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Hazards Flashcards

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1
Q

What factors affect people’s perception of hazards? (7 points)

A

Socio-economic status, level of education, occupation/employment status, religion/cultural/ethnic background, family and marital status, past experience, values and personality and expectations.

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2
Q

What are the three ways people may perceive natural hazards?

A

Fatalism (acceptance), adaptation and fear.

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3
Q

What are the three ways natural hazards can be managed?

A

Prediction (monitoring), prevention and protection.

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4
Q

What is a pyroclastic flow?

A

Also known as ‘nuées ardentes’ pyroclastic flows are very hot (over 800 degrees Celsius) gas charged, high velocity flows made up of a mixture of gas and tephra. This is a primary effect of a volcanic eruption.

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5
Q

Name a case study for a volcanic eruption.

A

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (Iceland) April 2010 or the eruption of Mt Nyiragongo (Congo) January 2002.

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6
Q

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull caused huge amounts of ice to melt. How many people had to be evacuated due to the flooding of nearby rivers?

A

1,000 people

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7
Q

Other than flooding due to ice being melted, give one primary effect of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull and describe what this caused.

A

Large quantities of ash were ejected from the volcano into the higher levels of the atmosphere. The jet stream then blew this ash towards Europe which caused airlines to have to close in Europe for six days. This is the largest shut down since World War II and it is estimated that this cost airlines £130 million per day due to the closure.

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8
Q

What was the risk to people’s lives from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

A

Very little risk as so few people live in this part of Iceland.

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9
Q

For an earthquake, which is higher up, the focus or the epicentre?

A

The epicentre is higher with it being on the surface. The focus is directly under the epicentre deep underground.

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10
Q

What is soil liquefaction caused by?

A

Earthquakes violently shaking soil with high water content causing it to lose it’s mechanical strength and behave like a fluid.

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11
Q

Name a case study for an earthquake and give it’s magnitude.

A

Haiti (January 2010) of magnitude 7.0 MMS (moment magnitude scale) on the Richter scale.

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12
Q

What was the estimated death toll from the Haiti earthquake in 2010?

A

100,000 to 316,000 deaths.

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13
Q

How many people were injured in the Haiti earthquake in January 2010?

A

300,000 people were injured.

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14
Q

How many people were made homeless after the Haiti earthquake in January 2010?

A

It is estimated that around 2.3 million people were made homeless.

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15
Q

What were the effects of the Haiti earthquake in January 2010.

A

Hospitals and vital infrastructure necessary to respond to the event were severely damaged or destroyed. The airport control tower, the harbour, major roads and the main prison in Port-au-Prince were destroyed leading to more difficult evacuation and support and the escape of 4,000 inmates. Schools and communications facilities were also destroyed. Water supplies and sanitation were scarce.

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16
Q

What is the name for plants that rely on or can tolerate fire?

A

Pyrophytic vegetation.

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17
Q

What is the name of the chemicals sprayed on fires to slow them down?

A

Retardants.

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18
Q

What conditions are required for a tropical storm to form? (5 points)

A
  • Ocean temperature of over 27 degrees Celsius.
  • Ocean depth of at least 70m
  • location between 5 and 20 degrees north or south of the equator.
  • low wind shear
  • rapid outflow of air in the upper atmospheric circulation.
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19
Q

In which direction do tropical storms move?

A

West

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20
Q

On which scale are tropical storms’ magnitude measured?

A

The Saffir-Simpson scale.

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21
Q

What is the average lifespan of a tropical storm?

A

7-14 days

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22
Q

What factors affect the vulnerability of people during a tropical storm? (6 points)

A
  • The intensity of the storm (scale 1-5)
  • speed
  • distance from the sea
  • physical geography
  • the preparations made
  • warnings and community response
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23
Q

What is tephra?

A

Anything ejected from a volcano, it can range from ash to volcanic bombs.

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24
Q

What is a hazard?

A

Something that’s a potential threat to human life or property.

