Geography Paper1 Flashcards
What is a ‘natural hazard’?
A natural event (for example earthquake, volcanic eruption, tropical storm, flood) that threatens people or has the potential to cause damage, destruction and death
What is hazard risk?
Hazard risk is the chance or probability of being affected by a natural event
What factors affect hazard risk?
Poverty - poorer places will struggle to adequately prepare for a hazard or be able to respond.
Magnitude - the severity of the hazard will make the impacts worse
Population density - areas that have high populations will experience more destruction.
Education - how educated the population are to react and prepare for the hazard
Describe the structure of the earth starting from the outermost layer?
OUTERMOST: 1. Crust - the outermost layer of the Earth, broken into tectonic plates.
2. Mantle - semi-molten part of the Earth.
3. Outer core - liquid iron and nickel
CENTRE: 4. Inner core - solid iron and nickel
What causes the plates to move?
Convection currents in the mantle
What are convection currents
Circulating movements of magma in the mantle caused by the heat of the core
Describe the global distribution of earthquakes?
Earthquakes occur in lines which coincide with plate margins. There are many along the western coast of North and South America.
Describe the global distribution of volcanic eruptions.
Volcanoes are found both on land and in the sea. They tend to be found along plate margins. Some volcanoes are found in the centre of plates. These are known as hot spots. There is a large band of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean known as the Ring of Fire.
What is oceanic crust?
The part of the Earth’s crust which is below the oceans.
What is continental crust
The part of the Earth’s crust that makes the continents
What is the difference between oceanic and continental crust?
Oceanic crust is thinner (5-10km thick) and more dense than continental crust.
Oceanic crust is recycled at destructive margins as it subducts under the continental crust.
Continental crust is thicker (20-200km thick) and is less dense than oceanic crust.
Continental crust cannot be destroyed.
What is a conservative plate margin?
A plate margin where the tectonic plates are sliding past each other
What is a constructive plate margin?
plate margin where the tectonic plates are moving apart
What is a destructive plate margin?
plate margin where an oceanic and a continental plate collide
What are tectonic hazards
Threats posed by earthquakes, volcanoes etc
What is subduction?
The transformation into magma of a denser tectonic plate as it dives under a less dense plate
Define ‘epicentre
The point on the ground directly above the focus (centre) of the earthquake
Define ‘focus’?
The point of origin of an earthquake
What are tectonic plates
The large pieces of broken crust that cover the earth
What is a plate margin?
boundary between two tectonic plates
What are primary effects?
The impacts of a natural disaster that happen immediately or soon after the event
What are secondary effects
The after effects of a disaster eg. disease spreads or economic losses
Define response?
The way in which people react to a situation eg. an earthquake
List two characteristics of a composite volcano?
Made up of alternating layers of lava and ash (other volcanoes just consist of lava)
Found at destructive boundaries
List two characteristics of a shield volcano?
Shield volcanoes are usually found at constructive or tensional boundaries
They are low, with gently sloping sides
List some reasons why people live in areas at risk from tectonic hazards?
Fertile farmland on volcanic soil (environmental)
Income from tourism (economic)
Lack of other alternatives (social)
Mining precious minerals (socio-economic)
Describe the primary effects of the Nepal earthquake
9,000 deaths
20,000 people injured
3 million without a home
US$5 billion of damage
50% shops destroyed
Airport became congested as aid arrived
Schools and buildings destroyed
1.4 million people needed food and water days after the quake
Describe the secondary effects of the Nepal earthquake
Ground shaking triggered landslides and avalanches, blocking roads, making relief difficult
Avalanches killed 19 people
A landslide blocked the Kali Gandaki River - causing risk of flood.
Describe the immediate responses to the Nepal earthquake
Other countries helped in search and rescue and provided medical supplies.
Helicopters rescued people caught in the avalanche on Mount Everest.
Half a million tents needed to provide shelter for the homeless
Field hospitals were set up to alleviate pressure on hospitals.
300,000 people migrated from Kathmandu
Social media helped to map damage of area
Describe the long term responses to the Nepal earthquake?
Roads repaired and landslides cleared.
Lakes, formed by landslides damming rivers, were emptied to avoid flooding.
Homeless were re-housed.
School to be re-built or repaired.
Reopening of some heritage sites to boost tourism.
Everest Base camp repaired
Describe what is meant by ‘monitoring’ tectonic hazards?
Using scientific equipment to detect warning signs of events such as a volcanic eruption
What is meant by ‘prediction’?
Using evidence and monitoring information to make a judgement about when an earthquake or volcano is likely to happen.
What is meant by tectonic hazard ‘protection’?
Designing buildings to withstand tectonic hazards
Define immediate response
Short-term or immediate - a response in the days and weeks immediately after a disaster has happened. Short-term responses mainly involve search and rescue and helping the injured. Long-term - responses that go on for months and years after a disaster.
Define long term response
Long-term - responses that go on for months and years after a disaster. It involves rebuilding destroyed houses, schools, hospitals, etc. It also involves kick-starting the local economy.
Name 4 different ways of mangement
Planning, prediction, protection, monitoring
What happened during ‘super’ Typhoon Haiyan
On the 8th November 2013, at 4:40 am, a category 5 tropical storm hit the Philippines with wind speeds up to 275 km/h and waves as high as 15 m
What were 3 of the primary effects of this storm?
About 6,300 people died, 90% of Tacloban city was destroyed and around 30,000 fishing boats were destroyed
What were 3 of the secondary effects of this storm?
6 million people lost their source of income, power supplies were cut off for a month and shortages of water, food and shelter affected many people leading to outbreaks of disease
What were some of the immediate responses to Typhoon Haiyan?
The authorities evacuated 800,000 people, many sought refuge in an indoor stadium in Tacloban but died when it flooded also a curfew was imposed two days after Typhoon Haiyan to reduce looting
What were some of the longer term response to Typhoon Haiyan?
In July 2014, The government introduced the ‘Build Back Better’, a new storm surge warning system was developed and mangroves were replanted
What were some of the economic consequences of Typhoon
The damage to rice cost US$53 million, three-quarters of farmers and fishers lost their income and the overall damage was US$12 billion
What was the international response to Typhoon Haiyan?
Thirty-three countries and international organisations pledged help, with rescue operations and an estimated US$88.871 million but also more than US$1.5 billion was pledged in foreign aid
The ‘Beast from the East’ describes…
The cold and windy weather conditions that affected the U.K. from the 24th February to the 4th March 2018
How was Storm Emma involved?
BfE combined with Storm Emma which made landfall on the 2nd March (primary impact of winds in excess of 70mph)
Some places experienced temps as low as…. (primary impact)
-10 degrees
