Natural and Environmental Hazards

Geohazards are natural hazards related to seafloor processes including earthquakes (the most destructive earthquakes that have affected humanity have occurred at sea), volcanic eruptions and induced landslides as well as the tsunamis associated with these. Scientific knowledge of magnitude, spatial and temporal scales of marine geohazards is hence a prerequisite for the assessment and mitigation of the risk to communities, critical infrastructure and the environment. Their risk assessment is needed and marine geologists at MARUM work with social scientists and engineers to mitigate impacts along the coasts and help building resilient societies. A major focus lies not only on the individual threats, but the cascading effect of hard-to-predict chain events where a cumulative hazard may significantly magnify the impact.