Hazardous Earth - Tropical Cyclone Hazards and Impacts

Question 1

Name 2 physical hazards of cyclones

Answer 1

1. Strong winds - 100-300km per house
2. Intense rainfall = at least 100mm in 24 hours

Question 2

Name 3 secondary hazards of cyclones

Answer 2

1. Storm surges
2. Coastal flooding
3. Landslides

Question 3

How does a cyclone cause a storm surge

Answer 3

As the cyclone gets nearer the coast, the water pushed up by the wind in the front of the storm has nowhere to go but up onto the land

Storm surges can reach as high as 12m!

Question 4

How does a cyclone cause coastal flooding

Answer 4

They can flood large areas if the land is lo-lying.
Coastal flooding as reached 20km in some cases

Question 5

How does a cyclone cause land slides

Answer 5

Intense rainfall can cause flash flooding and triggers landslides on unstable slopes (this instability is often linked to deforestation)

Question 6

Explain the impact that tropical cyclones can have on people and the environment

Answer 6

Category 4/5
(1) wind can knock down houses, leaving people homeless
(2) destroy power lines, leaving people without power
(3) storm surges can drown people, sweep away buildings, destroy crops, contaminate agriculture land with salt, and cause sewage spills which threaten public health (e.g. typhoid is a water-borne disease)