Challenge of Natural Hazards

Question 1

What are atmospheric hazards?

Answer 1

hazards caused by weather (atmospheric conditions). including:

• tropical storms
• extreme heat or cold
• climate change

Question 2

What are geophysical hazards?

Answer 2

Hazards caused by the movement of tectonic plates.

• volcanoes
• earthquakes
• tsunamis

Question 3

What are hydrological hazards?

Answer 3

hazards caused by the occurrence, movement and distribution of water

• flooding
• landslides
• droughts

Question 4

What is the hazard risk?

Answer 4

The likelihood of a natural hazard occurring.

Question 5

What factors can affect hazard risk? (4)

Answer 5

• population density
• deforestation
• wealth
• climate change

Question 6

How does population density affect hazard risk?

Answer 6

The more people living in high-risk areas, the greater the probability of them being affected by natural hazards.

Question 7

How does deforestation affect hazard risk?

Answer 7

Destroying large areas of trees can increase the risk of natural hazards : flooding, landslides and drought

Question 8

How can wealth affect hazard risk?

Answer 8

LICs often have more people living in high-risk areas.

LICs may also have less capacity than HICs to cope with disasters.

Question 9

How can climate change affect hazard risk?

Answer 9

It gives rise to more volatile weather. e.g rising temperatures increase the risk of tropical storms and drought.
Wetter seasons can increase the frequency and severity of flooding.

Question 10

What is the disaster risk equation?

Answer 10

risk = (hazards * vulnerability) / capacity to cope

Question 11

How is wind created?

Answer 11

By differences in atmospheric pressure. Air moves from high pressure areas to low pressure areas, resulting in wind. bigger difference in pressure= stronger wind

Question 12

Where and why is there HIGH pressure areas?

Answer 12

the poles- cool air sinks to the Earth’s surface creating high pressure. 30 degrees N and S – the cold, dry air sinks, creating high pressure.

Question 13

Where and why is there LOW pressure ares?

Answer 13

The equator - warm air rises from equator creating a low pressure belt. 60 degrees N and S – the surface air meets colder air from the poles creating a belt of low pressure.

Question 14

What are convection cells?

Answer 14

global patterns of air circulation caused by the difference in air pressure on the Earth’s surface.

Question 15

Order the cells starting from the poles?

Answer 15

Polar, Ferrel, Hadley.

Question 16

Where would you find rain and clear skies?

Answer 16

When rising air from low pressure areas condenses and travel further from the equator.

Clear skies are found at high pressure areas where cold, dry air sinks

Question 17

Where are tropical storms formed?

Answer 17

Between the tropics (30N and 30S) not ON the tropics or the equator as the water is not the right temperature and the coriolis force (spin) is not great enough.

Question 18

Where are hurricanes from?

Answer 18

the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans

Question 19

Where are cyclones from?

Answer 19

Indian and South Pacific Oceans

Question 20

Where are typhoons from?

Answer 20

the west of the North Pacific Ocean.

Question 21

How are tropical storms formed?

Answer 21

1) warm, moist, unstable air rises from the ocean (creating a area of low pressure below)
2) surrounding cooler air is drawn into the area of low pressure- wind
3) this air warms up and takes on moisture, making it rise
4) the mass of rising, warm air cools, forming large clouds and heavy rain
5) latent heat released helps power the storm
6) more air drawn in -> Earth’s rotation causes wind to spiral into the eye
7) colder air sinks into the eye (now calm conditions). prevailing wind pushes storm towards land
8) storm gets bigger and stronger until cold seas or land. These will slow the storm down.

Question 22

Which way to tropical storms spin?

Answer 22

in northern hemisphere, winds curve right -> anticlockwise.

in southern hemisphere, winds curve left -> clockwise.

Question 23

How does climate change affect tropical storms?

Answer 23

Climate change heats the oceans causing sea levels to rise affecting three things:

1. higher FREQUENCY (overall freq not change but more storms will be worse)
2. higher INTENSITY (more heat energy-stronger winds and worse rain)
3. higher DISTRIBUTION ( higher sea temp, storms form further from equator)

Question 24

What is mitigation?

Answer 24

trying to manage something. (for global warming– reducing the output of greenhouse gases)

Question 25

What is adaptation?

Answer 25

changing our lifestyles to cope with a new environment rather than trying to stop climate change