Topic 1: Hazardous Earth Flashcards

1
Q

Where on earth surface is most solar radiation received?

A

It is mostly received at the equator
This is because the radiation takes less distance and is more direct radiation and is weaker at the north and south Pole. The Earth is also an angle

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2
Q

What is low pressure and what happens?

A

When air is heated, it rises and is less dense as it rises it. Transfers heat to the atmospheres, cools and condenses and clouds form
This is because there is less air at the surface. It is now low pressure.

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3
Q

What is high-pressure and what happens?

A

When air falls, it becomes more dense, the heat doesn’t transfer to the ground and as it falls, as it warms it leaves clear skies

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4
Q

What are the three circulation cells starting from the outside?

A

Polar
Farrell
Hadley

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5
Q

What are ocean currents?

A

Cold salty, dense, water sinks as it sinks warmer water is pulled in, It comes around in a loop and are driven by different water density

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6
Q

What are surface currents?

A

Caused by wind and help transfer heat away from the equator

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7
Q

What is natural climate change?

A

How the average climate conditions of the planet varies overtime

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8
Q

Name the four natural causes of climate change

A

Orbital change
Astroid collision
Volcanic activity
Solar output variation

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9
Q

How do astroid collisions cause natural climate change?

A

It can eject large volumes of dust into the atmosphere, which then block solar radiation and helps glacial periods

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10
Q

How can orbital change causes natural climate change?

A

For example, if it tilts the north and south Pole do not exactly meet at the bottom and top of the planet, it is tilted and the polls are actually rotated 23° from vertical position meaning the solar output is not equally distributed

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11
Q

How does volcanic eruptions cause natural climate change?

A

Only big eruptions affect the climate and the eruptions produce ash and sulphur dioxide gas and if these rise high enough, it will spread into the stratosphere, by high-level wins. The blanket of ash and gas will stop some sunlight reaching the earth causing cooling, and the light is reflected back into space

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12
Q

How does solar output variation cause natural climate change?

A

The suns output of energy isn’t constant and it changes in short cycles are about 11 years and possibly also in longer cycles of several hundred years, this could cause earths climate to be cooler

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13
Q

How are tree rings evidence for natural climate change?

A

They tell us how much they have grown and the wider, the ring the better the season it tells us the condition of the tree.
If the rings are bigger, this is due to warmer and wet weather and opposite for thinner rings

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14
Q

How are ice evidence for natural climate change?

A

The ice contains bubble of air from each year scientist analyse the bubble in each layer to see how much CO2 they contain
They can also learn about the temperature for each year by measuring relative amounts of different types of oxygen atoms in the water

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15
Q

What do historical sources show us?

A

Old photos, drawings, written record diaries are often not very accurate because they are not intended to record climate but can still give us some evidence of recent climate trends

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16
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A

Earth atmosphere is vital to life
The greenhouse effect is completely natural and the gases help retain heat in the atmosphere, make the planet warmer by 16°
We would be frozen wasteland without it

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17
Q

What is the most common greenhouse gas?

A

CO2 is the most common greenhouse gas
extra greenhouse gases which pollute atmosphere are from humans

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18
Q

How does agriculture affect climate change?

A

Farming of livestock, produces a lot of methane due to cows farts
Rice paddies contribute common warming because they flooded fields and there’s less trees to absorb CO2

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19
Q

How does demand for energy increase climate change?

A

The demand for electricity it’s going up due to increasing population. This means more fossil fuels are being burnt which produced more greenhouse gases and has risen by 30% since 1850

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20
Q

How has transport increased global climate change?

A

Most transport use fossil fuels for fuel and this releases greenhouse gases when burn and due to high population. There is a higher demand for transport. Some more fossil fuels being burnt and this is worse in traffic for example

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21
Q

How is industry increasing global climate change?

A

Industry uses a lot of energy and something industries processes also release greenhouse gases such as making of cement and produces CO2

22
Q

Where do tropical cyclones happen?

