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geography > weather hazards and climate change > Flashcards

weather hazards and climate change Flashcards

1
Q

what is a natural hazard?

A

a natural event that has the potential to cause harm to human life or property

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2
Q

what are some examples of tectonic natural hazards?

A

earthquakes
tsunamis
volcanoes

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3
Q

what are some examples of geomorphological natural hazards?

A

landslides
mudslides

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4
Q

what is a type of atmospheric natural hazard?

A

tropical storms

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5
Q

how does population density affect hazard risk?

A

more people- larger effect

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6
Q

how does the magnitude affect hazard risk?

A

the bigger the earthquake- the bigger the damage

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7
Q

what are the 4 layers of the earth?

A

crust
mantle
outer core
inner core

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8
Q

earthquakes and volcanoes tend to occur along…

A

plate margins/boundaries

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9
Q

what are the 3 types of plate boundaries?

A

constructive
destructive
conservative

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10
Q

can volcanoes occur along all type of plate boundaries?

A

no

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11
Q

can earthquakes occur along all type of plate boundaries?

A

yes

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12
Q

along destructive plate boundaries what type of crust subducts?

A

oceanic

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13
Q

what is an example of a conservative plate boundary?

A

San Andreas Fault

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14
Q

what type of waves do earthquakes send out?

A

seismic waves

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15
Q

what is the name of the point in the Earth’s crust where seismic waves are released from?

A

focus

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16
Q

what scale do we use to measure earthquakes?

A

Richter scale or Moment Magnitude Scale

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17
Q

what machine do we record earthquakes on?

A

seismeter

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18
Q

what is the definition of the weather?

A

the state of the atmosphere day to day at a particular place and time, including temperature, humidity and wind speed

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19
Q

what is the definition of climate?

A

the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time

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20
Q

what is insolation?

A

the amount of solar radiation reaching a given area

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21
Q

what is latitude?

A

the angular distance of a place north or south of the earth’s equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes

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22
Q

which factors affect a place’s climate?

A

latitude
altitude
proximity to the coastline
ocean currents
directions of prevailing winds

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23
Q

where do we get more energy?

A

in tropical areas near the equator and less at the poles

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24
Q

places at low latitudes close to the equator have low or high levels of insolation?

A

higher levels as the rays are spread over a smaller area

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25
Q

what level of insolation are at the poles?

A

higher latitude- the sun’s rays are spread over a great distance

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26
Q

warm air rises because it is more or less dense?

A

less dense than cooler air

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27
Q

cool air sinks because it is more or less dense?

A

sinks because it is more denser than warmer air

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28
Q

rising air creates what type of pressure?

A

low pressure

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29
Q

sinking air creates what pressure?

A

high pressure

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30
Q

what causes wind?

A

air particles move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

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31
Q

what is the global atmospheric circulation model?

A

1) air cools and sinks, creating a belt of high pressure and a cold, dry climate
2) at about 60 degrees North and South, cold polar air mixes with warmer air and rises, creating a belt of low pressure
3) cool air sinks, creating a belt of high pressure- as it sinks, it becomes warmer and drier
4) warm air rises, creating a belt of low pressure- as the air rises, it cools. clouds form and then release precipitation. above, the air will eventually separate and move to higher latitudes 5) sun’s heat is concentrated
6) sun’s heat is spread out

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32
Q

where is the Hadley cell located?

A

between the tropics and the equator

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33
Q

what are jet streams?

A

strong, high-altitude currents of air- high altitude winds

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34
Q

these high altitude winds flow from…

A

West to East because the Earth spins and interacts with the convection cells

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35
Q

what is precipitation?

A

moisture released from the atmosphere- snow, rain, sleet, hail etc

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36
Q

what is precipitation like at the equator?

A

rainfall is high and constant throughout the year

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37
Q

what is precipitation like at the ITCZ?

A

bursts of terrential rain

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38
Q

what is precipitation like at Western Europe?

A

higher in coastal areas due to the jet streams in the Atlantic

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39
Q

what is precipitation like at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

A

hardly any precipitation

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40
Q

what is precipitation like at the polar regions?

A

low precipitation due to high air pressure

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41
Q

influence of global pressure and surface winds on precipitation: equator?

A

this is because hot air rises, cooling quickly condensing into droplets of convectional rainfall

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42
Q

influence of global pressure and surface winds on precipitation: ITCZ?

A

sometimes it creates a wave of low pressure which extends further than usual

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43
Q

influence of global pressure and surface winds on precipitation: Western Europe?

A

low air pressure (cyclones) follow the stream, bringing stormy conditions

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44
Q

influence of global pressure and surface winds on precipitation: Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

A

high air pressure
very arid

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45
Q

what does the Coriolis Effect do to wind?

A

due to the spin of the earth, the Coriolis Effect deflects wind to the right in the Northern Hemisphere

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46
Q

what is a tropical storm?

