atmospheric hazards Flashcards
surface winds
winds that blow across the surface of the earth
describe the global distribution of tropical storms
- 5 degrees above and below the equator
- occurs in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans
what are the conditions needed to form a tropical storm
- oceans with a temp of 27 degrees or higher
- over an ocean
- not along the equator
- low wind shear
explain why oceans of 27 degrees is needed to form a tropical storm
it is warm enough to evaporate and tropical storms need a constant source of evaporation
explain why tropical storms cannot be formed along the equator
because the Coriolis effect causes the storm to spin and this is not strong enough along the equator
explain why low wind shear is needed to help form a tropical storm
storms form in calm conditions where strong winds cannot blow them apart
how is a tropical storm formed
- water is evaporated and warm air rises, creating a low pressure zone
- air is sucked in to replace the rising air creating clouds and strong winds
- earths rotation (Coriolis effect ) causes the storm to start spinning
- air surrounding the storm starts to flow in a spiral and cooler air is sucked into the middle creating a storm eye
- Once the storm has made landfall, the storm looses its energy as evaporation no longer takes place
explain how climate change may affect the distribution of tropical storms
it is predicted that climate change may not impact where tropical storms occur
explain how climate change may affect the frequency of tropical storms
overall number of tropical storms are predicted to remain the same, however the number of category 4 storms are meant to increase
explain how climate change may affect the intensity of tropical storms
it is predicted that as the oceans increase in temp, the intensity of tropical storms will increase
explain how climate change may make the impact of tropical storms worse
- higher sea levels due to melted ice will put low lying coastal regions eg Bangladesh under increased risk from storm surges
primary effects of tropical storms
- death
- destruction of buildings
- injuries
secondary effects of tropical storms
- disease
- homelessness
- prices in food and essentials
example of a tropical storm
Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippines
primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan
- 6190 deaths
- 4.1 million made homeless
- over 1 million farmers and 600,00 hectares of farmland was affected
secondary effects of Typhoon Haiyan
- oil barge leaked 800,000 litres of oil which contaminated waters
- fishing had to stop because of contaminated waters therefore prices in food increased
- 8 people died in riots and stampedes for rice
- disease and illness spread because of contaminated water
immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan
- authorities evacuated 800,000 people
- emergency aid supplies arrived three days later and within two weeks over 1 million food packages and 250,000 litres of water were given out
long term responses to Typhoon Haiyan
- build back better is a scheme that the government would ensure that buildings would not just be rebuilt but upgraded
- a no build zone along the east coast
- a new storm surge warning system
how does monitoring reduce the effects of tropical storms
monitoring allows predictions to be made which can save lives and reduce damage
give an example of monitoring and how it helps
satellites are used to observe the cloud pattern that is usually associated with tropical storms
the global precipitation measurement satellite monitors precipitation every three hours
how does prediction reduce the effects of tropical storms
All available weather data are fed into computers which can predict the path and intensity of storms, warning people of what to do
how does planning reduce effects of tropical storms
Authorities encourage people to plan what they need to have to do in the event of a storm: advice included,
preparing natural disaster supply kits and knowing official evacuation shelters are
how does protection reduce the effects of a tropical storm
buildings have areas of weakness which can be reinforced to reduce damage caused by forceful winds and injuries/death caused by fallen buildings
give 4 examples of weather hazards experienced in the UK
flooding, storms, drought and extreme cold weather
give an example of a recent weather hazard in the UK
The beast from the east
what caused the beast from the east
- originated over the pacific ocean
- cold air mass from Serbia
- sudden stratospheric warming up
impacts from the beast from the east
- roads closures and accidents
- Glasgow airport had 40cm of snow on the runway
- planes were grounded, 100s of flights were cancelled
- A303 car users slept in cars overnight
responses to beast from the east
- stranded drivers were given foil blankets
- councils gritted roads and pavements
what evidence suggests an increase in extreme weather in the uk
data of annual rainfall between 1980 and 2015 have shown that annual rainfall has increased enormously on account of warming air temperatures. this results in more evaporation taking place, and more rainfall