A

In the tropics, and by the equator

23
Q

What is the central part of cyclone called and how long is it?

A

It is known as the eye and it’s 30 to 50 km across and is calm and has no rain

24
Q

What cloud surround the eye in a tropical cyclone?

A

Cumalonimbus clouds and formbed by moist air condensing as it rises

25
Q

What temperature do tropical cyclones need to develop?

A

26.5°C

26
Q

What time of the month do tropical cyclones develop?

A

January to March in southern hemisphere

27
Q

What makes a cyclone more intense?

A

The warmer the water

28
Q

What is dissipation?

A

It is losing energy and happens when cyclones reaches land, or when it moves to area of cold waters, or other weather systems with Winds blowing opposite way

29
Q

What makes there be more stronger winds?

A

The bigger the difference in air pressure

30
Q

What are five dangers that are tropical cyclone can cause?

A

High winds
Intense rainfall
Storm surges
Coastal flooding
Landslides

31
Q

What are four ways to prepare and respond to tropical cyclones?

A

Survival kit
Evacuation routes
Seawall
Weather forecasting technology

32
Q

Name some facts about hurricane Katrina

A

29th of August 2005
More than 1800 killed
300,000 houses destroyed
$108bn damage
Impacts on the environment, such as oil, spills

33
Q

Name some facts about hurricane Nargis

A

Happen on the 2nd of May 2008
More than 140,000 people are killed
450,000 houses were destroyed
Flooding

34
Q

What is the crust?

A

It is a surface of the Earth and is a rock called the lithosphere
It is split into tectonic plates, and they move very slowly

35
Q

What is the mantle?

A

The asthenopshere top layer of the mantle.
Largest portion of the Earth layers and is semi molten

36
Q

What is the core made out of?

A

Iron and nickel

37
Q

What is continental crust?

A

Land and is 30 to 50 km thick and is mostly made of granite

38
Q

What is oceanic crust?

A

He is under the oceans and is 6 to 8km thick

39
Q

Why are tectonic plates always moving?

A

Due to the rising falling heat with the mantle

40
Q

What way is a divergent plate moving?

A

Moving away from each other

41
Q

What way is a convergent plate moving?

A

Moving towards/into each other

42
Q

What way is a conservative plate moving?

A

Moving by each other, or along each other

43
Q

What happens at convergent plate boundaries?

A

The denser plate, some merges under the less dense one. This can cause trenches such as the Atlantic trench

44
Q

What happens at divergent plate boundaries?

A

The plates move apart, and Magma will fill the gaps left between the plates, forming new crust

45
Q

What happens at conservative plate boundaries?

A

Two plates slide pass each other, and they are moving at different speeds and angles, and can become stuck, which causes pressure to build up until a plate can break causing earthquakes

46
Q

How are destructive volcanoes formed?

A

When plates are moving towards each other, and one plate is pushed beneath the other and melts the form magma this leads to volcanic eruptions

47
Q

When does a tsunami happen?

A

They happen when an earthquake, volcano or land slide happens at the ocean floor and water becomes displaced, and this starts a tsunami. in shallow water they slow down, but grow in height and given energy.

48
Q

Information about the earthquake in Japan

A

Happened in 2011
Pacific plate subducted under the Eurasian plate.
Focus point around 30 km below seabed.
Electrical power gone
Road/railway damaged

49
Q

What was a big secondary impact of the earthquake in Japan?

A

Triggered a tsunami, which killed millions of people and hundreds of thousands of buildings were destroyed
230,000 people were made homeless

50
Q

Information about the Haiti earthquake

A

Happened in 2010
Measured 7.0 on the magnitude
30,0000 died.
All hospitals had collapsed or badly damaged

51
Q

Secondary impacts of the earthquake in Japan

A

Diseases spread through camps which killed over 8000 more people.
Looting and crime increased as a government and police force collapsed.
Aid was slowly coming in as a government building destroyed