft and melt into rain on the way up.

Instead of this rain falling down gently to the ground, it is carried higher still until the warm air cools and starts to fall. When the warm air cools, the raindrops freeze again and these frozen raindrops are much bigger than the original snowflakes that formed them. This is where things get very interesting.

If the storm is very violent, more updrafts of warm air will blow upward strongly enough to carry these heavier frozen raindrops back up. They will remelt on the way up, freeze at the top of the cycle again and begin to fall back down. The more the raindrops/ice particles get caught in updrafts, the bigger the balls of ice become. Then, the frozen ice balls become so heavy that the updraft can no longer pick them up. Consequently, they succumb to gravity.

Why It’s More Dangerous than You Think

The largest hailstone ever recorded was a little over 1.5 pounds. It fell to the earth in 1970 from a behemoth thunderstorm in Coffeyville Kansas. It was a very violent storm. If you have ever wondered just how is hail formed into such a large stone, the answer may shock you.

The size of a hailstorm depends generally on the speed of the updraft in the center of a thunderstorm. Updrafts around 20 MPH will create hailstones that are roughly the size of a pea. Updrafts between 40 and 50 MPH will create very destructive hailstones, about the size of a quarter. So how fast does an updraft have to be to create a hailstone as big as a baseball? The winds that create those giant hailstones are storming into the stratosphere at roughly 100 MPH. That’s hurricane force winds.

Where Does Hail Occur Most Often?

Just like we have a tornado alley, we also have a hail alley in the United States. This area spans roughly across the central Midwest and includes the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Wyoming receives the brunt of these storms, with the city of Cheyenne seeing roughly ten hailstorms every year. Of course, hail can occur just about anywhere in the world where thunderstorms occur.

Hailstorms typically occur during the warm months between May and September in the United States. This is because storms must have warm air to create updrafts that form hailstones. Of course, that doesn’t mean hailstorms don’t occur during other months. In December of 1967, a freak hailstorm blanketed Los Angeles in a coating of ice so thick that it looked like a winter snowstorm had struck.

Now that you have learned how is hail formed, where and when it occurs, and more importantly, how to stay safe from a hailstorm, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this weird and wild weather phenomenon.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2

How to Create a Good Network Disaster Recovery Plan

You may have heard of companies which invest in a network disaster recovery plan (often abbreviated to network DRS or simply NDRS), and wonder what that is. As mentioned in our main guide on disaster management, there are two main sides to disaster recovery and management. First of all, there is the human side of handling an emergency or disaster, focused on helping the people in need meet their basic needs (food, water, shelter, emergency medical care, safety and so on). Usually, this side of disaster relief work is handled by both governmental agencies (like FEMA) and non-governmental organizations.

The second side to handling a disaster or disruptive event, whether it is a natural one or a man-made one, is meant for protecting businesses, companies or institutions and allowing them to continue their activity. For institutions and state infrastructure, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) handles the steps involved for emergency management and disaster recovery. For private companies and businesses, a blend of state services and private services acts to protect their activity and help them recover faster. This is known as a Business Continuity Plan (usually offered by companies specializing in this), and disaster recovery is a smaller part of that, dealing specifically with the recovery of the IT systems of the company.

Even more specifically, the part of disaster recovery services that deals with networks and getting them back online is called network disaster recovery. The main thing you need to know about a NDRS is that no matter the size of the company you work in (or have), you probably need one. Nowadays, there are probably very few business activities (if there are any) which don’t rely heavily on information systems. This means that most of your activity logs and sensitive data, not to mention your entire collection of company records, policies, procedures and know-how are stored within your company’s network, and when a disaster strikes and damages it, your entire operation is threatened.

Services which offer you a network disaster recovery plan and help insure your data and systems (through cloud storage backup and through expert assistance on resuming activity) are more and more popular. But signing up for one of these service packs isn’t enough to protect your IT systems: first, you need to assess by yourself (maybe with some external assistance, though), and set the foundation for your network disaster recovery plan. Here is how.

