Natural Hazards - Climatic

Question 1

What are the types of climatic hazards?

Answer 1

Tropical storms

Droughts

Question 2

How do tropical storms form?

Answer 2

They form above sea water that is 27 degrees or higher

Warm, moist air rises and condensation occurs which releases huge amounts of energy and makes them really powerful

They lose strength as they move near land because the energy supply from the water is cut off

Mainly happen around the equator because otherwise it isn’t hot enough

Question 3

What are the characteristics of tropical storms?

Answer 3

Spin anti-clockwise and move north west

Usually last between 1-2 weeks

The centre of the storm is the eye, is caused by descending air and is up to 50 km wide

There is no clouds, or rain, only light winds and low pressure in the eye

Surrounding the eye is the eyewall, here there is spiralling rising air, very strong winds (160 km per hour), storm clouds and torrential rain

Towards the edge of the storm it becomes less intense with less rain, wind and clouds

Question 4

What are the primary impacts of tropical storms?

Answer 4

Buildings/infrastructure destroyed

Rivers/coastal areas flood

People are injured or killed by drowning or blowing debris

Electricity/water/telephone poles damaged and cut off

Sewage overflows bc flooding and contaminated water supplies

Crops destroyed/livestock killed

Landslides

Beaches eroded/coastal habitats e.g. coral reefs damaged

Question 5

What are the secondary impacts of tropical storms?

Answer 5

Homelessness

Shortage of food/water causes more death

Roads blocked makes it hard for emergency services

Unemployment through damaged buildings

Psychological problems

Question 6

Why are the impacts of tropical storms more severe in LEDCs?

Answer 6

Poor quality housing, so they’re damaged easily

Infrastructure is poorer, makes it harder for emergency services so people can’t get help quick enough

They depend on crops/livestock so if this is gone it leads to starvation and people lose their livelihoods

Don’t have enough money for protection/planning

Healthcare is poor

Question 7

Why do people still live in tropical storm prone areas?

Answer 7

Jobs

Friends/family

Confident their government will help if a tropical storm occurs

Don’t think a tropical storm will happen

Question 8

How can you Predict a tropical storm to reduce the impacts?

Answer 8

Scientists can use radar, satellites or aircraft to track the storm

Question 9

How can you Plan to reduce the impacts of a tropical storm?

Answer 9

Not build in areas prone to storms

Emergency services

Question 10

How can Building Modification reduce the impacts of a tropical storm?

Answer 10

Using reinforced concrete, fixing roofs securely so they don’t get blown off, buildings put on stilts so they’re safer from water

Question 11

How can education reduce the impacts of volcanoes?

Answer 11

Evacuation routes

Survival kits

Question 12

What aid can be provided to reduce the impacts of tropical storms?

Answer 12

Governmental or organisation to bring food, water, tents ect

Question 13

What is a drought?

Answer 13

When the rainfall is below average for an amount of time considered low for the area

Question 14

Why do people continue to live where droughts occur?

Answer 14

Jobs
Friends/family
Confident their government will support them
Don’t think that a drought occur

Question 15

What are the primary impacts of drought?

Answer 15

Vegetation dies (crops)
People/animals die from dehydration
Aquatic animals die because lakes ect dry up
Soil dries up and is easily eroded

Question 16

What are the secondary impacts of drought?

Answer 16

Animals die from starvation bc no vegetation

Shortage of food, crops have failed and so have livestock, people die from starvation

Soil erosion is increased bc there’s less vegetation, causes desertification-where land becomes unsuitable for growing vegetation

Conflict over water

People move out of the area

Farms close, causing unemployment
Psychological problems e.g. stress from losing businesses

Dust storms

Dries out vegetation causes wildfires

Question 17

How do human activities increase impacts of drought?

Answer 17

Overgrazing- reduces vegetation in the area

Excessive irrigation- where water is artificially supplied from rivers/lakes to farmland to increase crop production, doing this excessively depletes lakes

Question 18

Why are the impacts of drought worse in LEDCs?

Answer 18

They depend more on farming

Less money to prepare or respond to them

Question 19

How can Predicting a drought reduce the impacts?

Answer 19

They can be predicted by monitoring rainfall, soil moisture and river levels

To reduce the impacts you can ban hose pipes, ration water or move people out of the areas that will be worst affected

Question 20

What Farming Techniques can be used to reduce the impacts of drought?

Answer 20

Plant crops that need little water

Drop irrigation-delivers small amounts of water directly to the crops

These techniques reduce the demand on water supplies and make food production more reliable

Question 21

How does Water Conservation reduce the impacts of drought?

Answer 21

Installing low volume flush toilets

Having showers instead of baths

Water butts

Question 22

How can you increase water supplies to reduce the impacts of drought?

Answer 22

Reservoirs and wells

Question 23

How can aid reduce the impacts of droughts?

Answer 23

Bring in food and water to stop dehydration or starvation

Aid can be used to fund projects like building wells or water pipes