TSUNAMI HAZARDS IN ECUADOR - REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF ECUADORIAN HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Ecuador is a highly vulnerable country in terms of natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and tsunami hazards. The education system has a key function to prepare children and adolescents for disaster scenarios. To achieve a nationwide standard of students' knowledge of tsunamis and tsunami hazards, academic research could provide assistance and analyze the current state of students' knowledge and identify possible regional differences. This article introduces to the geodynamic conditions of Ecuador and reports the results of a student questionnaire which was conducted at several Ecuadorian schools at the Pacific coast (Jama, Manta and Puerto Cayo) and in the capital Quito (control condition). It refers to five knowledge-based questions addressing five different topics of tsunami hazards: national regions at risk, locations of safety and danger, formation of a tsunami, risks caused by a tsunami, and protective measures. The statistical results point to significant knowledge differences between school locations at the coast. Comparisons between the coastal schools and Quito additionally indicate nationwide differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]