Environmental hazards (Geography) Flashcards
What are the types of Geomorphological hazards?
Earthquakes
Volcanos
Land slides
Tropical storms
What are the types of meteorological hazards?
Tropical storms
Flooding
Forest fire
Drought
What is a natural hazard?
The threat of a naturally occurring event that will badly effect human society
What is a natural disaster?
Is a NATURAL HAZARD that actually happened
What are the 4 layers of earth?
Inner core
Outer core
Mantle
Crust
Describe the inner core?
Is a solid state, it has a temperature of 5,500’, it is made of iron and nickel
Describe the outer core ?
It is a liquid state, it is cooler than the inner core and is made of iron and nickel
Describe the mantle?
It is a solid state, it has a length of 2,900 km and is made of magma or molten (half solid and half liquid)
Describe the crust ?
It is a solid state, it is very thin (1-60 km) and is made of earth.
What are plates ?
The earths crust is divided into plates.
What is a plate boundary?
Where 2 plates meet is called a plate boundary. Earthquakes, volcanoes and Tsanmies all happen near plate boundaries.
What is continental drift?
The earths crust is broken up into pieces called tectonic plates. Plates move because of changes in the mantle below the earths crust. This is known as continental drift
What are the 2 types of plates ?
Continental - heavy thick, include land
Oceanic- light, thinner, include seas/oceans
Describe the events in the mantle (convection current)
Liquid magma is heated by the cores. It becomes light and is rising slowly. As it gets closer to the crust, the mantle cools and solidify’s. It becomes heavy and returns to the core, where it is being reheated and begins to rise again
What are the 4 plate boundaries ?
Constructive
Destructive
Collision
Conservatory
What is a constructive plate boundary ?
When the plates move apart and form new crust. This can happen under water which forms new islands - Iceland and Hawaii
What is a destructive plate boundary ?
When 2 plates come together but one goes over the other. The oceanic crust weighs less than the continental therefore it sinks under it and creates new crust (is recycled)
What are collision plate boundaries ?
Collisional are also DESTRUCTIVE plate boundaries. These occur when two continental plates meet and form mountains
What is a conservative plate boundary?
When the plates slide past each other. This causes friction to build up which causes earthquakes when released.
What are the places where earthquakes happen on?
Around the Pacific ring of fire West coast of North and South America Mid Atlantic ridge Sea of Asia North of Africa
What are the types of aid?
Voluntary aid
Official aid
Short term aid
Long term aid
What is voluntary aid ?
Is provided by charities and individuals
What is official aid ?
Comes from the government. Usually it is sent from the home country but other countries may also send it
What is short term aid ?
Is needed to rescue people and to provide emergency help for survivors - water, food, medicine, tents, blankets etc.
What is long term aid ?
Is needed to allow the area to return to normal
What are tropical storm and hurricanes?
Tropical storms are severe depressions won’t wind speeds of over 60 km per hour. When a tropical storm reach over 120 km per hour it is called a hurricane.
Where do hurricanes and tropical storms form ?
Form over seas and oceans within 30 degrees of the equator. They form in 50 different countries
How do they move?
They start on the eastern side of the ocean and move west words.
How many people do they kill every year ?
They kill more each year than earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
How many sections do tropical storms have ?
They have 5 sections and some parts are more dangerous than others
What happens in section 1 (the edge of the storm)
Pressure falls as warm air rises and cools. Temperature falls. Gentle winds begin to increase. Showers begin. Clouds form due to the rising and cooling of the warm air
What happens in section 2 (the eye wall)
Pressure falls rapidly as the warm air cools. Temperature falls. Winds increase to at least 60 km/h. Huge cumulonimbus clouds form due to the rapid rising and cooling of the warm air. Torrential rain falls.
What happens in section 3 (the eye)
Pressure is very low. Temperature rise. Calm. Dry. Sunny.