How to Create a Network Disaster Recovery Plan

In order to end up with the perfect network disaster recovery plan, you need to follow these basic steps:

Get a consultant from a disaster recovery service to help you identify your main vulnerabilities in your IT system;
Write down the main assets or priorities that need to be protected first and foremost. The few features without which your business’s whole activity could not function (or could not be streamlined). No external specialist can do this for you, since you are the one who knows your activity best;
Take a look at an example of a network disaster recovery plan template for inspiration, any sample you can usually find online goes. Most likely, your disaster recovery firm will handle the creation of the official version of the plan for you, but you need to have an idea of how one looks beforehand. This will allow you to revise the first two points of this checklist of steps, if you’ll realize it’s necessary (the part with the main priorities of your particular business activity, and the part with your main vulnerabilities);
With the help of your network disaster recovery consultant, create the actual version of your final network disaster recovery plan. Set the protections in motion and rest better at night from now on, considering that no matter what may come your way, your business continuity is insured in its most important aspect.

The Main Services You Should Consider for Your Network Disaster Recovery

There are plenty of services which provide companies small and large with disaster recovery for their IT systems. This type of service is actually becoming more and more popular, with the biggest software and cloud storage companies competing for the attention of business owners who are looking for the best network disaster recovery plan for their business.

Here a very brief list of the main service providers in this niche. Take a look into their offers, if only to get a better idea of what to expect from the actual provider you will eventually opt for.

1. Microsoft Azure

The Azure service from Microsoft is considered by many to be the ultimate network disaster recovery plan, provided by some of the best specialists in the field. Few backup infrastructures match the highly advanced preparedness of Microsoft, and their personalized plans for each client offer targeted and immediate response to any cyber-threat or disruptive event. You can find out more about their services here.

2. Bluelock Recovery Solutions

The network disaster recovery plan from Bluelock promises an almost seamless resuming of your activity in case anything happens to your IT systems. Few other service providers can make – and hold – a similar promise, and based on how their popularity, they seem to be keeping their promise pretty well. You can read up more about their service here.

3. VEEAM

This next service on out top 5 list is provided from VEEAM. Official reviews for VEEAM praise it for their instant fixes and affordable rates, and their special self-restore portal for application owners is also highly appreciated. See more about their range of services here.

4. SunGard’s Disaster Recovery Service

One of the best things about SunGard is that they offer many kinds of different network disaster recovery plans and service packs. Their case studies and extra resources and data which back their figures and claims are also impressive. You can see more about their multiple service packs here.

5. Acronis Disaster Recovery

The full service from Acronis has a few impressive features that convince many business owners to sign up for their network disaster recovery plan. They use a hybrid cloud backup system so that your data stays safe even if a disaster were to hit both you and them at the same time, and they also offer wider business continuity solutions beyond the disaster recovery side. You can read up more about the Acronis services here.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3.

The IT Disaster Recovery Plan: Everything You Need to Know

You may have heard of business recovery or business continuity plans, or of the IT disaster recovery plan as mandatory forms of planning ahead for businesses everywhere. As more companies, businesses and institutions are becoming more and more reliant on information technology (IT) systems and the virtual environment, this reliance makes them both more potent and more vulnerable. While computer use has dramatically enhanced the productivity of businesses everywhere, especially as computers themselves have become more and more powerful over the years, this reliance on IT systems also means that minor disasters can lead to major halts in activity. Lack of access to IT systems, or, even more dramatically, a permanent loss of data due to a disruptive event can mean the termination of all activity for many businesses, organizations and institutions alike.

That is why procedures and back-up plans such as the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and the IT Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) are crucial forms of insurance for any organization, company or business, no matter how large or small. We will walk you through everything you need to know about the difference between a BCP and a DRP, as well as how to start planning in order to outline the recovery plans your company should have and develop them in no time.

