3B: Tropical storms and their effects on people and the enviroment Flashcards
Tropical storm names from around the world
Hurricanes in the Atlantic and east pacific
Typhoons in the west of the North pacific
Cyclones in the Indian ocean and in the west of south pacific
formation of tropical storms
occur in late summer
rising air causes condensation, furthering the rising
Away from the equator the Coriolis force causes the storm to rotate
Storm builds strength when it travels over the warm ocean, sucking up humid air
Ways in which tropical storms are different from mid-latitude depressions
Stronger low-pressure systems
winds can exceed 155 mph
Precipitation can exceed 250mm in a day
What causes tropical storms to end?
Over land or a cold area of sea, the air is less humid
when a tropical storm makes landfall or crosses colder seas, the fuel is cut off
Saffir-Simpson Scale
Used to classify tropical storms according to strength
What direction do tropical storms travel?
Low latitudes = East to West (because of trade winds)
Higher latitudes = veer eastwards due to mid-latitude westerly
Main areas where they occur;
above and below the equator
Hazards associated with tropical storms
High winds
Heavy rain
Storm surge
Primary effects of tropical storms;
Deaths, injuries, damage to buildings
Secondary effects of tropical storms
landslides
flooding
contamination of water
Longer term economic problems
Immediate responses to the tropical storms
evacuation to higher ground
distribution of emergency aid
Long-term responses to the tropical storms
improving predictions
repairing infrastructure
Investing in new sea defences
Restoring coastal wetlands
