Geophysical Phenomena Flashcards

Question

What are the stages of formation of a thunderstorm

Answer 1

Land heats the air at land expands and moves up hence low pressure is created at land and air comes in at a height the air condenses water and air becomes ice and comes down as droplets therefore rain

Answer 2

Add the upward clouds there is ice and water which is excessively negatively charged at -5°C to -15°C the positive charge at high and low there for coming contact and charge

Answer 3

It is that land there is high wind speed than tropical cyclones the low-pressure is higher exact mechanism is not known they survive at land and water suck up the water at the Centre

Answer 4

It is described as a whirling cone of low pressure over the poles that is strongest in the winter months due to the increased temperature contrast between the polar regions and the mid- latitudes, such as the US and Europe.

Answer 5

El Nino and La Nina are complex weather patterns resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Region. They are opposite phases of what is known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It is the “warm phase” of a larger phenomenon called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The El Nino event is not a regular cycle, they are not predictable and occur irregularly at two- to seven-year intervals. The climatologists determined that El Nino occurs simultaneously with the Southern Oscillation. The Southern Oscillation is a change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific Ocean. When coastal waters become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific (El Nino), the atmospheric pressure above the ocean decreases.

Answer 6

non-El Nino conditions in the Pacific Ocean. - Normally, strong trade winds blow westward across the tropical Pacific, the region of the Pacific Ocean located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Impact on Ocean: El Nino also impacts ocean temperatures, the speed and strength of ocean currents, the health of coastal fisheries, and local weather from Australia to South America and beyond. Increased Rainfall: Convection above warmer surface waters brings increased precipitation. Rainfall increases drastically in South America, contributing to coastal flooding and erosion. Diseases caused by Floods and Droughts: Diseases thrive in communities devastated by natural hazards such as flood or drought. El Nino-related flooding is associated with increases in cholera, dengue, and malaria in some parts of the world, while drought can lead to wildfires that create respiratory problems. Positive impact: It can sometimes have a positive impact too, for example, El Nino reduces the instances of hurricanes in the Atlantic. In South America: As El Nino brings rain to South America, it brings droughts to Indonesia and Australia. These droughts threaten the region’s water supplies, as reservoirs dry and rivers carry less water. Agriculture, which depends on water for irrigation, is also threatened. In Western Pacific: These winds push warm surface water towards the western Pacific, where it borders Asia and Australia. Due to the warm trade winds, the sea surface is normally about 0.5 meter higher and 4-5° F warmer in Indonesia than Ecuador. The westward movement of warmer waters causes cooler waters to rise up towards the surface on the coasts of Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. This process is known as upwelling. Upwelling elevates cold, nutrient-rich water to the euphotic zone, the upper layer of the ocean.

Answer 7

La Nina means The Little Girl in Spanish. It is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Nino, or simply "a cold event." La Nina events represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the east-central Equatorial Pacific. It is indicated by sea-surface temperature decreased by more than 0.9℉ for at least five successive three-month seasons. La Nina event is observed when the water temperature in the Eastern Pacific gets comparatively colder than normal, as a consequence of which, there is a strong high pressure over the eastern equatorial Pacific.

Answer 8

Europe: In Europe, El Nino reduces the number of autumnal hurricanes. La Nina tends to lead to milder winters in Northern Europe (especially UK) and colder winters in southern/western Europe leading to snow in the Mediterranean region. North America: continental North America Stronger winds along the equatorial region, especially in the Pacific. Favourable conditions for hurricanes in the Caribbean and central Atlantic area. Greater instances of tornados in various states of the US. South America: La Nina causes drought in the South American countries of Peru and Ecuador. It usually has a positive impact on the fishing industry of western South America. Western Pacific: In the western Pacific, La Nina increases the potential for landfall in those areas most vulnerable to their effects, and especially into continental Asia and China. It also leads to heavy floods in Australia. There are increased temperatures in Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and off the Somalian coast.

