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Storm Hazards Flashcards

1
Q

What is air pressure?

A

The amount of pressure the air puts on the earth or sea’s surface

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2
Q

What type of pressure does warm air have and why?

A

Warm air rises and therefore creates low pressure.

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3
Q

What type of pressure does cold air have and why?

A

Cold air sinks and therefore creates high pressure.

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4
Q

How are winds created?

A

They are created as air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

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5
Q

What directly informs the weather and climate patterns that exist?

A

Heat from the equator is redistributed by the atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems

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6
Q

What causes the global energy balance?

A

There is a surplus of energy at the tropics and a deficit in polar areas.

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7
Q

How is the global energy balance maintained?

A

Atmospheric and oceanic circulation move energy from areas of surplus to areas of deficit.

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8
Q

Where are the areas of surplus located?

A

Between 38 degrees North and South

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9
Q

Where are areas of deficit located?

A

Above 38 degrees North and below 38 degrees South

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10
Q

What does the three cell model show?

A

Atmospheric circulation

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11
Q

What are tropical revolving storms?

A

Low-pressure weather systems that develop in the tropics

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12
Q

How wide do these storms tend to be?

A

2200-700km in diameter

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13
Q

Where do tropical revolving storms begin?

A

In areas of low pressure resulting from surface heating and warm air being drawn in in a spiral

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14
Q

How do tropical storms develop?

A

They start off as small-scale disturbances before evolving into tropical depressions with their own rotating wind systems.

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15
Q

What sea temperature is required for a tropical revolving storm to form?

A

27 degrees C

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16
Q

Why do oceanic temperatures need to be warm?

A

To provide a continuous heat source so that rising air currents can be maintained.

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17
Q

How deep does the ocean need to be?

A

A least 70m

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18
Q

Why does the ocean need to be deep?

A

Moisture is released by the storm in the form of condensation and so the ocean provides a source of moisture to drive the storm

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19
Q

Why does a tropical revolving storm have to form in a specific location?

A

So that the Coriolis force can bring about rotation

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20
Q

Where is the Coriolis force strong enough to bring about rotation?

A

At least 5 degrees north or south of the equator

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21
Q

Why don’t tropical revolving storms occur near the equator?

A

The Coriolis force is not strong enough to bring about rotation

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22
Q

Why is a low level of convergence in the lower atmospheric circulation system needed?

A

Winds have to come together near the centre of the low pressure zone

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23
Q

Why is a rapid outflow of air in the upper atmospheric circulation required?

A

To push away the warm air that has risen close to the centre of the storm

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24
Q

What happens once the tropical revolving storm reaches maturity?

