Global hazards Flashcards
Context hazard
Global threat due to environmental factors such as climate change
Geophysical hazard
A hazard formed by tectonic/geological processes (earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis)
Hazard
A perceived natural event which has the potential to threaten both life and property
Hydro-meteorological hazard
A hazard formed by hydrological (e.g. floods) and atmospheric (e.g. storms and droughts) processes
Vulnerability
A high risk combined with an inability of individuals and communities to cope
Disaster
A hazard becoming a reality in an event that causes deaths and damage to good/property and the environment
Risk
The probability of a hazard event occurring and creating loss of lives and livelihoods
Albedo
How much solar radiation a surface reflects
Climate change
Any long-term trend or shift in climate (average weather over 30 years) detected by a sustained shift in the average value for any climatic element (e.g. rainfall or drought)
Enhanced greenhouse effect
This occurs when the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase due to human activity
Fossil fuels
Energy sources that are rich in carbon and which release carbon dioxide when burnt (e.g. coal)
Global warming
A recently measured rise in the average surface temperature of the planet
Greenhouse effect
The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere due to the trapping of heat that would otherwise be radiated back into space, enabling the survival of life on Earth
Tipping point
The point at which a system switches from one state to another
Feedback mechanism
Where the output of a system acts to amplify (positive) or reduce (negative) further output (e.g. the melting of the Arctic permafrost leads to the release of trapped methane which leads to further global warming)