Answer 9

El Nino: Strong El Nino events contribute to weaker monsoons and even droughts in India Southeast Asia. La Nina: The cold air occupies a larger part of India than the El Nino cold air. In the ‘La Nina year’, rainfall associated with the summer monsoon in Southeast Asia tends to be greater than normal, especially in northwest India and Bangladesh. This generally benefits the Indian economy, which depends on the monsoon for agriculture and industry. It usually brings in colder than normal winters in India. La Nina influences the Indian subcontinent by piping in cold air from Siberia and South China, which interacts with the tropical heating to produce a north-south low-pressure system. The cold air of La Nina associated with this north-south trough tends to extend much further south into India. This is remarkably different from the more northwest-southeast blast of cold air associated with El Nino. The pressure pattern going north-south means lesser impact of western disturbances. The cold temperature can go down as far as Tamil Nadu, but may not affect the North East that much.

Answer 10

Inundation of land

Answer 11

``` Heavy rains cloudburst La Nina situation bad drainage terai region , swampy soil water logging basin topography Punjab and Haryana shaped like a bowl siltation landslide between the river course global warming glacial melting deforestation poor settlement management too close to the river ```

Answer 12

Intergovernmental panel on climate change fourth and fifth report has stated that high levels of rain at India with heat of the Tibetan pl. have called the floods Another cause is sand mining around the river Solution 11th plan for flood management programme Flood control commission to control 23 rivers Nepal and China information exchange at origin of the river Stop silting

Answer 13

It spins in the stratosphere When the vortex is the strongest cold air is less likely to plunge deep into the North America or Europe It forms a wall and protects the mid-latitudes from the cold Artic air When the stratosphere becomes warm the polar vortex is weakened This split the polar vortex

Answer 14

Causes decline and extreme winter weather in the eastern United States along with northern and western Europe It leads to the warming of the stratosphere and the troposphere A warmer artic favour severe winter weather in the northern hemisphere mid-latitude

Answer 15

Caused 1771 deaths between 1 April 2019 and March 31, 2020

Answer 16

It is very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere some of which is directed towards the earth surface

Answer 17

As per climate resilient observing systems promotion Council - early lightning warnings to farmers , cattle Grazing , children and people in open areas is the key The local lightning safety action plan like installing lightning protection devices is also need to prevent deaths The Centre increased the compensation for victims of natural disasters to 4,00,00 in 2015 In the last five years there were 13,994 families which bring the total compensation to 359 crores

Answer 18

huge, funnel-like, spiral geomagnetic storm that occurs above the polar Ionosphere of Earth, during extremely quiet conditions.

Answer 19

result of the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field interacting.

Answer 20

As per their report, the hurricane measured roughly 600 miles across and rained down charged electrons for as long as eight hours. ● The space hurricane spun counterclockwise at speeds up to 4,700 miles per hour, the academic paper reported. ● The hurricane was reported in space directly above the North Pole.

Answer 21

The new finding could help scientists learn more about how the Sun affects Earth's atmosphere, gathering more details on how space weather might harm satellites and other objects in orbit.

Answer 22

The IMD says heatwave is considered when the maximum temperature of a station touches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains, 37 degrees Celsius or more for coastal regions and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for hilly regions.

Answer 23

1 Magnified effect of paved and concrete surfaces in urban areas and a lack of tree cover. 2. Urban heat island effects can make ambient temperatures feel 3 to 4 degrees more than what they are. 3. More heat waves were expected as globally temperatures had risen by an average 0.8 degrees in the past 100 years. Night-time temperatures are rising too. 4. Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becomingly increasingly frequent globally due to climate change. 5. High intensity of UV rays in medium-high heat wave zone. 6. Combination of exceptional heat stress and a predominantly rural population makes India vulnerable to heat waves.

Answer 24

1. Identifying heat hot-spots through appropriate tracking of meteorological data and promoting timely development and implementation of local Heat Action Plans with strategic inter-agency co-ordination, and a response which targets the most vulnerable groups. 2. Review of existing occupational health standards, labour laws and sectoral regulations for worker safety in relation to climatic conditions. 3. Policy intervention and coordination across three sectors health, water and power is necessary. 4. Promotion of traditional adaptation practices, such as staying indoors and wearing comfortable clothes. 5. Popularisation of simple design features such as shaded windows, underground water storage tanks and insulating housing materials. 6. Advance implementation of local Heat Action Plans, plus effective inter-agency coordination is a vital response which the government can deploy in order to protect vulnerable groups.

