Topic 1 Flashcards
(48 cards)
1
Q
What are the conditions of low pressure
A
- rain
- CCC (cools, condenses, clouds)
- unstable
- rising
2
Q
What are the conditions of high pressure
A
- stable
- sinking
- clear skies
- no rain
3
Q
What is the movement of high pressure to low pressure
A
Wind
4
Q
What are winds apart of
A
Global atmospheric circulation (loops)
5
Q
What air pressure is at 0°, 30° north and south, 60° north and south, and then at the poles
A
0° - low pressure
30° - high pressure
60° - low pressure
Poles - high pressure
6
Q
Where are the Hadley cells?
A
Between 0° and 30°
7
Q
What are surface currents caused by?
A
By wind transferring heat away from the equator
8
Q
What are jet streams
A
- very strong winds found high in the atmosphere
- thousands of miles long and hundreds of miles wide
- can travel up to 200mph
- blow west to east and shift north to south
9
Q
What is an ITCZ
A
- Inter tropical convergence zone
- Where trade winds meet and air is heated so it rises
- When air rises it cools down and condenses to form clouds and rain
- ITCZ migrates north in summer and south in winter
- brings the areas north and south of equator a rainy season. When it migrates away it brings a dry season
10
Q
Where is cancer and Capricorn
A
Cancer - above equator
Capricorn - below equator
11
Q
What is the
- glacial period
- interglacial period
A
- glacial period - cold period (ice age)
* interglacial period - warm period (now)
12
Q
What has been happening since the last ice age
A
The earth has been getting warmed due to global warming
13
Q
What are the 4 causes of past climate change (natural, not caused by humanity)
A
- orbital theory
- the sunspot theory
- the volcanic theory
- the asteroid theory
14
Q
What is the evidence to show past climate change
A
- Tree rings - width of rings, produce one a year, when warmer the rings are thicker
- Ice cores - analysing co2 trapped in layers of ice
- Historic evidence - writing / paintings
15
Q
What are human activities that are making the greenhouse effect stronger
A
• Farming - cows producing methane - rice paddy fields , produce methane - deforestation • industry - most industries use a lot of energy - landfill sites release methane - factories etc • energy - burning fossil fuels - releases co2 • transport - releases fossil fuels - cars , co2
16
Q
What is the
- glacial period
- interglacial period
A
- glacial period - cold period (ice age)
* interglacial period - warm period (now)
17
Q
What has been happening since the last ice age
A
The earth has been getting warmed due to global warming
18
Q
What are the 4 causes of past climate change (natural, not caused by humanity)
A
- orbital theory
- the sunspot theory
- the volcanic theory
- the asteroid theory
19
Q
What is the evidence to show past climate change
A
- Tree rings - width of rings, produce one a year, when warmer the rings are thicker
- Ice cores - analysing co2 trapped in layers of ice
- Historic evidence - writing / paintings
20
Q
What are human activities that are making the greenhouse effect stronger
A
• Farming - cows producing methane - rice paddy fields , produce methane - deforestation • industry - most industries use a lot of energy - landfill sites release methane - factories etc • energy - burning fossil fuels - releases co2 • transport - releases fossil fuels - cars , co2
21
Q
What are the impacts of climate change
A
- ice caps melting
- sea levels rising (by thermal expansion)
- temperatures rising
- more extreme weather
22
Q
How do you measure tropical storms
A
Using saffir Simpson scale, 1-5 , measures wind speed
23
Q
What are the 3 tropical storms and where do they form
A
- Hurricane - Atlantic
- Cyclone - Indian
- Typhoon - Pacific
ALL SAME THING JUST FORM IN DIFFERENT PLACES
24
Q
What are the stages of a tropical storm
A
- Warm ocean, 26° or higher
- Creates low pressure which sucks up more warm moist air
- Air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds and rain. This process generates huge amounts of energy, fuelling the storm
- Warm air reaches the top of the storm, it flows outwards and sinks down ready to be heated again
- Because of coriolis effect, air spins as it rises upwards, creating a vortex and the eye wall
- In the centre (eye) it is calm and clear but heavy rain and strong winds develop around the eye
- The storm moves over the sea in a westerly then northerly direction
- The storm hits land and DISSAPATES its energy
25
What are primary hazards of a tropical storm
- heavy rain
- strong winds
- storm surge
26
What are the secondary hazards of a tropical storm
- flooding
| - landslides/mudslides
27
What is it called when someone has to move out if their country (e.g maldeves) because of geographical issues
Environmental refugees
28
What are the 3 types of vulnerability to storms and explain how
* physical vulnerability - low lying coastal areas (where lots of people live)
* economic vulnerability - rich, developed countries have better prediction, protection and evacuation technology. This makes them less vulnerable
* social vulnerability - poor areas are often hit worst because poor people live at high density, in low lying areas, in poor quality housing
29
What are the ways to reduce vulnerability
3P'S
• predict - warning systems
• protect - sea defences, strong houses etc
• prepare - make sure everyone knows what to do
30
Hurricane katrina - case study
USA - developed country
• category 3
• 70-80% of New Orleans residents were evacuated
• city of New Orleans very badly damaged - flood defences that were supposed to protect city failed
• more than 1800 killed, 300,000 houses destroyed, 3 million people left without electricity
• 23,000 jobs lost due to damaged businesses
• deaths due to storm surges and inability to evacuate , no emergency preparation plans
• coastal habitats were damaged
31
Where are the 2 case studies of tropical storms
* USA - hurricane katrina - developed country
| * Philippines - typhoon Haiyan - emerging country
32
What is a hurricane not
A tectonic hazard - not to do with plates
33
What is a transform / conservative plate boundary and give an example
Moving sideways past each other, same direction at different speeds
E.g San Andreas fort line
34
What is a divergent / constructive plate boundary and where is a place where there is one
Two plates moving apart from each other
Magma rises from mantle
Mid Atlantic ridge
35
What is a convergent plate boundary
Plates moving towards each other
36
On what plate boundaries can volcanoes be found on and what type volcanos are found at these
• convergent - composite
• divergent - shield
Also can be found at hotspots
37
What are the properties of a shield volcano and what is an example of one
* Not very steep - runny lava - less viscosity
* Less destructive but erupt all the time
* Divergent plate boundaries
* Hawaii
38
What are the properties of a strata/composite volcano and what is an example of one
* On convergent plate boundary
* Ashy explosions
* thick sticky lava
* Steep sided
39
What are the primary impacts of a volcano
* lava
* pyroclastic flow (lots of ash and lava flows down - dangerous)
* volcanic bombs
* ash
* gases
40
What are the secondary impacts of a volcano
* acid rain
* lahar (mud flows)
* landslide
41
Why is the equator warmer than the poles
Because the Suns rays are directly overhead. At the poles, the Suns rays are at a lower angle so the same amount of radiation heats a larger area
42
What are the layers of the earth from the outside to the middle
* The crust - solid and ridged - tectonic plates , they move on top of the asthenosphere- this is under high pressure
* the lower layer of the mantle is liquid magma at 3000°C
* the outer core is liquid iron a nickel. Temperatures are 4000-6000°C
* the inner core is iron at temperatures of 5000-6000°C. The pressure is so high that this iron is solid
43
What are the similarities and differences of continental and oceanic crust
* continental crust is mainly granite, while oceanic crust is mainly basalt
* continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust
* both continental crust and oceanic crust are less dense than the rocks of the asthenosphere
44
How do convection currents contribute to plate movement
1. The core heats the molten rock in the mantle to create a convection current
2. Heated rock from the mantle rises to the earths surface
3. At the surface the convection current moves the tectonic plates in the crust
4. Molten rock cools and flows back to the core to be reheated
45
What are hotspots
Points on the earths crust with very high heat flow, which is linked to increased volcanic activity. Some are on plate boundaries but many are not
46
What is the epicentre of an earthquake
The point on the surface directly above the focus
47
What is the focus of an earthquake
The central point of the earthquake deep under the surface, where the earthquake actually happens
48
Why does a tropical cyclone loose their power over land
Because water (26° or higher) makes it have energy - when hits land it DISSIPATES
