Coastal Hazards - Hazards and Mitigation Flashcards

1
Q

Most coastal hazards are related to ________ because this is when both _______ and _______ energy are at their highest.

A

storm events; wind and wave

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2
Q

refer to large, rotating low pressure storm systems that originate in tropical oceans

A

tropical cyclones

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3
Q

Exceptionally strong tropical storms are called ________, ________, or _______ depending on where they form in the Tropics

A

typhoons, hurricanes, or cyclones

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4
Q

Tropical cyclone develop over the __________
parts of oceans where a low pressure disturbance can become amplified into a gigantic, rotating storm composed of __________ and ___________

A

warm tropical ; high winds and intense precipitation

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5
Q

Winds and low pressure within a
hurricane produce a rise in sea level
called a __________ and will also produce
heavy rains that commonly lead to _________

A

storm surge ; river flooding

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6
Q

what causes storm surges?

A

winds and low pressure within a hurricane

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7
Q

cyclones, hurricane, or typhoons can produce winds with speed of:

A

> 150 miles/hr

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8
Q

How are hurricanes formed?

A

Hurricanes form around low pressure disturbances as evaporation removes heat energy and water from tropical waters. The resulting convection combined with Earth’s spinning motion produces a rotating system centered about the low pressure
area of the eye.

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9
Q

Hurricanes form around ____________ as evaporation removes_______ and _______ from tropical waters.

A

low pressure disturbances ; heat energy and water

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10
Q

________, _______, and ________cause major damage to coastal areas

A

Intense winds, rains, and wind action

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11
Q

The unusually strong winds associated with
hurricanes result from the circulating air
masses within the storm.

A

high winds

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12
Q

The unusually strong winds associated with
hurricanes result from

A

circulating air masses within the storm

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13
Q

Different hurricanes are ranked based on
their__________, with the lowest
category having winds of at least ____________ anything less is called a ___________.

A

sustained winds ; 74 miles/hr ; tropical depression/storm

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14
Q

used to rank hurricanes based on their wind speed

A

Saffir-Simpson scale

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15
Q

t or f: the area of low pressure
beneath a hurricane exerts less weight
on the ocean surface, allowing it to rise

A

t

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16
Q

The rotating eye of a hurricane is an
area of ____________

A

abnormally low pressure

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17
Q

This dome shaped water will literally
move or surge up onto land as the
hurricane makes landfall, producing a
rapid rise in sea level called a __________

A

storm surge

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18
Q

storm surges can go up to ___________ rise in seal level

A

9 meter

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19
Q

This rapid rise in sea level, called a __________, is greatest on the __________ side of the eye as the ___________ rotating system pushes water up against the shoreline.

A

storm surge; northeastern ; counterclockwise

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20
Q

explain how storm surges are formed

A

The decrease in air pressure toward the eye of a
hurricane allows the sea surface to rise, creating a dome of water that follows the storm inland. This rapid rise in sea level is called a storm surge

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21
Q

explain how storm surges are formed

A

The decrease in air pressure toward the eye of a
hurricane allows the sea surface to rise, creating a dome of water that follows the storm inland. This rapid rise in sea level is called a storm surge

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22
Q

t or f: tropical depression is stronger than tropical storm

A

F

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23
Q

what category of hurricane swept over Galveston Island, Texas, in 1900?

A

hurricane 4

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24
Q

__________ commonly leads to inland flooding far from
where a storm makes landfall.

A

intense precipitation

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25
Q

In addition to a storm’s precipitation rate, another key factor affecting the level of flooding is a storm’s _____________ as it moves over land.

A

forward speed

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26
Q

what are considered a “slow moving storm”?

A

less than 10 miles/hr (16 km/hr)

27
Q

t or f: slow moving storm are particularly more dangerous since more rain will fall on a given area compared to a storm that passes more rapidly

A

t

28
Q

t or f: Rainfall intensity will increase when an ocean storm moves inland and encounters rugged or mountainous terrain

A

t

29
Q

explain how an ocean storm increases intensity when encountering mountainous terrain

A

the humid air masses within the storm will rapidly gain elevation, thereby resulting in faster cooling rates which in turn increase the condensation and precipitation rates

30
Q

what is the oldest form of mitigation strategy for storm hazards?