Answer 25

Rapid rises in heat gain due to exposure to hotter than average conditions compromises the body’s ability to regulate temperature and can result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia. Deaths and hospitalizations from heat can occur extremely rapidly (same day), or have a lagged effect (several days later) and result in accelerating death or illness in the already frail, particularly observed in the first days of heatwaves. Even small differences from seasonal average temperatures are associated with increased illness and death. Temperature extremes can also worsen chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular disease and diabetes-related conditions. Heat also has important indirect health effects. Heat conditions can alter human behavior, the transmission of diseases, health service delivery, air quality, and critical social infrastructure such as energy, transport, and water.

Answer 26

linear feature in a landscape dictated by an underlying geological structure such as a fault.

Answer 27

According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Sonitpur district lies within a tectonically complex triangular area bounded by the east-west trending Atherkhet Fault, the northwest-southeast trending Kopili Fault and a north-south trending lineament.

Answer 28

The Siang Fracture, Yemla Fault, Namula Thrust and Canyon Thrust are spread across the northeast and are active along with Main Himalayan Thrust, Main Boundary Thrust, Main Central Thrust and several subsidiary faults. 2. The northeast is demarcated as Seismic Zone V, which indicates a zone with high vulnerability. 3. The Indian plate is moving northeast toward the Eurasian plate in the Himalayan region, their oblique collision and release of stress and strain accumulated in the local tectonic or fault environments lead to earthquakes.

Answer 29

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) maintains rotating lists of names. The word Tauktae has been suggested by Myanmar, which means 'gecko', a distinctively vocal lizard, in the Burmese language. ● The name is the fourth from a new list of 169 names released by the IMD last year.

Answer 30

A WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Panel on Tropical Cyclones agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea during its 27th session held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, in 2000. ● The naming of the tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004, with names provided by eight members, starting with Bangladesh, followed by India. Since then, another five countries have joined the Panel. ● The Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC), New Delhi is responsible for naming the cyclonic storms formed over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea when they reach the relevant intensity

Answer 31

Wind always blows from high pressure to low pressure areas. High pressure areas are created in the cold region while low is created in the warm regions. Polar regions are high pressure areas as the amount of sunlight here is less than the tropical region. So, wind blows from polar regions to tropical regions. ● Then comes the Earth's movement, which is west to east. The Earth's rotation on its axis causes deflection of the wind (in the tropical region as the speed of spinning of Earth is higher compared to polar sides due to its spherical shape — blowing from both the polar regions. Wind coming from the Arctic is deflected to the right while Antarctic wind deflects to the left side. ● So, wind is already blowing in a direction. But when it reaches the warmer place, cool air starts getting attracted to the centre to fill the gap. So while moving to the centre, cool air keeps getting deflected resulting in circulation of wind movement — this process continues until the cyclone hits the land.

Answer 32

1. The vast low pressure created by the warm water of the ocean. 2. The Bay of Bengal shaped like a trough that makes it more hospitable for storms to gain force. 3. The high sea surface temperature makes matters more worse in the Bay triggering the intensity of the storms. 4. The Bay of Bengal also gets more rainfall with sluggish winds and warm air currents around it that keep temperatures relatively high all year. 5. The constant inflow of fresh warm water from the perineal rivers like Bramhaputra, Ganga makes it further impossible to mix with the cooler water below. 6. Lack of landmass between the Pacific Ocean and the Bay of Bengal tend cyclonic winds to move into the coastal areas causing heavy rainfall. 7. The absence of air movements from north-western India towards the Bay in the post-monsoon phase is also another reason for the chances of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.

Answer 33

● It is much calm as the stronger winds help dissipate the heat. ● Lack of constant fresh water helps the warm water to mix with the cool water underneath, reducing the surface temperature. ● The Arabian Sea enjoys the locational advantage as the winds from the Pacific Ocean encounter the Western Ghats and the Himalayas cutting down on its intensity and sometimes never reaching the Arabian Sea.