Modeling Hazard Risk, Vulnerability, Recovery, and Adaptation in Tilarán-Arenal, Costa Rica: An Integrative Approach to Disaster Studies

Summary

The Tilarán -Arenal region of Costa Rica is one of the most volcanically active regions in the world. Despite the inherent hazard, people have occupied this region since the Paleo-Indian period (7000 B.C.). Numerous studies have explored volcanic eruptions as forcing mechanism that lead to culture; however, starting with the advent of sedentary villages during the Tronodora phase (2000-500 B.C.) until the arrival of Spanish in the 16th century, people maintained relatively small-scale, semi-horticultural societies. To explore the adaptability of the pre-historic peoples of this region, this research aims to address innovative ways people respond, recover, and mitigate disaster by dynamically modeling risk using GIS. This is important for the Tilarán -Arenal region as this is an area with variable topographic terrain and microclimates. The repeated volcanic eruptions were not uniform events with clearly demarcated boundaries but rather would have had diverse impacts even within relatively small geographic areas. In applying this methodology to the Tilarán-Arenal region, this research aims to expand beyond the pervasive holistic effects scenario that pervades disaster research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20393