A

A central eye develops

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25
How wide is the central eye?
10-15km in diameter
26
What are the conditions like in the eye?
They are calm with clear skies, higher temperatures and descending air
27
What wind speeds have been observed around the eye?
Wind speeds of more than 300km/hour
28
What happens once the tropical revolving system reaches land or colder waters polewards?
The storm declines as the source of heat and moisture is removed
29
Where do these storms occur?
Between 5 and 20 degrees north and south of the Equator
30
In which 6 places do tropical storms often occur?
In the Caribbean/ Gulf of Mexico Western side of Central America (eastern Pacific) Arabian Sea/ Bay of Bengal Off southeast Asia Off Madagascar Off north-western and north-eastern Australia
31
Where are tropical storms known as hurricanes?
Around the Americas
32
Where are tropical storms known as cyclones?
In the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
33
Where are tropical storms known as typhoons?
Off southeast Asia
34
Where are tropical storms known as willy-willies?
North-western Australia
35
What percentage of tropical storms occur in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico?
11%
36
What percentage of tropical storms occur on the western side of Central America?
17%
37
What percentage of tropical storms occur in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal?
8%
38
What percentage of tropical storms occur off Madagascar?
11%
39
What percentage of tropical storms occur near Australia?
20%
40
Which area experiences the most tropical storms?
Southeast Asia | One-third of all storms occur here every year
41
On what scale are tropical revolving storms measured?
The Saffir-Simpson scale
42
How many points does the Saffir-Simpson scale have?
5
43
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale based on?
Central pressure, wind speed, storm surge and damage potential
44
What pressure does a scale 5 event have?
Central pressure at 920mb or below
45
What wind speed does a scale 5 event have?
250km/hour or greater
46
How big is the storm surge of a category 5 event?
At least 5.5m
47
What does scale 5 damage potential refer to?
Complete roof failure of many buildings Lower floors damaged on all structures less than 3m above sea level Evacuation of all residential buildings within 16-24km of the coast is likely
48
What is the average lifespan of a tropical storm?
7-14 days
49
How many tropical storms develop each year?
80-100
50
How many tropical storms each year develop into tropical revolving storms?
Approximately 80%
51
What 6 factors does the vulnerability of people to a storm depend on?
``` Intensity Speed of movement Distance from the sea Physical geography of the coastal area Preparations made by a community Warnings and community response ```
52
What are the impacts of wind on an area?
Can cause structural damage and bring down electricity transmission lines as well as devastate agricultural areas. Debris that are thrown about are harmful to people.
53
What are the impacts of heavy rainfall?
Severe flooding, landslides and mudslides
54
How much rainfall can fall during a storm event?
200mm-300mm
55
How much rainfall can fall in coastal areas with high relief during a tropical revolving storm?
Over 500mm a day
56
What do storm surges result from?
High sea levels when wind driven waves pile up and the ocean heaves upwards as a result of the lower atmospheric pressure
57
What are the impacts of storm surges?
Flooding Storm surges are the main reason for death Agricultural areas can suffer as a result of soil being contaminated by sea water.
58
What is the weather bureau in Florida called?
The National Hurricane Centre
59
What can the National Hurricane Centre access?
Data from geostationary satellites and from both land- and sea- based recording centres.
60
How does the USA maintain round-the-clock surveillance of tropical storms that have the potential to become hurricanes?
It uses weather aircraft
61
How does the USA decide when to evacuate an area?
It compares the data it collects to models
62
Why is it essential that evacuation warnings are correct?
It is costly to evacuate people | People may be less likely to evacuate next time if they weren't affected.
63
How much does it cost to evacuate coastal areas in the USA?
$1million per km of coastline
64
Why does it cost the USA so much to evacuate its coastal populations?
There are losses in business and tourism | Provision of protection
65
Why is it not always possible to give more than 12-18 hours warning?
Cyclones tend to follow an erratic path
66
Why is there insufficient evacuation in poorer areas?
Communications are poor
67
Give two locations with established warning systems
Central America and the Bay of Bengal
68
Where was the 1997 tropical cyclone warning?
Cox's Bazaar area of Bangladesh
69
How many people were evacuated thanks to the 1997 tropical cyclone warning?
300,000
70
How many people died in the tropical cyclone at Cox's Bazaar?
Less than 100
71
What is cloud seeding?
The process of creating more precipitation over oceans so that more water is released into the sea, weakening the system as it approaches land.
72
Why is research into cloud seeding no longer continued?
Concerns over the effects of cloud seeding on the global energy system
73
What is the name of the protection unit in the USA?
The National Guard
74
What do protection units do?
Prevent homes and commercial properties from being looted
75
What is 'Project Safeside'?
A hurricane awareness programme in Florida
76
What does 'Project Safeside' do?
It has precautionary hurricane drills for schools and operates the Emergency Operations centre of the state.
77
What can be done to minimise the threat of storm surges?
Land-use planning can be used to identify the areas at the greatest risk and limit certain types of development in some areas. Build sea walls, breakwaters and flood barriers Put houses on stilts
78
How many people were killed in the 1900s Texas storm surge?
Over 6000
79
What was built after the 1900s Texas storm surge?
A sea wall
80
Why is a sea wall like the one in Texas unlikely to be built again?
It was so expensive
81
Whereabouts in Texas is the sea wall?
Galveston
82
How do local authorities in the USA address the problem of storm surges?
They limit expenditure on developments in high-risk areas and direct the population away from them Sound evacuation plans to reduce the evacuation times Plans for post-disaster redevelopment
83
Why does expenditure on developments in high-risk areas take place in poorer areas?
The need for land often outweighs these other considerations
84
What can be done to structures to ensure greater safety during an event?
They can be retrofitted
85
What happened in 1994 in Dominica?
Some homes were retrofitted
86
Who retrofitted homes in 1994?
A joint project between the Organization of American States and the government of Dominica
87
How successful was the retrofitting of buildings in Dominica?
The following year, all retrofitted buildings withstood the impact of Hurricane Marilyn
88
Where are the Outer Banks located?
North Carolina
89
What are the Outer Banks?
Barrier islands
90
What are the aims of the Outer Banks Mitigation Plan?
``` To save lives and money Protect property and natural resources Reduce future vulnerability Speedy recovery Post-disaster funding ```
91
What else is in the Outer Banks Mitigation Plan?
An emphasis on making as much information as possible available to the people of the Outer Banks area
92
What are people in HICs encouraged to do?
Take out insurance
93
What is needed to help people in LICs?
Both long and short term aid
94
Why do poorer areas suffer more?
Land-use planning, warning systems, defences, infrastructure and emergency services are inadequate
95
Which area did a cyclone hit in 1991?
Bangladesh
96
How many people died in the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone?
131,000
97
What was the monetary loss as a result of the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone?
$1.7 billion
98
Where was Hurricane Andrew?
Florida
99
When did Hurricane Andrew strike?
1992
100
How many people died as a result of Hurricane Andrew?
60
101
What was the monetary loss as a result of Hurricane Andrew?
$20 billion
102
Which cyclone was Hurricane Andrew similar in strength to?
The Bangladesh cyclone in 1991

Hazards (15 decks)

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