A

avoiding locating large settlements directly on the coasts

31
Q

ways to mitigate storm hazards

A
  1. avoiding locating large settlements directly on the coasts
  2. Development of early warning systems such
  3. weather satellites continuously tracking the storms’ location
  4. forecasting models
  5. elevate a building above the expected storm surge level
  6. Metal straps to secure the roof to the main structure
32
Q

t or f: tsunamis are formed by wind

A

F (it is formed by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and meteorite impact)

33
Q

typical wavelengths of a tsunami

A

6-300 miles (10-500km)

34
Q

height of tsunami waves in deep water

A

less than a meter

35
Q

typical speed of tsunami waves

A

over 500 miles per hour (800 km/ hr )

36
Q

One of the most effective mitigation strategies relies of mitigating tsunami hazards

A

early warning system and public education

37
Q

early warning system involves utilizing a network of ________________ for detecting subduction zone earthquakes that have a potential for generating a
tsunami

A

seismograph stations

38
Q

this instrument detect passing tsunami waves based on their unusually long wave length and high velocity.

A

deep ocean buoys

39
Q

japan tsunami engineering controls

A

large gates and walls

40
Q

are strong currents that flow away from shore

A

rip currents

41
Q

how does rip currents form?

A

when backwash from the surf zone funnels through a break in underwater sand bars

42
Q

create a narrow, but powerful current that flows
toward deeper waters

A

rip current

43
Q

what to do if you get caught in a rip current

A

stay calm and swim parallel to shore

44
Q

Solid walls made of resistant materials such as concrete, rocks, or wood built parallel and on the coast.

A

sea walls

45
Q

what is the downside of a sea wall?

A

as waves break against the sea wall, the energy is directed to the bottom of the sea wall creating a strong backwash that erodes the base of the sea wall, making it unstable and eventually collapse

46
Q

Solid walls usually made of granite built of and
parallel to the coast, or with one end attached to
the coast

A

Breakwaters

47
Q

breakwaters are usually made of________

A

granite

48
Q

breakwater creates a zone of _______ behind them which encourages ___________ and ________ of beaches

A

calm waters ; deposition and formation

49
Q

downside of breakwaters?

A

only the zones behind them are protected while those otherwise are not

50
Q

Solid walls usually made of granite or wood built on and perpendicular to the coast.

A

groynes / groins

51
Q

groins are usually made of

A

granite or wood

52
Q

Absorbs or reduces wave energy and encourages deposition on the side of the groyne facing _____________

A

longshore drift

53
Q

this term refers to a series of groins

A

Groin field

54
Q

what is the downside of groins?

A

down drift beaches (other side of the groin) become starved, causing shoreline retreat to accelerate.

55
Q

barriers made of large rocks and are installed at
the mouth of an inlet to keep sediment from longshore current to clog channels, and thereby reducing dredging costs

A

Jetties

56
Q

t or f: longshore currents will periodically reverse from their dominant direction

A

t

57
Q

why do jetties come in pair?

A

because longshore currents will periodically reverse from their dominant direction

58
Q

what is the downside of using jetties?

A

causes down drift areas to experience rapid shoreline retreat as beaches there are starved of sand.

59
Q

Wire cages filled with small rocks piled up and placed
along the coast.

A

Gabions

60
Q

downside of gabions

A

only offer short term protection
as the rocks are easily eroded away and the cages
corrodes easily.

61
Q

the only real solution to beach starvation is to
manually add sand to the beach in a process called

A

beach nourishment

62
Q

The most cost effective way of nourishing a
beach is usually by

A

pumping sand up onto the beach from
offshore sand deposit

63
Q

t or f: beach nourishment disrupt the longshore current

A

F (does not)