Extreme Weather

Question 1

What are the 4 types of events?

Answer 1

▪︎ Geophysical events
▪︎ Meteorological events
▪︎ Hydrological events
▪︎ Climatalogical events
Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity (these are NOT weather)

Question 2

What are 3 examples of geophysical events?

Answer 2

Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity (these are NOT weather)

Question 3

What are 4 types of Meteorological events?

Answer 3

▪︎tropical storm
▪︎extratropical storm
▪︎convective storm
▪︎local storms

Question 4

What are 2 types of Hydrological events?

Answer 4

▪︎Flood
▪︎Mass movement

Question 5

What are 3 examples of Climatalogical events?

Answer 5

▪︎extreme temperature
▪︎drought
▪︎wildfire

Question 6

What is the coriolis effect?

Answer 6

An effect which makes water spin toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere

Question 7

Where are tropical storms usually found?

Answer 7

Within the tropics- 5° -20° north and south of the equator

Question 8

What are the conditions needed for tropical storms to occur?

Answer 8

•Large areas of tropical ocean
•Warm waters of approx. 25°+
•Strong upward wind force
•Low altitude wind
•Wind blowing in same direction
•Deep ocean

Question 9

What are tropical storms?

Answer 9

Intense low-pressure systems full of intense energy generated from the atmosphere and the water from the oceans. They begin as warm moist air rising quickly above the ocean.

Question 10

What are the impacts of tropical storms?

Answer 10

•Strong winds (measured by saffir-simpson scale)
•Heavy rainfall-flooding
•Storm surges
•Mud/landslide

Question 11

What does a tropical storm do the sea level?

Answer 11

The low air pressure makes sea levels rise -> 1mb drop = 1cm rise in sea level

Question 12

When and where did typhoon haiyan hit?

Answer 12

Central Philippines on Friday 8th Nov 2013

Question 13

Describe the route of typhoon haiyan

Answer 13

•Started in the Pacific ocean, east of the Philippines
•Travelled north-west through the Philippines (cat 5)
•Passes over South China sea (cat 4) towards Northern Vietnam (decreases to cat 3 then to 2)
•It then went north through southern China (cat 1 storm)

Question 14

What is the risk equation?

Answer 14

Risk = hazard x vulnerability
Capacity to cope

Question 15

What topics fall under SEEP?

Answer 15

Social->health, education, housing, death, injuries
Economic-> jobs, money
Environmental->biodiversity, pollution
Political-> governmental

Question 16

What is the only wind that changes in the seasons?

Answer 16

A monsoon

Question 17

What percentage of india’s rainfall does monsoons account for?

Answer 17

80%

Question 18

What does the term sudden stratospheric warming mean?

Answer 18

What is observed in the stratosphere- a rapid warming (up to 50° in just a few days) between 10-50km above the earth’s surface
-> too high for us to feel the heating ourselves

Question 19

What is the stratospheric polar vortex?

Answer 19

A system that circulates cold air high over the arctic every year in winter

Question 20

What are the different types of drought?

Answer 20

▪︎Meteorological drought
▪︎Hydrological drought
▪︎Agricultural drought
▪︎Socio-economic drought
(In order of ascending severity and duration)

Question 21

What is Meteorological drought?

Answer 21

A general lack of precipitation, which may be alongside dry winds and high temperatures.

Question 22

What is Hydrological drought?

Answer 22

A lack of surface and groundwater often due to less precipitation and excessive reliance on surface water for farming, energy etc

Question 23

What is Agricultural drought?

Answer 23

When atmospheric moisture is reduced so much that soil moisture is affected

Question 24

What is Socio-economic drought?

Answer 24

When the supply of G/S ( food, energy) are reduced or threatened by changes in Meteorological and Hydrological conditions

Question 25

What is drought?

Answer 25

A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall leading to a shortage of water

Question 26

How is drought made worse by conflict?

Answer 26

▪︎Malicious soldiers/destruction of food ▪︎Money diverted from food to military ▪︎Farmers forced off land

Question 27

Explain a normal year in el nino and la nina areas

Answer 27

The strong trade winds move warm surface water towards to western Pacific Cold water wells up along the west coast of S.America (near peru)

Question 28

Explain what happens in an el nino year

Answer 28

The warm phase of the El nino southern oscillation occurs where the normal east to west trade winds over the Pacific are disrupted and warm water moves eastwards Air pressure over West coast of S.America becomes low and air pressure over west Australia becomes high

Question 29

Explain what happens in an el nino year

Answer 29

The warm phase of the El nino southern oscillation occurs where the normal east to west trade winds over the Pacific are disrupted and warm water moves eastwards Air pressure over West coast of S.America becomes low and air pressure over west Australia becomes high

Question 30

Explain what happens in a la nina year

Answer 30

Occasionally, as an el nino year dies out, a third weather condition arrives - la nina, which is an exaggerated version of normal conditions Air pressure is unusually high over S.America and lower under E.Australia As warm water is pushed west, sea levels rise by up to 1cm around Indonesia and the Philippines Strong uplift of air leads to heavy rain

Question 31

How often do El nino and La nina years occur?

Answer 31

On average El nino happens every 2-7 years, with la nina in between

Question 32

What are the top factors of wildfires?

Answer 32

Arson(37%) Lightning (23%) Campfires (13%) Farming(10%) Trains(1%)