1. What Exactly Is an IT Disaster Recovery Plan and Business Continuity in General?

Many people who are just starting to hear of an IT disaster recovery plan or backup procedures for disaster recovery think all the terms involved are more or less referring to the same thing. In order to help your understanding of these terms and the difference between them better, first we should define them. According to its official definition, a Business Continuity Plan is the wider aspect of this type of insuring process, containing all the backup plans for the management and restoration of the types of activity necessary for the functioning of a business or organization, from manufacturing to quality control and so on. These components may include a Business Resumption Plan, an Incident Management Plan and so on; in short, everything which the organization may need for its post-disaster reconstruction and the resuming of its activity.

For example, a hospital will of course rely on computer systems for managing their patient database and documentation, but they will also need to manage the disruptive event, get supplies delivered to vulnerable patients in due time, restore the entire area’s security and so on. All institutions and organizations dealing with human lives (basically any company whose employees work in an office) will have first and foremost the concern and responsibility of dealing with their living assets (the human resources) and only then handle the IT system and activate its disaster contingency management plan, the network recovery protocol and so on.

This means that out of all the aspects of a BCP, the IT Disaster Recovery Plan is only a small part of the entire planning involved, and refers strictly to the recovery of technology, as opposed to the whole of BCP who deals with the recovery of business operations. Some online resources propose a debate regarding the use of a BCP vs. the use of an IT disaster recovery plan, but it is an issue falsely put, since the latter is just a smaller part of the first.

2. Developing an IT Disaster Recovery Plan Template for Your (Small) Business

According to official data provided by FEMA and by the Disaster Recovery Institute, the businesses and organizations which have developed a proper IT Disaster Recovery Plan have survived unfortunate events much easier than the ones who postponed it. These disasters which can strike may not even be news-worthy, but prove to be quite fatal to your business, and therefore they prove to fully merit the name of disasters. A natural disruptive event like a small flood or a power strike at precisely the wrong moment can have fatal consequences for your server or servers, for your highly specialized software, or even for your physical technology infrastructure.

Since all businesses and organizations are unique, you need to come up with your own personal plan of insuring your company against the occurrence of disruptive events. A personalized IT Disaster Recovery Plan can be better developed with the help of professionals who offer the recovery service itself, but you can also take a look at various free samples found online in order to get a better idea of how most templates for an IT DRP look like. As far as a good DRP sample goes, we like this template best, but you can find similar examples online, in various formats (Word document or PDF). Don’t worry, all the steps are explained as if for dummies, so going through them will be quite simple.

3. Getting Help from a Disaster Recovery Company

After you get a better idea of what an IT disaster recovery plan is supposed to be, it’s time to start creating it. Your end purpose should be to write a main doc which will then be integrated as part of the company’s policy, and applied to every step of your company’s backup actions. It’s easier to save up on data if you make frequent saves and so on; the same principle applies here, only for the much wider scale and purpose of macro IT disaster recovery. After you finish writing this document which, for the most part, will highlight your company’s priorities and things which are most crucial to protect, you will then show it to the service firm that will handle your disaster recovery and backup.

Usually, such companies provide more than just server backup on their info center and the protection this ensues, but they will explain more in the walkthrough you will schedule. The main vulnerabilities of your IT system and technological operations will be identified, and you will create together a checklist of simple steps for your IT disaster recovery plan. Then, you will probably also proceed with the application of a test that will identify how your system will react in case of a threat, so you can protect it further.

Some suggestions of services you can start looking into are these:

VMWare disaster recovery;
Oracle’s IT disaster recovery plan;
Dilbert disaster recovery;
HIPAA;
ITIL;
SharePoint Disaster Recovery (developed by Microsoft);
NIST;
SQL disaster recovery.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to check out the Department of Homeland Security’s own guide on creating an IT disaster recovery plan.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3.