Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Geography > Hazardous Earth > Flashcards

Hazardous Earth Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
U.S. Geography flashcards World Geography flashcards
1
Q

What causes plates to move

A

Covection currents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Name the 3 cells in each hemisphere

A

Hadley cell
Ferrel cell
Polar cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What does differences of temperature cause

A

Difference in air pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are high pressure belts

A

Cool falling air

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are low pressure belts

A

Warm rising air

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What happens at the equator

A

The sun warms the earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What causes a low pressure belt

A

At the equator, the sun warms the earth, which transfers to the air above, causing it to rise

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What causes clouds and rain

A

Areas of low pressure mean as the air rises, it cools and condenses forming clouds and rain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Where does the cool, dry air move out to

A

30 degrees north and south of the equator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What happens at 30 degrees north and south of the equator

A

The cool air sinks creating, a high pressure belt with cloudless skies and high rainfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How is high air pressure created

A

Cool air sinking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is it like in high pressure areas

A

Cloudless and very low rainfall

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is it like in low air pressure places

A

Clouds and rain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What happens to the cool air once it reaches the surface

A

It moves as either surface winds or back to the equator or towards the poles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What happens at 60 degrees north and south of the equator

A

The warmer surface winds meet colder air from the poles. The warmer air is less dense than the cold air so it is forced to rise, creating low pressure and frontal rain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is frontal rain

A

Rain that forms where the warm and cold air masses meet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What happens at the poles of the earth

A

The cool air sinks, creating high pressure. The high pressure air is drawn back towards the equator as surface winds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are ocean currents

A

Large scale movements of water that transfer heat energy from warmer to cooler regions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are surface currents caused by and what do they do

A

Caused by winds and help transfer heat away from the equator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What ocean current bring warm currents to the UK

A

The gulf stream

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the temperature of the earth

A

A balance between the heat it gets from the Sun and the heat it loses to space

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is short-wave radiation

A

The incoming energy from the sun

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is long-wave radiations

A

The outgoing energy from the Earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the greenhouse effect

A

Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere let short-wave radiation in but trap long-wave radiation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Give 2 examples of greenhouse gases

A

Carbon dioxide

Methane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

At what temperature do tropical cyclones develop

A

26.5 degrees

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How do tropical cyclones form

A

The sun heats the sea. Warm air rises. The air condenses which releases a huge amount of energy making storms powerful. The rising air creates low air pressure = more winds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Why do cyclones intensify

A

Due to energy from the warm water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

When do tropical cyclones dissipate. Why.

A

When they move over land or cooler water because the energy supply from the warm water is cut off

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is the centre of the cyclone

A

The eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is the centre of the cyclone caused by

A

Descending air

32
Q

What is the centre of a cyclone like

A

Low pressure, light winds, no clouds, no rain and high temperature in the eye

33
Q

What is the centre of a cyclone surrounded by

A

The eyewall

34
Q

What is the eyewall like

A

Spiralling rising air, very strong winds, storm clouds, torrential rain and a low temperature

35
Q

What are the edges of the cyclone like

A

The wind speed falls, the clouds become smaller and more scattered, the rain becomes less intense and the temperature increases

36
Q

Physical impacts of tropical cyclones on people

A

People may drown due to floods and storm surges
Electricity supplies cut off because cables damaged or swept
Flooding can cause sewage overflows contaminating water supplies
Shortage of clean water and lack of sanitation-easier to spread disease
Unemployment as businesses are damaged or destroyed
Damaged roads-difficult for emergency vehicles/aid

37
Q

Environmental impacts of tropical cyclones

A

Trees are uprooted destroying habitats
Flooding can pollute freshwater environments with salt water
Landslides deposit sediment in rivers and lakes, kill fish and other wildlife
Storm surges erode beaches and damage coastal habitats

38
Q

General facts of hurricane Katrina

A

Category 3
South East USA
29th August 2005

39
Q

Forecasting of hurricane Katrina

A

Monitoring system to predict if and where a hurricane will hit
National hurricane centre in Florida tracks and predicts hurricanes using satellite images and planes collecting weather data on approaching storms

40
Q

Warning and evacuation of hurricane katrina

A

The NHC issued a hurricane warning 3 days prior.
70-80% of New Orleans residents were evacuated before the hurricane reached land. Reduced number of people killed as many people had left the areas it hit

41
Q

Defences from hurricane katrina

A 
Flood defences that were supposed to protect the city failed
Widespread flooding (over 80% of the city was underwater)
42
Q

Impacts of hurricane Katrina on the environment

A

Coastal habitats such as sea turtle breeding beaches were damaged.
Flooding damaged oil refineries causing massive oil spills
Coastal conservation areas were destroyed