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25
What are the three types of natural hazard?
Geophysical, atmospheric and hydrological.
26
What is risk?
The likelihood that humans will be seriously affected by a hazard.
27
What is vulnerability?
How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard.
28
State four responses to natural hazards.
Prevention, mitigation, management and fatalism.
29
What is risk sharing?
When people or governments share the costs of reducing a hazard.
30
State two ways of mitigating the impacts of a hazard.
Prediction and adaptation.
31
What is fatalism?
Believing that a hazard cannot be avoided and must be accepted.
32
What are the four stages of the hazard management cycle?
Mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
33
When can mitigation occur?
Before the hazard occurs or afterwards, during recovery.
34
What is the lithosphere?
The rigid part of the mantle and crust.
35
What is the asthenosphere?
Semi-molten upper mantle.
36
State three theories about how tectonic plates move.
Convection currents, slab pull and ridge push.
37
What is slab pull?
Where the denser crust is forced under less dense crust and the sinking of the plate edge pulls the rest of the plate towards the boundary.
38
What is ridge push?
At constructive plate margins where magma rises to the surface and forms new crust which expands which pushes the older crust outward.
39
What is an ocean ridge?
Where diverging plates are underwater and a gap between them forms where underwater volcanoes may be which may build up above sea level e.g. Iceland.
40
What is a rift valley and what can be found here?
Where plates diverge beneath land, a section is caused to drop down forming a rift valley which is where volcanoes are sometimes found.
41
Where do young fold mountains form?
Between a continental and oceanic plate.
42
What kind of lava forms at constructive margins? Describe it.
Basaltic lava is very hot and has low viscosity (runny).
43
What kind of lava forms at destructive plate boundaries? Describe it.
Andesitic lava is cooler and more viscous (less runny).
44
Where do volcanoes form?
On plate boundaries.
45
How often do basaltic lava eruptions occur and how long do they last?
Frequently and last a long time.
46
How often do andesitic eruptions occur and how long do they last?
Every once in a while and are short-lived.
47
Which eruption is more violent, basaltic or andesitic?
Andesitic
48
State a primary effect of a volcanic eruption to do with gases in the atmosphere.
Acid rain
49
What are earthquakes caused by?
A buildup of tension in all three types of plate margin.
50
What is classed as a major earthquake on the Richter scale?
Above magnitude 7.
51
State the three scales for measuring the magnitude of earthquakes.
The Richter scale, the moment magnitude scale (MMS) and the Mercalli scale.
52
What is the range of the Mercalli scale?
1-12
53
What is the range of the moment magnitude scale?
There is no upper limit.
54
What are short-term responses to an earthquake? Give an example.
Action taken immediately before, during of immediately after the hazard. Evacuation is an example.
55
What are long-term responses designed to do?
Mitigate the impacts of future hazards by managing the risks.
56
What are the three main categories of long-term responses?
Prevention, preparedness and adaptation.
57
Can prevention methods be used on an earthquake?
Not to prevent the earthquake itself, however governments and local councils can prevent construction on land prone to liquefaction.
58
State three methods of preparedness for an earthquake.
Warning systems, evacuation routes and emergency response teams such as search and rescue teams.
59
State one adaptation strategy for earthquakes.
Making buildings designed to withstand earthquakes such as the flexible buildings in Japan with deep foundations and flexible reinforcements on the exterior of the building.
60
Name three case studies for tropical storms.
Typhoon Haiyan, Cyclone Winston and Hurricane Sandy.
61
When did Typhoon Haiyan occur?
November 9th 2013
62
Where did Typhoon Haiyan make landfall?
The city of Tacloban in the Philippines.
63
How many deaths were caused by Typhoon Haiyan?
6,000+
64
How many people were left homeless after Typhoon Haiyan?
Nearly 4.5 million.
65
What was the deadliest effect of Typhoon Haiyan?
The large storm surge.
66
What the three main primary effects of a tropical storm?
Storm surge, torrential rain and high wind speeds.
67
What physical feature of the Philippines makes it more vulnerable?
It is an archipelago made up of 7,000 islands.
68
What human factor makes the Philippines more vulnerable?
It is an LIC where many people live in extreme poverty.
69
Why was the storm surge from Typhoon Haiyan so devastating?
The water reached a height of around 15-20ft which is on the scale of a tsunami.
70
Why have people’s perceptions in the Philippines been affected and how?
The people there have experienced typhoons before and survived so they may not think they are as dangerous as they are.
71
What kind of tropical storm was Typhoon Haiyan referred to as and why?
A super-typhoon because it was the most powerful tropical storm to ever make landfall.
72
How long did Typhoon Haiyan last?
1-2 hours
73
There were high rates of which crime following Typhoon Haiyan? Where? Why?
Looting from shops and warehouses because people were desperate for food and water.
74
Where did most of the international aid come from after Typhoon Haiyan? How much was delivered?
The RAF delivered over 200 tons of supplies.
75
Why do people live in the danger zone by the coast of the Philippines?
They are forced there by poverty or they are in the fishing business.
76
Which things were destroyed which lead to major disruption by Typhoon Haiyan?
Crops, food storages and major infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
77
How many workers were unable to work temporarily or had the business permanently closed after Typhoon Haiyan?
Around 5,000,000 workers.
78
Which natural phenomenon caused Typhoon Haiyan to be more devastating?
