Hazardous Earth GCSE

Question 1

What are the 3 cells ?

Answer 1

Hadley
Ferrel
Polar

Question 2

How is heat transferred by ocean currents?

Answer 2

Surface currents are caused by winds that transfer heat energy away from the equator. E.G the gulf stream

Deep ocean currents are when frozen water sinks causing warmer water to rush up to the surface . This repeated process causes a cycle transferring heat energy around the world

It is called THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION

Question 3

How are arid climates formed?

Answer 3

Sinking air caused my hadley and ferrel cells cause high pressure preventing rainfall .

Question 4

How are tropical climates formed ?

Answer 4

Rising air from 2 hadley cells causes low pressure allowing air to rise condense and from clouds which produce precipitation .

Question 5

How is the polar climate formed?

Answer 5

Sinking air from 2 polar cells

Question 6

Orbital changes

Answer 6

Eccentricity-when the path from the earth to the sun changes shape

Tilt-axis is tilted at an angle

Wobble- axis wobbles like a spinning top

These factors effect the amount of solar radiation the earth receives

Question 7

How has volcanic activity effected the earths climate

Answer 7

Eruption emits ash clouds that blocks the sun rays decreasing temperatures in certain areas . E.G the year without summer 1816 Indonesia

Question 8

What is the evidence of natural climate change

Answer 8

Tree rings - thickness of rings show the temperature of each year. Scarring can show where forest fire took place

Ice core- drills collect long cores of ice . They can analyse what gases are trapped in the ice cores and identify temperatures of years.

Historical recordings.

Question 9

What human activity has enhanced the green house effect

Answer 9

Farming -live stock produce green house gases and deforestation reduces absorption of carbon dioxide.

Industry- industrial processes release huge amounts of greenhouse gases due to combustion of fossil fuels

Transport- most transport releases pollutants car ownership is increasing

Question 10

What is the proof of climate change?

Answer 10

Thermal expansion leads to an increase of sea levels

Artic ice has decreased 3 percent in the last 35 years

Temperature has increased by 1 degree since 1880

Question 11

What are the impacts climate change will have on people

Answer 11

Heat increase can cause death

Lowers crop yields causing starvation

Areas will become barren of water and vegetation leading to an increase of immigration

Question 12

Why is there an uncertainty when tracking climate change.?

Answer 12

Emissions will vary and is hard to know how much the population will grow

It is extremely difficult to gauge all scenarios of climate change

It is impossible to predict any management schemes that will be put into effect in the future

Question 13

Formation of a tropical cyclone

Answer 13

Can only develop if the sea temperature is at least 26.5 degrees and when the wind shear is low

Warm moist air rises and condenses releasing a huge amount of energy. Rising air causes low pressure

Earths tilt will cause the storm to spin

The cyclone will intensify as more heat energy is collected from the warm waters

They dissipate when moving over land or cold water because their energy supply runs short

Question 14

Features of a tropical cyclone

Answer 14

Centre of cyclone is 50 km side . High temp but low pressur

Eye wall is a spiraling wall of rising air around 160 km per h

Question 15

Physical hazards of a tropical cyclone

Answer 15

High winds
Intense rainfall
Storm surges 
Coastal flooding 
Landslides

Question 16

Environmental impacts of tropical cyclones

Answer 16

Trees are uprooted
Storm surges causes coastal erosion
Flooding polluted water sources
Landslides deposit sediment in rivers

Question 17

What physical attributes would a country have to make it vulnerable to a tropical cyclone

Answer 17

Low lying coast line making it more vulnerable to flooding

Steep hillsides increase the risk of landslides

Question 18

What economic attributes would a country have to make it vulnerable to a tropical cyclone

Answer 18

More dependent on agriculture . Cyclones destroy agriculture therefore a loss of lively hoods would occur .

A lack of funds to repair damages done to buildings and roads

Question 19

How would a country be socially vulnerable to a tropical cyclone ?

Answer 19

Health care is poor so many go untreated

Little money for flood defenses

Harder to rescue people as there would not be a dedicated emergency response team

Question 20

Strategies to respond to a tropical cyclone

Answer 20

Forecasting allows countries to priorities certain areas to evacuate and defend . Allowing for a reduction of casualties.

Evacuation plans will allow for a quicker evacuation process as civilians will be prepared

Defences such as sea walls will be built along the coast to reduce damage to major cities . Houses can be specifically built to withstand natural disasters

Question 21

USA HURRICANE KATRINA CASE STUDY!

29th August 2005

Answer 21

forecasting - sophisticated monitoring system predicted where the cyclone would hit. NHC (national hurricane centre in florida)

Warning and evacuation- warning issued 3 days before the hit allowing for 70-80 percent of new Orleans to get out massively reducing casualties.

Defences- completely failed . 80 percent of the city was flooded causing huge damages to buildings.

Impacts on environment- coastal habitats were destroyed
Flooding causes oil refineries to spill
Half of Brenton national wildlife refuge was washed away

Impacts on people-1800 died
330000houses were destroyed
3 million were left with no electricity
230000 jobs were lost

Question 22

CYCLONE NARGIS MYANMAR!

2nd May 2008

Answer 22

Forecasting- no monitoring system and no prediction of storm surges.

Evacuation- they had only 48 hours to evacuate. They broadcasted the warning on television and radios. Most people lived in rural communities and could not get access to the technology .

Environmental impacts- 38000 hectares of mangrove forest destroyed
Flooding caused salination
14000 km2 of land was flooded

Impacts on the people- 140000 were killed
450000 houses destroyed
Contaminated waters caused huge spreads of disease