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Geography > Climatic Hazards > Flashcards

Climatic Hazards Flashcards

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1
Q

What’s a cyclone?

A

A system of winds rotating inwards to an area of low pressure

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2
Q

What’s a hurricane?

A

A violent tropical storm in the Caribbean region

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3
Q

What’s a typhoon?

A

A violent tropical storm in the Indian and pacific oceans.

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4
Q

What is a tropical storm?

A

A cyclone, hurricane or typhoon (all the same thing)

Typhoons are usually around Asia e.g. The Philippines
Hurricanes are usually found around America and Mexico
Cyclones are usually found around Northern Australia and East Africa.

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5
Q

What are the conditions necessary for a tropical storm?

A

Ocean temperatures exceeding 27°C

Water depth of at least 60m

Wind speeds in excess of 74 mph

Low pressure

Fast rotating winds

They occur during the hottest times of the year

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6
Q

What does a tropical storm form?

A

Warm, moist air rises and condenses into a cloud

More warm, moist air is drawn in

Air rises rapidly in an upward spiral causing high winds

Thick clouds develop which produce heavy rain

Air sinks down the middle of the storm

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7
Q

What features of a tropical storm affect people?

A

Winds
Storm surges
Heavy rainfall

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8
Q

How do the winds of tropical storms affect people?

A

Suction can lift roofs and wooden buildings

Destruction caused by flying debris

Trees are uprooted

Power cables are blown down

It can damage trees, crops and flatten forests

Tall buildings collapse - sudden pressure change causes buildings to explode

Wind speeds can average 250 km/h with gusts reaching 360 km/h

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9
Q

How do storm surges from tropical storms affect people?

A

Combined with high tide, it can increase water levels by over 5m

Results in flooding

Loss of fishing ability

Impacts tourism

Causes issues with sewage

It occurs when the force of the wind piles up water at sea and drives it towards land due to low atmospheric pressure at the centre of the storm.

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10
Q

How does heavy rainfall from tropical storms affect people?

A

Intense rainfall causes secondary hazards:

  • Landslides
  • Mass Earth movements / mudslides and mudflows
  • Inland flooding by rivers
  • The spread of disease due to overflown sewage systems

Heavy rainfall may last several days

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11
Q

How can people and places predict and monitor tropical storms?

A

Satellites - provide data in the size, intensity and movement of storms

Ships and buoys - provide air and sea surface termperatures, wind speed, wave height, wind direction etc

Aircraft - fly into storms to measure wind speeds, pressure, temperature and humidity

Radiosondes - balloons carrying weather instruments and transmitters are released into storms which also provide data on wind speed, pressure, temp’ and humidity.

Radar - radar images provide information on rainfall

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12
Q

How can people and places protect and prepare themselves for a tropical storm?

A

Educate people - this prepares people, reducing panic and increasing planning

Plant trees along the coast as a shelter - reduces flooding, holds land together better and acts as wind breaks

Construct levees - prevents storm surges preventing loss of life

Huge tidal gates - prevents flooding from the surges

They can prepare their own survival kits

Buildings can be put on stilts to avoid flood water or roofs can be fixed on more securely

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13
Q

What’s aridity?

A

Areas where the climate is extremely dry, where precipitation is usually less than potential evapotranspiration

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14
Q

Where do droughts mainly occur?

A

30° north and 30° south of the equator past the equator but not at a temperate climate yet e.g. North Africa.
However this doesn’t represent all droughts as droughts are defined by individual countries.

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15
Q

What causes a drought?

A

A prolonged period of insufficient rain which causes crop failures, famines, high food prices and deaths.

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16
Q

What factors affect the severity of the impacts of droughts?

A

Economics - whether they can afford reservoirs, wells etc. It’s difficult for LEDCs to afford a clean, reliable water supply
LEDCs can’t afford the medicines to treat the increased spread of diseases.

Politics - LEDCs and corrupt governments may result in unequal distribution of water, preventing people from accessing water.
Wars make it harder to get clean water.

Technology - LEDCs struggle to store water/lack of supplies when there is rainfall. Poor technology in LEDCs.

Environment - LEDCs rely on farming so droughts reduce soil fertility and kill crops

Climate - some areas more prone/already arid

Use and users - LEDCs don’t use as much water for leisure so their livelihood and basic needs would immediately be affected.

Social - jobs lost in the primary sector for LEDCs e.g. Fishing, farming.

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17
Q

How can the impacts of a drought be controlled, prevented and limited before the drought?

A

Create reservoirs to supply water on a needs basis

Construct pipes to bring supplies from non-deficit areas

Pass laws ensuring that all water companies fix leaks immediately

18
Q

How can the impacts of a drought be controlled, prevented and limited at the time of the drought?

A

Restrict or prevent car / window cleaning

Encourage showers rather than baths

Use washing/bathing water for plants and gardens

19
Q

What are the primary hazards of droughts?

