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AQA A-Level Physical Geography > 🌋3.1.5.5 - Storm Hazards > Flashcards

🌋3.1.5.5 - Storm Hazards Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a tropical storm?

A

A violent rotating storm which occurs at mid latitudes, ie the tropics

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2
Q

How do tropical storms form?

A

Strong upward movement of air draws water vapour up from the ocean
Evaporated air cools as it rises, condenses to form thunder clouds
Condensing air releases energy which powers the storm and draws up even more water
Several small thunderstorms combine to form a giant spinning storm
Storm develops an eye where air rapidly descends.
Upon landfall, storm loses energy and it slows and weakens

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3
Q

Where are hurricanes found?

A

Over the US and Caribbean

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4
Q

Where are cyclones found?

A

South East Asia, South Pacific, India, East Africa

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5
Q

Where are typhoons found?

A

Japan, Philippines

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6
Q

When do tropical storms form?

A

After the warmest moths of the year, when sea temperatures are highest

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7
Q

Where are the strongest winds found?

A

The eyewall

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8
Q

What is the Coreolis force?

A

Deflects objects in a rotating system, due to the Earth’s rotation

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9
Q

Which way does the Coreolis force deflect objects in the Northern hemisphere?

A

To the right, so they move upwards on the globe

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10
Q

Which way does the Coreolis force deflect objects in the Southern hemisphere?

A

To the left, so they move downwards on the globe

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11
Q

What is a storm surge?

A

An abnormal rise of water, generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide

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12
Q

How are storm surges formed?

A

When the storm blows the ocean surface and creates vertical circulation in the water, which gains height in shallower water

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13
Q

Which areas are at risk from storm surges?

A

Lowland coastal areas

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14
Q

What factors can affect storm surges?

A

Storm intensity, speed and size as well as coastal features such as bays and estuaries

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15
Q

How are strong winds formed by storms?

A

When pressure changes rapidly over a small distance, and air flows from high pressure to low pressure

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16
Q

Which areas are at risk from strong winds?

A

Coastal regions, as the storm looses energy once it reaches land

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17
Q

How are the strongest winds created?

A

By the biggest differences in pressure

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18
Q

What are landslides?

A

Involves the movement of rock, earth or debris, can be caused by heavy rain

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19
Q

Why can paricular areas of land slide?

A

When they have two separate layers, one of stable bed rock and another of loose, unconsolidated sediment

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20
Q

What is a common form of disaster associated with tropical storms?

A

Heavy rainfall and flooding

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21
Q

Where does the heaviest rain occur?

A

In the eyewall

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22
Q

Why do floods occur?

A

Because the ground becomes saturated with the heavy rain and then the water builds up and rivers burst their banks

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23
Q

How can storms be predicted?

A

Future events can be predicted using ones in the past and the frequency of storms can also show patterns

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24
Q

What can be used to gauge wind speeds, pressure and precipitation?

A

Aircraft and drones

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25
Q

How can meteorologists help people to prepare?

A

By giving a picture of the flooding or weather systems a storm may cause and the areas it may hit

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26
Q

How can satellites be useful?

A

They can track the storm and give a hemispheric view of it, as well as 3D images and sea surface temperature

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27
Q

What temperature must the sea surface be for a storm to form?

A

28 degrees

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28
Q

What is a Category 1 storm?

A

Very dangerous winds produce some damage, damage to trees and powerlines as well as some homes

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29
Q

What is a Category 5 storm?

A

Catastrophic damage will occur, high percentage of homes destroyed, total roof failure and wall collapse, power outages

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30
Q

What scale is used to categorise storms?

A

The Saffir-Simpson Scale

31
Q

What do wind speeds have to reach to be a category 5 storm?

A

157mph

32
Q

What is done by the US Air Force and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?

A

They fly aircraft through storms to gauge wind speeds, barometric pressure, rainfall and snow as well as dropping sensors which fall through the storm and send back data

33
Q

Which is the most useful satellite for monitoring storms?

A

The TRMM satellite - Tropical Rainforest Monitoring Mission

34
Q

What has TRMM helped to discover?

A

Eyewall ‘hot towers’ through its CT scans of storms

35
Q

What are eyewall hot towers?

A

Rainclouds that reach the lowest layer of the atmosphere, bringing heat to high altitudes

36
Q

Tropical Storm

A

A violent rotating storm which occurs at the mid-latitudes

37
Q

Tropical Storm Formation

A

. Strong upward air movement draws water vapour from ocean surface
. Air rises (convection) and cools- condensing= clouds
. Condensing- latent heat- energy, powering storm to draw up more water
. Thunderstorms combine to form a giant storm
. Eye develops- winds >120km/h on eye wall
. Storm gathers strength and energy from warm ocean

38
Q

Why does a storm develop an eye?

A

As air rapidly descends in the centre

39
Q

Where are the strongest storm winds found?

A

In the eye wall

40
Q

What happens when a storm reaches land?

A

Energy cut off
Friction slows it down

41
Q

4 Conditions Needed

A

Sea water warmer than 27°c
5° from equator to tropics
Atmospheric instability
Uniform wind direction in all levels

42
Q

Why do storms need oceans?

A

Storms derive their moisture and energy here

43
Q

Why can storms be formed at lower latitudes in the summer?

A

Because it’s hotter, meaning sea surface temperature increases

44
Q

Why does there need to be atmospheric instability?

A

Warm air forced to rise

45
Q

Why’s the rotation of the earth important? (Coriolis Effect)

A

A certain amount of ‘spin’ is needed to initiate the rotation of a storm
Not strong enough at the Equator

46
Q

Why does there need to be a uniform wind direction at all levels?

A

As different wind directions at different altitudes prevents the storm from attaining height and intensity

47
Q

4 Hazards associated with storms

A

High winds (300km/h)
Storm surge (>3m)
Coastal / River flooding
Landslides

48
Q

Effects of high winds

A

Destroy buildings
Uproot trees
Carry debris + smash it into other objects- injures + disrupts transport
Damages communication networks- fires + power cuts

49
Q

What causes storm surge?

A

Intense low atmospheric pressure and powerful surface winds- creating high waves

50
Q

Effects of storm surge

A

Floods in low lying areas
Freshwater pollution
Destroys homes and infrastructure
Agricultural land inundated with water- useless

51
Q

What causes river flooding?

A

Warm, humid air generating torrential rainfall

52
Q

Effects of flooding

A

Death
Flash floods in urban areas
Damages homes and infrastructure

53
Q

What causes landslides?

A

Intense rainfall increasing pore water pressure
Weakens cohesion, triggering slope failure

54
Q

Effects of landslides

A

Deaths
Destroys homes and infrastructure

55
Q

Factors Affecting Impact of a Storm

A

Intensity
Speed it travels through an area
Distance from sea
Warnings and response
Preparation
Physical geography

56
Q

What’s the Saffir- Simpson Scale based on?

A

Wind speed and storm surge
1-5, estimates damage

57
Q

Advantages of Saffir- Simpson Scale?

A

Straight forward
Easy comparison
Widely used

58
Q

Disadvantages of Saffir- Simpson Scale?

A

Limited value when assessing impact
Doesn’t include rainfall
Doesn’t think about area affected i.e. pop density

59
Q

Why is river flooding worsened in urban areas?

A

Impermeable surfaces
Drains
High building intensity

60
Q

How can people prepare for a storm?

A

Insurance
Minor property improvements
Warnings given
Emergency services trained
Florida: evacuation routes clearly signposted

61
Q

How can the effects of some storm hazards be prevented?

A

Can’t prevent the storm
Sea wall can reduce storm surge impact

62
Q

Adaptation: Land use zoning

A

Coastal strips are used for recreation
Property behind

63
Q

Adaptation: Adapting home functionality

A

Homes built on stilts
Homes have a garage at the bottom
-Means nothing valuable destroyed

64
Q

Examples of Mitigation

A

Insurance
Structural responses

65
Q

Areas at risk of storm surges

A

. Coastal areas
. Warmer areas
. More severe tropical storms
. Enclosed areas due to funnelling
. River mouths as the water combines to flood more severely

66
Q

Example of storm surge

A

Hurricane Katrina

67
Q

How high was the storm surge in Hurricane Katrina

A

25 to 28ft above normal tide levels

68
Q

Winds in hurricane Katrina

A

125mph

69
Q

Coriolanus effect

A

Caused by the Coriolis force which deflects objects within a rotating system

70
Q

Coriolanus effect - northern hemisphere

A

Objects deflect to the right

71
Q

Coriolanus effect - southern hemisphere

A

Objects deflect to the left

72
Q

Tracking hurricanes by air

A

. A group of pilots and scientists, Hurricane Hunters, regularly soar through storms that threaten the US
. They release sensors, dropsondes, which fall through the storm and send back data in real time to improve forecasting models

73
Q

Tracking hurricanes by satellites

A

. Create visible images and measuring weather patterns with radar and infrared sensors.
. Can track temperatures inside a storm, cloud heights, rain, snow and wind speed
. The TRMM satellite provides CT scans inside hurricanes

74
Q

Supercomputers in tracking hurricanes

A

. Thanks to better storm models and more powerful computers the NOAA can release five-day forecasts of tropical storms and hurricanes
. The weather models improved with new understanding of global ocean and atmospheric patterns that influence budding storms

AQA A-Level Physical Geography (28 decks)

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