Environmental Hazards Formation and Distribution

Question 1

Describe the distribution of tropical storms (5)

Answer 1

1. Tropical storms are found between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn
2. They only form over warm water (26 degrees Celsius min)
3. They loose energy and die out when they reach land
4. Because of the direction of wind in the tropics, the storms most often travel westwardly
5. Because the spinning of the earth is felt less at the equator, tropical storms are most often found just north or south of here

Question 2

Explain the formation of a tropical storm (6)

Answer 2

1. Water in tropical oceans warm up causing evaporation
2. Air above the water warms up and rises which in turn causes the surrounding air to be drawn in to replace the rising air
3. The air starts to spiral due to the spinning of the earth
4. The rising air cools high up and causing condensation - this results in cumulonimbus clouds forming
5. Cold air drops down the middle of the spiral causing clear conditions in the ‘eye’ of the storm.
6. When the storm reaches land it looses the input of warm water and eventually fizzles out and dies

Question 3

Describe in detail the distribution of cities most threatened by earthquakes (4)

Answer 3

1. Most earthquake threatened cities are found on the edge of tectonic plates
2. There is a cluster of such cities along the pacific coast of western USA - for example LA
3. There is another cluster along the pacific coast of Japan - For example Tokyo
4. There is another cluster by the Mediterranean sea - For example Athens, Greece