A

Vegetation dies

People and animals die

Soil dries out

Water shortages (which leads to) :

Reduced water supplies for farming
Manufacturing
Industry
Electricity generation

20
Q

What are the secondary hazards of droughts?

A

Water tables fall:

  • small rivers dry up
  • crops fail
  • starvation

Land degradation:

  • soil erosion
  • overgrazing
  • deforestation

Wild fires

People and animals starve

Conflicts over water supply

Migration for water supply

Unemployment

Dust storms

21
Q

What’s desertification?

A

The degradation of land in arid and semi arid areas resulting primarily from human activities and influenced by climatic variation

It can be due to human mismanagement of fragile environments.
Population increase and poor agricultural practises result in the soul losing it’s protective vegetation cover, leading to soil erosion.
Increased grazing of animals in droughts areas leads to fewer roots to hold soil together.

22
Q

What are long term and short term responses to drought and which is more sustianable?

A

L.T. - result in permanent water management measures to secure more water for everyday use e.g. Dams, pipelines and irrigation systems.

S.T. - temporary methods concentrated on reducing water demand and include water rationing, cash and/or food aid.

Short term is LESS sustainable than long term responses and don’t help people to be better prepared meanwhile L.T. methods are expensive and may not improve efficiency.

23
Q

What are the low tech responses to drought?

A

Building low walls across fields

Planting trees

Use micro dams

Use stone piles to collect water

Plant drought resistant crops

24
Q

How does building a low wall across fields respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

Water is kept on one place and infiltrates and percolates the soil reducing run off.

Adv:
Reduces run off
Saves water

Disadv:
Can obstruct access

25
Q

How does planting trees respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

They conserve moisture in the soil and hold the soil together.

Adv:
Conserves water

Disadv:
Soil erosion
Takes time for large enough trees to grow
Can lead to further drying of the soil

26
Q

How do micro dams respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

They store water and can be used for irrigation

Adv:
Cheap
Prevents crops from dying

Disadv:
Doesn’t prevent deforestation - doesn’t save enough water

27
Q

How does the collection of water from piles of stones respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

Water is collect when water condenses on the cold stones

Adv:
Cheap
Prevents small rivers from drying

Disadv:
May take a long time
May not collect much water

28
Q

How does planting drought resistant crops respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

They can withstand the lack of water

Adv:
Can provide food
Reduces famine and starvation
Maintains jobs

Disadv:
May result in infertile land

29
Q

What are high tech responses to drought?

A

Forecasting and monitoring

Drip and sprinkle irrigation

Concrete water coolers

Build reservoirs

Build new wells

Cloud seeding

Seawater greenhouses

30
Q

How does forecasting and monitoring respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

Monitor temperatures and identity satellite images of early changes in vegetation

Adv:
Helps preparation
Gives advanced warning

Disadv:
Doesn’t provide water/help the issue of water shortages
Accuracy

31
Q

How do drip and sprinkle irrigation systems respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

Water is drawn from elsewhere. Small pipes take water from these channels. Sprinkler jets benefit from the changes in pressure - sprinklers are positioned at angles. Concrete linings ensure the water is clean.

Adv:
Prevents crop failure which reduces starvation

Disadv:
Expensive

32
Q

How do concrete water coolers respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

They utilise hot ground water

Adv:
Prevents water shortages

Disadv:
Expensive

33
Q

How does cloud seeding respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

By injecting clouds with seeds of silver iodide, salts or dry ice to make the clouds’ water particles bigger, yielding more rain

Adv:
Greater water supply
Lower chances of land degradation

Disadv:
Expensive

34
Q

How do seawater greenhouses respond to the impacts of drought and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

A

They use solar power to evaporate seawater to produce freshwater for irrigation

Adv:
Increases water supply
Prevents crop failure

Disadv:
Expensive

35
Q

What are the primary impacts of tropical storms?

A

Buildings and bridges destroyed.

Rivers and coastal areas flooded

People drown or are injured by flying debris

Crops are damaged and livestock are killed

Beaches are eroded

36
Q

What are the secondary impacts of tropical storms?

A

People left homeless

Shortage of clean water

Roads blocked or destroyed

Shortage of food

Suffer psychologically

37
Q

Why are the Impacts of tropical storms more severe for LEDCs?

A

Poorer quality of housing

Poorer infrastructure

People depend on farming

They have little money to use on protection and repair

Poorer healthcare

38
Q

What are the primary impacts of droughts?

A

Vegetation dies

People and animals dehydrate and die

Aquatic animals die

Soil dries out and is easily eroded

39
Q

What are the secondary impacts of droughts?

A

Animals are starved and die

Food shortages - people starve and die

Conflicts over water supplies

People move out

Farms close increasing unemployment

Dust storms form

40
Q

How can the impacts of droughts be reduced?

A

Prediction (helping to initiate bans)

Farming techniques (drought resistant crops and more efficient irrigation methods)

Water conservation and limits

Aid

Increase water supplies (build reservoirs and wells)

Geography (11 decks)

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