A

an area of low pressure with winds moving in a spiral around the calm central area called the eye of the storm

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47
Q

where do tropical storms mainly occur?

A

in the tropics- mainly the ITCZ

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48
Q

what type of areas are tropical storms mainly found in?

A

areas of low latitude between 5 degrees and 30 degrees North and South of the Equator

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49
Q

what are tropical storms called in the Atlantic Ocean?

A

hurricanes

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50
Q

what are tropical storms called in the Indian Ocean?

A

cyclones

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51
Q

what are tropical storms called in the Pacific Ocean?

A

typhoons

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52
Q

what season do tropical storms happen in the Atlantic Ocean?

A

August-October

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53
Q

what is the general direction of movement of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean?

A

West and then North West

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54
Q

what is the average annual frequency of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean?

A

1 or 2 a year

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55
Q

what season do tropical storms usually occur in the Indian Ocean?

A

December- March

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56
Q

what is the general direction of movement of tropical storms in the Indian Ocean?

A

varies with the hemisphere

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57
Q

what is the average annual frequency of tropical storms in the Indian Ocean?

A

varies with hemisphere

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58
Q

what season do tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean occur in>

A

May- Dec in the Western Pacific

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59
Q

what is the general direction of movement of tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean?

A

varies

60
Q

what is the average annual frequency of tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean?

A

> 3 in the Western Pacific

61
Q

what are the characteristics of tropical storms?

A

swirling clouds
clouds in bands that appear to be spinning clockwise
thick clouds
has a calm eye

62
Q

in the northern hemisphere, tropical storms spin…

A

anti-clockwise

63
Q

in the southern hemisphere, tropical storms spin…

A

clockwise

64
Q

how can we categorise tropical storms?

A

Saffir Simpson

65
Q

what 4 things are needed for tropical storms to occur?

A

ocean depth of 60-70m
sea temperature above 27 degrees
low wind shear
never along the equator

66
Q

why is ocean depth of 60-70m and sea temperature above 27 degrees needed?

A

this provides the heat and moisture that causes the air to rise rapidly
latent heat is releases which powers the storm

67
Q

why is low wind shear needed?

A

winds which remain constant and do not vary with height- allow the tropical storm to rise to high levels without being torn apart

68
Q

why can’t tropical storms be along the equator?

A

Coriolis effect is not strong enough here for tropical storms to spin

69
Q

after a storm makes landfall it soon…

A

dissipates

70
Q

why does a storm dissipate after it makes landfall?

A

there is no longer enough evaporation occurring to fuel the storm

71
Q

what are the 6 steps to a formation of a tropical storm?

A

1) the sun’s incoming solar radiation to Earth warms our oceans, most within the tropics
2) this warms the oceans to 27 degrees
3) this causes warm moist air to rise through the air in thermals- this gives low pressure at the centre of the storm 4) this air cools as it rises, at 1 degrees per 100m- this causes condensation to occur, clouds to form and rain to occur 5) some cooled air sinks back down helping to create the eye 6) air rushes in from higher pressure areas outside of the storm to lower pressure areas at the centre of the storm creating winds

72
Q

how can climate change have an impact on the distribution of
tropical storms?

A

storms will occur in areas outside the tropics
because the oceans in these areas are going to heat up above 27 degrees

73
Q

how can climate change have an impact on the intensity of tropical storms?

A

more powerful and damaging storms will occur
this is because higher pressures in the oceans- meaning it will be more powerful and more windy

74
Q

how can climate change have an impact on the intensity of tropical storms?

A

overall frequency is going down, however the frequency of more powerful storms increases

75
Q

what will stronger winds lead to?

A

greater damage to human property and higher storm surges

76
Q

what are primary effects?

A

the initial impact of a natural event on people and property, caused directly by it, e.g. buildings being destroyed by a tropical storm

77
Q

what are secondary effects?

A

the after-effects that occur as indirect impacts of a natural event, sometimes on a longer timescale, for instance, impact on access to potable water can lead to spread of disease

78
Q

what are some immediate responses to tropical storms?

A

people are evacuated before the storm lands
temporary shelters are set up for people made homeless by the storm
digital maps are updated immediately after the storm using satellite photographs to support emergency services on the ground

79
Q

what are some factors affecting the effectiveness of immediate responses?

A

level of technology
wealth
level of aid from other countries

80
Q

what are some long term responses to tropical storms?

A

repair and rebuild properties
rehouse people
improve forecasting and early warning systems

81
Q

what are the factors affecting the effectiveness of long-term responses?

A

planning for what to do in the future
infrastructure repair
wealth

82
Q

how many people did Typhoon Haiyan kill?

A

at least 6340

83
Q

how many people were made homeless in Typhoon Haiyan?

