Coastal Hazards - Hazards and Mitigation Flashcards
Most coastal hazards are related to ________ because this is when both _______ and _______ energy are at their highest.
storm events; wind and wave
refer to large, rotating low pressure storm systems that originate in tropical oceans
tropical cyclones
Exceptionally strong tropical storms are called ________, ________, or _______ depending on where they form in the Tropics
typhoons, hurricanes, or cyclones
Tropical cyclone develop over the __________
parts of oceans where a low pressure disturbance can become amplified into a gigantic, rotating storm composed of __________ and ___________
warm tropical ; high winds and intense precipitation
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 _________
storm surge ; river flooding
what causes storm surges?
winds and low pressure within a hurricane
cyclones, hurricane, or typhoons can produce winds with speed of:
> 150 miles/hr
How are hurricanes formed?
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.
Hurricanes form around ____________ as evaporation removes_______ and _______ from tropical waters.
low pressure disturbances ; heat energy and water
________, _______, and ________cause major damage to coastal areas
Intense winds, rains, and wind action
The unusually strong winds associated with
hurricanes result from the circulating air
masses within the storm.
high winds
The unusually strong winds associated with
hurricanes result from
circulating air masses within the storm
Different hurricanes are ranked based on
their__________, with the lowest
category having winds of at least ____________ anything less is called a ___________.
sustained winds ; 74 miles/hr ; tropical depression/storm
used to rank hurricanes based on their wind speed
Saffir-Simpson scale
t or f: the area of low pressure
beneath a hurricane exerts less weight
on the ocean surface, allowing it to rise
t
The rotating eye of a hurricane is an
area of ____________
abnormally low pressure
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 __________
storm surge
storm surges can go up to ___________ rise in seal level
9 meter
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.
storm surge; northeastern ; counterclockwise
explain how storm surges are formed
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
explain how storm surges are formed
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
t or f: tropical depression is stronger than tropical storm
F
what category of hurricane swept over Galveston Island, Texas, in 1900?
hurricane 4
__________ commonly leads to inland flooding far from
where a storm makes landfall.
intense precipitation
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.
forward speed