Global Warming & Disasters Flashcards
What is a disaster? What are the main 2 types?
sudden calamitous event that brings great damage, loss, or destruction, often occurring unexpectantly
- NATURAL - meteorological, geological, environmental, biological
- MAN-MADE - technological, industrial, warfare
What are earthquakes?
tremor/shaking of Earth due to collision between 2 tectonic plates
How do volcanoes cause disaster? Where do they cause most disasters?
erupts molten rock, ashes, and gases (lava) onto the Earth’s surface (under the earth = magma), often also causing earthquakes
75% of volcanic eruptions occur in the Pacific Ring of Fire
What is a tsumani? Wildfire? Flood?
gigantic wave carrying water that destroys everything in its way, commonly due to earthquakes or volcanic eruptions at the bottom of the sea
frenzy of forest or grassland burning common during dry seasons and caused by man or lightning strikes or friction between stones or dry grasses
accumulation of water in specific locations, common during excessive rainfall, river outflow, or the ocean
What is the difference between tornados and hurricanes?
TORNADO = funnel-shaped air/wind that rotates at high speeds, made on land
HURRICANE = violent storm of wind formed at sea and travels to land at 150 mph
What is climate change? What is the most likely cause?
long-term shifts in average temperature, rainfall, and weather patterns ina region or planet over a long period of time
human activities, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, which produces heat-trapping gases
What are the 2 reasons that Earth is considered a hospitable planet?
- located at an ideal distance from the Sun
- atmosphere gases hover other the Earth to keep it at a hospitable temperature (greenhouse effect) by trapping solar heat
What are the 6 greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? What do they do?
- carbon dioxide
- water vapor
- nitrogen oxide
- methane (ruminants, bacteria)
- ozone (O3)
- chlorofluorocarbons (production of refrigerant coolants releases it into the atmosphere)
let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, while preventing heat from leaving (keeps Earth from freezing)
What is responsible for current climate change and global warming? What are 3 causes?
increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- natural
- man-made
- greenhouse gas effects
What are 2 natural causes of climate change?
- volcanic eruptions produce aerosol particles that cool Earth and CO2 that warms it (produces 50x less CO2 than humans)
- El Nino Southern Oscillation - changing water temperature n the Pacific Ocean (El Nino year = warm, El Nina year = cool)
- these causes are not persistent, and do not explain the persistent warming of the Earth
What are the 4 man-made causes of climate change?
- burning fossil fuels, like oil, gas, and coal releases CO2 from the ground into the air
- deforestation releases the CO2 that was removed and stored by the trees and allows for quicker buildup (also caused when burned)
- agriculture - planting crops and rearing animals releases methane (30x more powerful than CO2) and nitrous oxide (from fertilizers, 300x more powerful than CO2)
- cement production is responsible for 2% of CO2 emissions
What is the greenhouse effect? What gases occur naturally in the atmosphere?
greenhouse gases absorb some of the infared radiation instead of passing it straight into space, which allows the atmosphere to emit it in all directions, heating up the Earth —> necessary for survival, Earth would be uninhabitable and too cold without
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide
What are greenhouse gases? What happens when their concentration in the atmosphere is too high?
gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and keep it from escaping into space
Earth heats at a much higher (and dangerous) rate —> enhanced greenhouse effect = main cause of climate change and natural disasters
Why do ocean levels rise during climate change? Why is rain and storms/cyclones so common?
enhanced greenhouse effect heats Earth, which causes glaciers to melt
increased water vapor in the sky from the ocean and land also increases the moisture in the sky
increased pressure difference in the sky compared to the ocean and land
What are some disasters commonly caused by climate change?
- floods
- heatwaves
- drought
- hurricanes
- wildfires
- loss of glacial ice
Mapping and zoning the USA by 8 disasters:
Major causes of death for natural disasters:
Summary:
