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Hazardous Earth Flashcards

1
Q

What causes plates to move

A

Covection currents

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2
Q

Name the 3 cells in each hemisphere

A

Hadley cell
Ferrel cell
Polar cell

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3
Q

What does differences of temperature cause

A

Difference in air pressure

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4
Q

What are high pressure belts

A

Cool falling air

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5
Q

What are low pressure belts

A

Warm rising air

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6
Q

What happens at the equator

A

The sun warms the earth

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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

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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

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9
Q

Where does the cool, dry air move out to

A

30 degrees north and south of the equator

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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

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11
Q

How is high air pressure created

A

Cool air sinking

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12
Q

What is it like in high pressure areas

A

Cloudless and very low rainfall

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13
Q

What is it like in low air pressure places

A

Clouds and rain

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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

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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

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16
Q

What is frontal rain

A

Rain that forms where the warm and cold air masses meet

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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.

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18
Q

What are ocean currents

A

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

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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

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20
Q

What ocean current bring warm currents to the UK

A

The gulf stream

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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

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22
Q

What is short-wave radiation

A

The incoming energy from the sun

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23
Q

What is long-wave radiations

A

The outgoing energy from the Earth

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24
Q

What is the greenhouse effect

A

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

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25
Give 2 examples of greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide | Methane
26
At what temperature do tropical cyclones develop
26.5 degrees
27
How do tropical cyclones form
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.
28
Why do cyclones intensify
Due to energy from the warm water
29
When do tropical cyclones dissipate. Why.
When they move over land or cooler water because the energy supply from the warm water is cut off
30
What is the centre of the cyclone
The eye
31
What is the centre of the cyclone caused by
Descending air
32
What is the centre of a cyclone like
Low pressure, light winds, no clouds, no rain and high temperature in the eye
33
What is the centre of a cyclone surrounded by
The eyewall
34
What is the eyewall like
Spiralling rising air, very strong winds, storm clouds, torrential rain and a low temperature
35
What are the edges of the cyclone like
The wind speed falls, the clouds become smaller and more scattered, the rain becomes less intense and the temperature increases
36
Physical impacts of tropical cyclones on people
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
Environmental impacts of tropical cyclones
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
General facts of hurricane Katrina
Category 3 South East USA 29th August 2005
39
Forecasting of hurricane Katrina
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
Warning and evacuation of hurricane katrina
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
Defences from hurricane katrina
``` Flood defences that were supposed to protect the city failed Widespread flooding (over 80% of the city was underwater) ```
42
Impacts of hurricane Katrina on the environment
Coastal habitats such as sea turtle breeding beaches were damaged. Flooding damaged oil refineries causing massive oil spills Coastal conservation areas were destroyed
43
Impacts of hurricane Katrina on people
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
General facts on cyclone nargis
Category 4 Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar 2nd May 2008
45
Forecasting of cyclone nargis
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
Warning and evacuation of cyclone nargis
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
Defences from cyclone nargis
Mangrove forests protect the coast from flooding but many had been chopped down reducing the natural protection
48
Impacts of cyclone nargis on the environment
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
Impacts of cyclone nargis on the people
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
What is the centre of the earth
The core
51
Features of the inner core
Solid ball Dense 4400-6000 degrees C
52
Features of the outer core
Less dense than the inner core 4400-6000 degrees Celsius Liquid iron and nickel
53
What is around the earths core
The earths mantle
54
Features of the earth’s mantle
Made up of silicon based rocks Nearest the core - rigid Top bit of the mantle - rigid 1000-3700 degrees C
55
What is the layer above the part of the mantle which is closest to the earths core
The asthenosphere
56
Describe the asthenosphere
Semi molten magma
57
What is the solid outer layer of the Earth
The Earth’s crust
58
Features of the Earth’s crust
Silicon based rocks Continental - thicker and less dense Oceanic - thinner and more dense
59
What are tectonic plates
Slabs which the crust is divided into
60
What generates lots of heat in the mantle
Radioactive decay of some elements
61
What are convection currents
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
How do convection currents cause plates to move
They create a drag on the base of the tectonic plates
63
What are plate boundaries
Where the plates meet
64
Convergent boundaries
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
What is formed at convergent plate boundaries
Mountains and composite volcanoes
66
How are composite volcanoes formed
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
How are mountains formed at a convergent plate boundary
Where the two continental plates meet, the plates collide, and the ground is folded and forced upwards to create mountain ranges
68
Divergent boundaries
Two plates are moving away from each other. Magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap and cools, creating new crust
69
What is formed at divergent plat boundaries
Shield volcanoes
70
How are shield volcanoes formed
At divergent plate boundaries, the magma rises up into the gap created by the plates moving apart, forming a volcano
71
What are pyroclastic flows
Super heated currents of gas, ash and rock when a volcano erupts
72
Conservative boundaries
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
What are hotspots
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
Features of composite volcanoes
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
Features of shield volcanoes
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
What is the focus of an earthquake
The point in the Earth where the earthquake starts

Geography (5 decks)

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