give three examples of evidence that climate change is/ has occurred
- ice cores
- tree rings
- ocean sediment
what is solar activity (sunspot theory)
a sunspot is a dark patch that appears from time to time on the surface of the sun. They are areas of more intense energy
what does solar activity mean in terms of climate change
10 year influence on the earths temperature
more sunspots means more long wave radiation
what is orbital change
the change of the path of the earth as it orbits the sun. The path changes from an circular to an elliptical shape every 100,000 years
what does orbital change means in terms of climate change
if the earth is closer to the sun there is more warming
what does volcanic activity mean in terms of climate change
- volcanic ash can block out the sun and reduce the temperature on earth
- long term volcanoes emit greenhouse gases which lead to the enhanced greenhouse effect
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect
- more CO2 is released into the atmosphere
- sun emits solar radiation, some of which is absorbed by the earth and some of which is reflected
- reflected radiation is absorbed by excess greenhouse gases and remains within our atmosphere, warming the earth up
how does fossil fuels effect climate change
Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, this could come from driving cars or heating homes. As population increases demand for energy also increases therefore more fossil fuels are burnt and more emissions are released
how does agriculture effect climate change
agriculture contributes to 20% of emissions and produces large volumes of methane from sectors such as rice and cattle and as population increases, demand for these foods also increase
how does deforestation effect climate change
deforestation is the clearing of forests on a huge scale, normally for agricultural reasons. trees absorb C02 which reduces the amount in the atmosphere so by cutting them down less CO2 is absorbed. Trees are also sometimes burnt down which releases greenhouse emissions
how does climate change affect people
- flood risk due to more rainfall in the UK, the cost of flooding is estimated to rise from 2.1 billion to 12 billion
- ski tourism in resorts such as the Alps may close or have shorter seasons as there will be less snow
- climate refugees eg Maldives
how does climate change affect the environment
- coral reefs such as the great barrier reef could see biodiversity lost and warmer more acidic oceans
- less rainfall may affect wildlife causing food and water shortages
what is mitigation
reducing the output of greenhouse gases and increase the size of our greenhouse gas sinks
how does alternative energy production reduce CO2
renewable energy sources offer a solution to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases without producing any
how does carbon capture reduce CO2
captures CO2 from the open atmosphere and traps it underground so it is unable to escape
how does planting trees reduce CO2
provides the earth with a natural carbon sink as trees absorb CO2 from the air.
how does international agreements reduce CO2
agreements such as the 2015 Paris climate conference set targets that countries aim to meet eg reducing global emissions by 40%
what is adaption
responding to the impacts of climate change `
how do people change agricultural systems to adapt to climate change
agriculture needs to adapt to the changes of climate change by
- moving production to another location because of change in temp or conditions
- increasing irrigation
- changing variety of crop grown
how do people manage water supply im response to climate change
In the UK Londoners consume 167 litres of water each day compared to the national average of 146. This is can managed by
- reducing demand
- increasing supply
reducing risk from sea levels
London is currently protected against rising sea levels by the thames barrier which has been closed over 100 times to stop sea surges entering London
What is a constructive plate boundary
Where two plates move apart by convection currents and a new crust is formed. Magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap between the plates
what is a destructive plate boundary
where two plates move towards eachother because of convection currents
- found where a continental plate meets an oceanic plate
why are earthquakes found at destructive plate boundaries
earthquakes occur at varying depths along the subduction where the plate sticks and pressure builds up
- oceanic plate decesnds until magma is less dense than the rock
- magma rises to the surface and there is an explosive eruption of gas and lava
what are conservative margins
occurs when two plates move parallel to eachother
why can earthquakes be found at conservative plate margins
as the plates move past each-other they can stick and cause pressure to build up. then the pressure is released and causes the plates to jerk forward causing an earthquake
why can volcanoes not be found at conservative plate margins
there is no gap between the plates for excess material to come through. There is also no subduction or melting of the plates so manga cannot come through