What happens in section 4 (the eye wall)
Pressure rises. Temperature falls. Winds reach greatest force again. Huge clouds build up. Torrential rain falls.
What happens in section 5 (the edge of the storm)
Pressure rises. Temperatures rises. Winds decrease. Clouds break up. Rain becomes showers.
How do hurricanes travel
They travel at about 10 km/h but can speed up or slow down quickly.
Movement is called the track - can change direction suddenly. Once it reaches land, it slows down, changes directions and dies out quickly
What can they do to the waters
Can raise the water at Coastal areas by 10 meters - this results in floods at high tides.
How long can they go for
An average storm lasts about 1-2 weeks
What are the two types of hazards?
Geomorphological - the land
Meteorological - the atmosphere
What is the cycle that forms a hurricane ?
Warm damp air rises quickly, the air begins to spiral because spinning of the earth. The warm air cools as it rises, water vapour condenses and clouds and rain fall form. High in the atmosphere air spreads out, more air spreads out, more warm damp air is sucked in to take its place
What is the information about the seas that an hurricane needs to form?
Warm seas, which have a surface temperature of 27oC or more, and warm water to a depth of at least 60 meters.
What was hurricane Katrina ?
Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane. It was the largest ever hurricane to make landfall in he USA
When and where did hurricane Katrina form?
Hurricane Katrina struck the USA in August of 2005. It formed in July-August starting in the Bahamas.
Where did hurricane Katrina hit
Hurricane Katrina hit Mississippi, southern Florida, and Louisiana.
What was the route of hurricane Katrina and when
On the 24th August, hurricane Katrina is born, she has winds of 60 km/h. On the 25th August, hurricane Katrina is in southern Florida, she has winds of up to 120 km/h. On the 26th,27th and 28th of August, she was over seas. She went up to a category 5 hurricane. 29th and 30th of August she hit land at Louisiana and Mississippi. They got the worst bit, then she died out.
What were the effects of southern Florida ?
Category 1 hurricane. Winds of over 130 km/h, she knocked down trees and power lines. 1.4 million people left without power. Torrential rain caused flooding and damage to houses. $1.5 billion worth of damage to the area mostly because of flooding
What were the effects on Louisiana?
200 km/h winds. Created 7 meter waves that caused coastal flooding. 80% of New Orleans was flooded under 6 meters of water. Flooding destroyed buildings, roads and bridges. 900,000 people lost power. $22 billion of damage.
What were the effects on Mississippi ?
$125 billion of damage. 200 km/h winds and an 8 meter high storm destroyed bridges, houses, roads, washed boats, piers and cars 6 miles inland. All 82 countries in Mississippi were declared as disaster zones
What were the impacts on the people?
Killed 1836 people - most deaths in Louisiana. Most people drowned in flood water but some were trapped in buildings. In Louisiana, 33,544 people had to be rescued from rooftops. 10 years later and around 705 people are still reported as missing. Affected 1.5 million people. Over 1 million people made homeless and hundreds of thousands left unemployed.
What was the aid that they received ?
Hurricane Katrina was the most costliest hurricane ever. People say that the government did not respond quick enough or with enough aid they refused aid from some countries. Aid was received from characters such as Red Cross and international organisation such as NATO
What was the short term aid used for.
The short term aid was used to rescue people from flood water and collapsed buildings also to bring food, water and shelter for the people left homeless.
What did other countries send for the short term aid ?
U.K. and China sent rescue workers immediately. Canada and Mexico sent helicopters and other rescue equipment. Australia and Afghanistan sent money. Slovenia offered $12000 worth of coats, mattresses, blankets, temporary shelters and first aid kits. Pakistan sent doctors and paramedics.
What was that long term aid used for.
So much destruction that vey thing had to be rebuilt - roads, schools, houses and hospitals. US government gave $110 billion to rebuild affected areas but after 1 year only $44 billion had been spent. 10 years later and almost 5000 people still remain homeless and 40,000 buildings are still destroyed.
