Flooding, Hurricanes and Monsoons Flashcards
What are 3 human reasons why rivers flood?
Deforestation - trees and vegetation absorb water so a lack of them leads to lower saturation levels.
Urbanisation - tarmac and concrete don’t absorb water.
Drains and sewers - make water go directly into rivers, means the river can’t take it all at once.
What are 3 physical reasons why rivers flood?
Prolonged or heavy rainfall (ground reaches saturation, limits infiltration),
Mountains (water runs down them faster),
Impermeable rocks (the water flows over them rather than infiltrates).
What were the key impacts from Storm Desmond 2019?
Flooding and Power cuts.
Roads and schools closed, railways experiencing delays, NHS only running necessary appointments, water and heating utilities lost.
How does a hurricane form? (5)
1) Hurricanes are formed over an area of extremely low pressure over the ocean.
2) This leads the air to rise rapidly.
3) This means that water vapour is pulled upwards quickly.
4) The water vapour cools and condenses, turning into clouds that rotate quickly above the ocean.
5)Wind pushes it inwards towards land.
What are the main impacts of a hurricane?
Storm surge: this is a rise of water in the ocean causing big waves and flooding.
Flooding: heavy, intense rain and the storm surge causes an increase in flooding, and can damage crops and property.
High wind speeds: causes devastation to homes, buildings, property and infrastructure.
How are monsoons formed?
In places such as India, the land warms up in the spring fast.
Air rises above the land, and sucks up air from the ocean.
The moist air rises and condenses and forms rain clouds.
The monsoon rains fall over India and move North.
What are the main impacts of a monsoon?
It causes extreme rain and flooding, and wet and dry seasons.