A

67,000

84
Q

what human factors influence the number of people affected by a tropical storm?

A

a lack of electricity
difficult access to remote communications
high population density
strong economy

85
Q

what physical factors influence the number of people affected by a tropical storm?

A

low storm surge
low wind speed
low lying land
storm path was not as predicted

86
Q

what is monitoring tropical storms?

A

satellites monitor cloud patterns

87
Q

what is predicting tropical storms?

A

warnings and predict a location within 400km
tracks the forecast

88
Q

what is tropical storm protection?

A

making buildings/structures to protect from the storm

89
Q

what is tropical storm planning?

A

make plans and prepare what they need to deal with for the tropical storm

90
Q

how does monitoring reduce the impact of tropical storms?

A

the global Precipitation Measurement Satellite monitors high altitude rain clouds every 3 hours- indicates whether a tropical storm will intensify within 24 hours

91
Q

what is an example of monitoring tropical storms?

A

satellites
NASA- global Hawk drones

92
Q

how does predicting tropical storms reduce the impact?

A

warnings and predict a location within 400km
tracks the forecast

93
Q

what is an example of predicting tropical storms?

A

National Hurricane Centres

94
Q

how does tropical storm protection reduce the impact of tropical storms?

A

develop coastal flood defences- to help the coast from flooding
create “no build-zones” in low-lying areas

95
Q

what is an example of tropical storm protection?

A

coastal flood defences
no build-zones
reinforce buildings

96
Q

how does tropical storm planning reduce the impact of tropical storms?

A

prepare disaster supply kits
ensure vehicles are fuelled

97
Q

what is an example of tropical storm planning?

A

know where evacuation shelters are

98
Q

what is extreme weather

A

especially severe, unseasonal weather events significantly different from the average usual weather pattern

99
Q

how do droughts have an impact on human activity?

A

crop failure- high food prices, lower incomes for farmers and rely on food imports
water conservation regulations (hose pipe bans) affect homes and businesses

100
Q

how does heavy rain have an impact on human activity?

A

flash floods- damage to buildings, transport links, communication links and energy supplies
flooded farmland kills crops and livestock
repairs cost millions and take years
insurance denied to high-risk flood areas

101
Q

how do heatwaves have impacts on human activity?

A

deaths and health issues e.g. heat exhaustion and breathing difficulties
transport disrupted (roads melt and rail lines deform)
crops scorch and livestock die

102
Q

how do gales have an impact on human activity?

A

buildings, transport links and electricity lines may be damaged
fallen trees and large branches block roads and cause injury

103
Q

how does extreme cold weather have an impact on human activity?

A

schools and businesses close due to travel disruptions and safety concerns
crops damaged and livestock die
deaths
slippery conditions cause fall-related injuries
councils spend money on salting, gritting and snow-ploughing

104
Q

how do thunderstorms have an impact on human activity?

A

lightning can cause fires, electricity surges, deaths and damage to buildings
flash flooding damages buildings and transport links
winds and hail may damage crops and buildings

105
Q

what were the impacts of the 2009 floods?

A

Cumbria was devastated
river flash flooding
PC Bill Barker died when a bridge was swept away

106
Q

what were the impacts of the 2013/2014 floods?

A

severe flooding across southern England
River Thames burst its banks
Somerset levels meant that it was Britain’s wettest winter in 150 years

107
Q

what impacts did the 2010 heavy snow lead to?

A

heavy snowfall in December in Northern Ireland
record low temperatures of -18.7 at Castlederg
terminals at Heathrow were shut

108
Q

what impacts did the 2003 heatwave lead to?

A

highest UK temperature ever- 38.5 degrees
water shortages due to drought in South East England
over 2000 died due to the heat
railways buckled
roads melted

109
Q

strongly agree: weather in the UK is becoming more extreme?

A

recent decades have been warmer, wetter and sunnier than the 20th century
0.2 degrees celsius warmer between 2012 and 2021 then 1991 and 2000

110
Q

agree: weather in the UK is becoming more extreme?

A

5 tropical nights in August 2020 (temperatures over 20 degrees celsius at night)- had never seen that before in the UK

111
Q

disagree: weather in the UK is becoming more extreme?

A

there is no evidence of stronger winds in the UK
fewer very cold days
no change in average precipitation

112
Q

strongly disagree: weather in the UK is becoming more extreme?

A

time scale- weather will change naturally over time
there have been no changes in wind strength in the last century

113
Q

what does quaternary mean?

A

a period of time stretching from 2.6 million years ago to today

114
Q

what is a glacial period?

A

a period lasting approximately 100,000 years in which global climate is colder
thick ice sheets accumulate over much of continental areas

115
Q

what is an interglacial period?

A

a subsequent period of warmer global climate lasting 10,000 years where ice sheets retreat to the poles

116
Q

what interglacial period are we in?

A

Holocene Epoch

117
Q

what is climate change?

A

very long term shifts in weather patterns
the most important variables is changes in temperature

118
Q

what does global warming refer to?

A

refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature

119
Q

what evidence do we have for climate change?

A

sea level rise
ice melting- glaciers, ice caps
migration of biodiversity poleward

120
Q

what does a retreating glacier show?

A

warmer temperatures

121
Q

how much has sea level risen in the past 100 years?

A

between 10 and 20cm

122
Q

why have sea levels risen?

A

when temperatures rise the freshwater stored in the ice sheets melt
this water is stored in the form of glaciers and ice caps- this water will then flow into the sea
when the ocean water warms, it expands in volume- thermal expansion

123
Q

ice cores

A

each layer records a season of snowfall compressed to ice by later falls

124
Q

pollen analysis

A

pollen sequences show that ecosystems have changed in the past in response to climate change

125
Q

what are 3 natural causes for climate change?

A

solar activity
orbital changes
volcanic activity

126
Q

what is axal tilt?

A

the earth’s axis is currently tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees
over a period of 41,000 years, the tile of the Earth moves back and forth between 21.5 degrees and 24.5 degrees

127
Q

what is eccentricity?

A

this describes the path of the Earth as it orbits the sun
the Earth’s orbit is not fixed as it can change from circular to elliptical
a complete cycle occurs every 100,000 years

128
Q

what is precession?

A

this describes the “wobble” of the earth
a complete wobble cycle takes about 26000 years
the earths “wobble” can give areas (such as Norway) long days and long nights at certain times of the year

129
Q

if the Earth’s orbit is closer to the sun what will this mean for the climate?

A

the Earth will get hotter

130
Q

volcanic activity- short term impacts:

A

1) volcanic ash can block out the sun, this will reduce temperature on earth-

131
Q

volcanic activity- long term impacts

A

fine droplets form as a result of the conversion of sulphur dioxide into sulphuric acid
this acid acts like tiny mirrors reflecting radiation from the sun
is a long- term impact and can affect the Earth’s climate for many years

132
Q

what are the effects of climate change on people?

A

many European ski resorts will suffer a loss of tourism due to lack of snow
south and Central Europe high temperatures will cause heat stroke and dehydration
rising sea level and higher temperatures could see more cases of cholera in South-East Asia

133
Q

what are the environmental effects of climate change?

A

in mountainous areas of Europe, up to 60% of native birds, mammals and plants could be lost
less sea ice in Polar regions will result in a loss of plants, birds and mammals
areas of Western and Southern New Zealand may experience longer growing seasons, less frost and increased rainfall

134
Q

where is Kiribati?

A

NorthEast of Australia

135
Q

what impacts does Kiribati face regarding climate change?

A

sea level rising-flooding
loss of culture if people move away
storm surge- winds and swells
loss and food and water resources

136
Q

what are the responses to climate change (Kiribati)

A

building floating islands
migrating away
building sea walls

137
Q

what is mitigation?

A

local or global strategies to reduce the causes of climate change and therefore reduce the negative impacts of climate change

138
Q

what is adaptation?

A

local or global strategies respond to the new conditions created by climate change to make populations less vulnerable to their negative impacts

139
Q

what is an example of mitigation?

A

tax cars that produce more CO2- UK road tax/ London Congestion charge so:
these become more expensive to run
fewer people buy them and switch to hybrid cars
therefore fewer polluting cars on the road over time
therefore lower CO2 emissions, reducing EGE and climate change

140
Q

what is an example of adaptation?

A

climate change leads to changing temperatures and weather pattern so:
farmers change to crops which are more suited to new conditions or resistant to drought
these crops can cope with any new conditions
farmers can survive and still sell crops for money
negative impacts of CC, such as economic damage and famine reduced

141
Q

what is alternative energy production?

A

renewable energy sources- solar wind, geothermal
reduce CO2 going into the atmosphere
reduce global warming
e.g. solar- a typical home using solar energy saves 1 tonne of CO2 per year in the UK

142
Q

what is carbon capture and storage?

A

IPCC- international panel for climate change
say that CCS could provide up to 55% of the world’s mitigation needs- getting rid of excess CO2
expensive- doesn’t promote renewable energy

143
Q

what is planting trees?

A

removes CO2 from the atmosphere
land may be limited

144
Q

what are international agreements?

A

countries to take responsibility for their CO2 levels

145
Q

what are changes in agricultural systems?

A

required to deal with changing rainfall and temperature patterns
adaptations are more difficult for poorer farmers

146
Q

what are managing water supplies?

A

populations can face the changing rainfall patterns
London- water efficient devices

147
Q

what is reducing risk?

A

rising sea levels- constructing defences
Thames barrier- restoring mangrove for rents
raising properties on stilts
relocating people at risk

geography (15 decks)

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