Climatic Hazards Key Terms Flashcards
Economic impact
The effect of an event on the wealth of an area community
Environmental impact
The effect of an event on the landscape and ecology of the surrounding area
Extreme weather
A weather event that is significantly different to the average weather pattern and is especially severe or unseasonal
Global atmospheric circulation
Worldwide system of winds which transport heat from the equator to polar regions in each hemisphere
Monitoring
Recording physical changes such as tracking a tropical storm by satellite to help forecast when and where a natural hazard might strike
Planning
Actions taken to enable communities to respond to and recover from natural disasters.
Prediction
Attempts to forecast when and where a natural hazard will strike based on current knowledge.
Protection
Actions taken the fire a hazard strikes to reduce its impact such as educating people or improving building design.
Social impact
The effect of an event on the lives of people or community.
Tropical storm
An area of low pressure with winds moving in a spiral around a calm central eye of the storm. Powerful winds and heavy rainfall
Typhoon
A tropical storm which forms over the Pacific Ocean
Cyclone
A tropical storm which forms over the Indian Ocean
Hurricane
A tropics storm which forms over the Atlantic Ocean
Flash flood
A flood that occurs suddenly and without warning.
Saffir Simpson scale
A scale to measure the strength of a tropical storm based on the strength of the sustained winds