43
Q

Impacts of hurricane Katrina on people

A

More than 1800 people killed
300,000 houses destroyed
3 million people left without electricity
Roads damaged and bridges collapsed
230,000 jobs lost from damaged businesses

44
Q

General facts on cyclone nargis

A

Category 4
Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar
2nd May 2008

45
Q

Forecasting of cyclone nargis

A

Myanmar doesnt have a dedicated monitoring centre for cyclones
Doesnt have a radar network that can predict the height of storm surges and waves caused by cyclones

46
Q

Warning and evacuation of cyclone nargis

A

Indian weather agencies warned the government of Myanmar that Cyclone Nargis was likely to hit the country 48 hours before
Warnings were issued on the TV and radio but they didnt reach poor people in rural areas. So more people were killed as they didnt know what to do or where to evacuate to
No emergency preparation plans, no evacuation plans

47
Q

Defences from cyclone nargis

A

Mangrove forests protect the coast from flooding but many had been chopped down reducing the natural protection

48
Q

Impacts of cyclone nargis on the environment

A

Irrawaddy delta was the hardest hit area - 14, 000 km3 of land flooded
38,000 hectares of mangrove forests destroyed
Flooding caused erosion and salination of the land

49
Q

Impacts of cyclone nargis on the people

A

More than 140,000 killed
450,000 houses destroyed
350,000 damaged
65% of rice paddies in the Irrawaddy delta damaged
Diseases caused by poor sanitary conditions and contaminated water

50
Q

What is the centre of the earth

A

The core

51
Q

Features of the inner core

A

Solid ball
Dense
4400-6000 degrees C

52
Q

Features of the outer core

A

Less dense than the inner core
4400-6000 degrees Celsius
Liquid iron and nickel

53
Q

What is around the earths core

A

The earths mantle

54
Q

Features of the earth’s mantle

A

Made up of silicon based rocks
Nearest the core - rigid
Top bit of the mantle - rigid
1000-3700 degrees C

55
Q

What is the layer above the part of the mantle which is closest to the earths core

A

The asthenosphere

56
Q

Describe the asthenosphere

A

Semi molten magma

57
Q

What is the solid outer layer of the Earth

A

The Earth’s crust

58
Q

Features of the Earth’s crust

A

Silicon based rocks
Continental - thicker and less dense
Oceanic - thinner and more dense

59
Q

What are tectonic plates

A

Slabs which the crust is divided into

60
Q

What generates lots of heat in the mantle

A

Radioactive decay of some elements

61
Q

What are convection currents

A

When lower parts of the asthenosphere heat up they become less dense and slowly rise. As they move towards the top of the asthenosphere they cool down, become more dense, and sink slowly
These circular movements of semi-molten rock are called convection currents

62
Q

How do convection currents cause plates to move

A

They create a drag on the base of the tectonic plates

63
Q

What are plate boundaries

A

Where the plates meet

64
Q

Convergent boundaries

A

Two plates moving towards each other. Oceanic plate meets continental plate. Denser oceanic plate is forced underneath the less dense continental crust into the mantle and destroyed.

65
Q

What is formed at convergent plate boundaries

A

Mountains and composite volcanoes

66
Q

How are composite volcanoes formed

A

Oceanic plate forced into the mantle where it’s melted and destroyed
A pool of magma forms
Magma rises though the vents
Magma erupts onto the surface

67
Q

How are mountains formed at a convergent plate boundary

A

Where the two continental plates meet, the plates collide, and the ground is folded and forced upwards to create mountain ranges

68
Q

Divergent boundaries

A

Two plates are moving away from each other. Magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap and cools, creating new crust

69
Q

What is formed at divergent plat boundaries

A

Shield volcanoes

70
Q

How are shield volcanoes formed

A

At divergent plate boundaries, the magma rises up into the gap created by the plates moving apart, forming a volcano

71
Q

What are pyroclastic flows

A

Super heated currents of gas, ash and rock when a volcano erupts

72
Q

Conservative boundaries

A

Two plates are moving sideways past each other, or moving in the same direction but at different speeds where they often get stuck and jolt causing earthquakes

73
Q

What are hotspots

A

A plume of hot magma from the mantle moves towards the surface, causing an unusually large flow of heat from the mantle to the crust
Sometimes the magma can break through the crust and reach the surface meaning there is an eruption and a volcano forms

74
Q

Features of composite volcanoes

A

Explosive eruptions that start with ashy explosions that deposit a layer of ash
Erupt andesitic lava that has a high silica content which makes it thick and sticky. The lava cant flow far so forms a steep sided cone

75
Q

Features of shield volcanoes

A

Not very explosive and are made up of only lava
Basaltic lava which has low silica content and is runny.
Flows quickly and spreads over a wide area, forming a low, gentle-sided volcano

76
Q

What is the focus of an earthquake

A

The point in the Earth where the earthquake starts

Geography (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions