Weather Hazards

Question 1

Polar insolation

Answer 1

Over large surface area of Earth, ‘Albedo effect’

Question 2

Albedo effect

Answer 2

Sun’s rays are reflected off white snow/ice in poles

Question 3

Equatorial Insolation

Answer 3

Over small surface area of Earth

Question 4

Equator

Answer 4

0º on lines of latitude

Question 5

Tropic of Cancer

Answer 5

23.5ºN on lines of latitude

Question 6

Tropic of Capricorn

Answer 6

23.5ºS on lines of latitude

Question 7

Artic Circle

Answer 7

66.5ºN on lines of latitude

Question 8

Antarctic Circle

Answer 8

66.5ºS on lines of latitude

Question 9

Wind

Answer 9

Air that moves from high to low pressure, Coriolis effect, Northern hemisphere forces winds to curve to right, so winds will blow clockwise, Southern hemisphere forces winds to curve to left, so winds will blow anticlockwise

Question 10

Coriolis effect

Answer 10

Winds don’t blow in straight line as Earth is rotating

Question 11

Weather in UK

Answer 11

Cloudy + wet as UK is in boundary of Ferrel + Polar cells + as there is low pressure from rising air

Question 12

Low pressure

Answer 12

Where hot air rises, so weather is cloudy + rainy

Question 13

High pressure

Answer 13

Where cold air sinks, so sky is clear + there is dry + clam weather

Question 14

Weather in desert

Answer 14

Hot + dry due to high pressure, so there is lack of rainfall + clouds, lack of clouds makes it very hot during day, but very cold at night as heat is lost from ground, lack of rainfall makes it desert

Question 15

Equator weather

Answer 15

Hot + humid due to low pressure, making weather very wet + cloudy, air rises due to equatorial insolation heats up air, making it rise + very hot

Question 16

Hadley cell

Answer 16

It’s largest cell

Question 17

Ferrel cell

Answer 17

Travels in opposite way to polar or hadley cells

Question 18

Tropical storm

Answer 18

Huge storm that forms + develops in Tropics, USA + Caribbean - hurricanes, Japan + Philippines - typhoons, Australia + South-east Asia - cyclones, form above 27ºC

Question 19

Extreme weather

Answer 19

When weather event is significantly different from average/usual weather pattern + it’s especially severe or unseasonal

Question 20

Global Atmospheric Circulation

Answer 20

Movement of air + heat across Earth, creates areas of high rainfall e.g tropical rainforests + areas of dryness e.g deserts,

Question 21

Distribution of Tropical Storms

Answer 21

Form 5-15º North or South of Equator (in Tropics) as they need water to be 27ºC or hotter to form, majority form in Northern Hemisphere

Question 22

Formation of a Tropical Storm

Answer 22

Strong upward movement of air draws water vapour up from warm ocean surface, this evaporated air cools as it rises + condenses to form towering thunderstorm clouds, as air condenses, it releases heat which powers storm + draws up more + more water from ocean, several smaller thunderstorms join together to from giant spinning storm, now develops eye +, therefore, eye wall too, as storm is carried across ocean by prevailing winds, it continues to gather strength, on reaching land, storm’s energy supply is cut off, friction with land slows it down + it begins to weaken, if storm reaches warms seas after crossing land, it may pick up strength again

Question 23

Eye

Answer 23

Centre of storm, where air descends rapidly

Question 24

Eyewall

Answer 24

Outer edge of eye, where most intense weather conditions are felt

Question 25

Typhoon Haiyan: Primary Effects

Answer 25

6,300 people were killed, 30,000 fishing boats destroyed, 90% of Tacloban City is destroyed

Question 26

Typhoon Haiyan: Secondary Effects

Answer 26

Flooding caused landslides + blocked roads, 6 million people lost their source of income, looting + violence broke out in Tacloban City

Question 27

Typhoon Haiyan: Immediate Responses

Answer 27

800,000 people were evacuated by authorities, 1,200 evacuation centres set up, $1.5 billion pledged in aid from other countries

Question 28

Typhoon Haiyan: Long-term Responses

Answer 28

Rice farming + fishing was quickly reestablished, Roads, bridges + airport facilities rebuilt, More cyclone shelters built

Question 29

Effect of climate change on tropical storms

Answer 29

Frequency will decrease, intensity will increase due to rising sea temperatures, distribution will change + they may affect areas outside current hazard zone

Question 30

Tropical Storms: Monitoring and Prediction

Answer 30

Technological developments have made monitoring + prediction more accurate + effective, In North Atlantic, there are two levels of warning issued by National Hurricane Centre, hurricane watch - advises that hurricane conditions are possible, hurricane warning - advises that hurricane conditions are expected + that people should take immediate action

Question 31

Tropical Storms: Protection

Answer 31

Buildings: built on stilts + raised land, shutters over windows, constructed of strong concrete

Question 32

Tropical Storms: Planning

Answer 32

Raising individual + community awareness, In USA there is National Hurricane Preparedness Week - focuses on educating people about potential dangers ahead of next hurricane season + families are encouraged to devise their own plan of action

Question 33

Causes of extreme weather in the UK

Answer 33

Storms from Atlantic bring heavy rain + strong winds, hot + sunny weather from south can lead to heatwaves + droughts, severe weather can come from east e.g Beast from the East, Artic air can bring heavy snow + bitterly cold conditions

Question 34

Somerset Levels Floods: Causes

Answer 34

Rivers hadn’t been dredged for 20 years + had become clogged with sediment, high tides + storm surges swept water up rivers from Bristol Channel, which prevented fresh water reaching sea, succession of depressions brought period of wet weather that lasted for several weeks

Question 35

Somerset Levels Floods: Social Impacts

Answer 35

16 farms evacuated, 600 houses flooded, many people had power supplies cut off

Question 36

Somerset Levels Floods: Economic Impacts

Answer 36

1,000 livestock evacuated, 14,000 hectares of agricultural land underwater for 4 weeks, local roads cut off by floods

Question 37

Somerset Levels Floods: Environmental Impacts

Answer 37

Huge amount of debris had to be cleared, floodwaters were heavily contaminated with sewage + other pollutants e.g oil + chemicals, stagnant water that had collected for months had to be re-oxygenated before being pumped back into rivers

Question 38

Somerset Levels Floods: Immediate Responses

Answer 38

Villages cut off by floods used boats to go shopping or attend school, local community groups + volunteers gave invaluable support

Question 39

Somerset Levels Floods: Long-term Responses

Answer 39

8km of River Tone + Parratt were dredged, Road levels + river banks were raised, more pumping stations were built

Question 40

Causes of increasing extreme weather in the UK

Answer 40

Climate change as it causes there to be more energy in atmosphere, which could lead to more intense storms + atmospheric circulation may be affected, bringing floods to normally dry regions + heatwaves to normally cooler areas

Question 41

Depressions

Answer 41

Areas of low pressure