Rising sea levels due to global warming.
79
State a model which can be used to show different phases of response to a hazard.
The Park model
80
State three possible environmental impacts of seismic hazards.
Fires due to damaged gas and electricity lines, flooding due to burst water pipes or tsunamis can lead to salinisation of water and soil, industrial units or power plants can be damaged and leak chemicals or radioactive material into the environment.
81
When did wildfires burn in Australia for almost a month?
February 2009
82
State three factors which lead to the month-long wildfires in Australia.
Ten years of drought, recent temperatures over 40 degrees celsius and strong winds.
83
How many people were killed and injured during the February 2009 wildfires in Australia?
173 people killed and 400 injured.
84
How many houses were destroyed in the February 2009 wildfires in Australia?
2000
85
How many businesses were destroyed in the February 2009 wildfires in Australia?
More than 60.
86
How much did the February 2009 wildfires in Australia cost?
Estimated AUS $4 billion.
87
How much money was donated to help rebuild houses and community facilities after the February 2009 wildfires in Australia?
More than AUS $400 million.
88
State three long-term responses to the February 2009 wildfires in Australia?
Building fire shelters in vulnerable areas, improving warning systems and improving emergency evacuation strategy.
89
State two natural causes of wildfires.
Lightning and volcanic eruptions.
90
Which two conditions lead to more frequent wildfires?
High temperature and low rainfall.
91
What are the three types of fire?
Crown fire, surface fire and ground fire.
92
What is the ladder effect?
When wildfires spread from the forest floor to the tree canopy.
93
What are spot fires and what are they caused by?
Smaller fires separate from the main forest fire started by embers blow away by wind.
94
Other than wind, what is responsible for rolling embers downslope?
Gravity
95
How far can spot fires form away from the main fire?
Up to 10km.
96
What is a crown fire?
A fire which burns across tree canopies.
97
What is a surface fire?
A fire which burns across surface vegetation.
98
What is a ground fire?
A fire which burns beneath the ground in layers of peat.
99
State five natural sources of ignition for wildfires.
Lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions, sparks from rock falls, underground coal fires and spontaneous combustion.
100
State three weather conditions which favour wildfires.
Dry, hot and windy.
101
What about Australia’s eucalyptus trees makes them more susceptible to wildfires?
They contain volatile oils.
102
State four natural factors which affect wildfires.
Weather, topography, amount of vegetation and moisture or volatile oils in vegetation.
103
What is El Niño?
A climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of the surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
104
What is the Indian Ocean Dipole?
An irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean.
105
What is La Niña?
The cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
106
How is rainfall affected during El Niño events?
There is a shift in rainfall away from the western Pacific which means that rainfall across Australia is reduced.
107
State seven methods of preparation for a hazard.
Monitoring, prediction and early warning systems, evacuation plans, community education, shelters, family emergency plans and kits, drills and practice.
108
State four methods of adaptation to a hazard.
Hazard maps, land use planning, building codes and insurance.
109
State five methods of mitigation for a hazard.
Hazard-resistant designs, retro-fitting(improving old technology), hazard protection structures, aid and insurance.
110
State three examples of managing the built environment for wildfires.
Increasing the gap between houses and vegetation, using fire-resistant materials in construction such as stone or brick rather than wood and fitting spark arresters to chimneys.
111
Give an example of a way of educating people about wildfires.
The ‘Smokey the bear’ character.
112
A law was passed in California in 2005 which required homeowners to do what?
Create a ‘defensible space’ with a radius of 100 feet around their homes which meant that tree branches must be cut back and vegetation must be spaced apart to prevent wildfires from spreading to their homes.
113
State a method which fire fighters use to reduce the spread of wildfires before they start.
Creating a firebreak by the controlled burning of vegetation before a wildfire occurs.
114
State five examples of warning systems for wildfires.
Fire spotters in aircraft and observation towers, radio warnings to fire fighters, drones, satellites and infrared or smoke sensors.
115
What is back burning?
Controlled burning of vegetation ahead of the wildfire during the wildfire.
116
What are smokejumpers?
Fire fighters who jump out of planes and parachute to smaller fires and suppress them before they can grow into larger ones.
117
How many people were killed during hurricane Sandy?
233 across the US and Caribbean with 160 in the US and Canada.
118
How expensive was the damage caused by hurricane Sandy?
$70 billion
119
How many people lost power from hurricane Sandy?
8.5 million people
120
How many homes were destroyed by hurricane Sandy?
650,000
121
What did Hurricane Sandy cause in New York and New Jersey?
Record-breaking storm surges.
122
When did Hurricane Sandy develop?
October 22, 2012.
123
When did Hurricane Sandy make landfall?
October 24, 2012 in Jamaica then the next day it went through Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. On October 29, Sandy made landfall over the US near Atlantic City, New Jersey.
124
What were the wind speeds of Hurricane Sandy when it made landfall?
90mph
125
What category of tropical storm was Typhoon Haiyan?
Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Geography - Physical (3 decks)

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