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Hazards Flashcards

1
Q

What is a hazard

A

A geophysical event that impacts humans or human activities

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2
Q

What is deggs model

A

A model showing how an event becomes classified as a disaster

When a hazardous event crosses over with a vulnerable population

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3
Q

What are atmospheric hazards

A

Hazards created in the atmosphere through the movement of water and air

Storms / drought

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4
Q

What are geological hazards

A

Hazards caused by the movement of the earth’s tectonic plates or buy surface process affecting rock and soils

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5
Q

What are water based (flood hazards)

A

Hazards created by river seas or oceans

E.g
River flooding
Storm surges
Sea level rise

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6
Q

What are Biological hazards

A

Any biological agent that poses a threat to the health of the people

E.g
Covid 19
Malaria
Cholera

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7
Q

What factors increase the RISK of hazards

A

Poor infrastructure
Poor hygiene
Population density
Human activities (E.g mining increases landslides)

Location - (being on a plate boundary)

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8
Q

What are the earths layers + their depths

A

Crust (0km -100km)
Mantle (100km - 2900km)
Outer core (2900km - 5100km )
Inner core (5100km - 6378km )

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9
Q

What is the lithosphere

A

The crust and upper (mostly solid) mantle

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10
Q

What is found in the outer core + temperature

A

Around 4,400°C it is liquid and made from iron and nickle

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11
Q

What is the inner core made of + temp

A

It is around 6000°C
However it is still solid due to compression and force applied by higher layers

It is mostly iron and nickel

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12
Q

Why are the plates moving

A

Two theories

Convection

Ridge push and slab pull

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13
Q

What is the convection theory

A

This is the less accepted theory

As magma in the mantle sinks it pulls some crust with it.
When magma rises it pulls some of the crust
Currents beneath the lithosphere build pressure and carry beneath plates

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14
Q

What is ridge push and slab pull

A

The more accepted reason for why plates are moving

Ocean ridges form above the ocean floor at constructive margins
Beneath these ridges the mantle melts and magma rises, as the plates pull apart
This forms new plate material
:
The lithosphere condenses and as it becomes denser it begins to slide down away from the ridge
This movement causes plates to move away from each other (this is ridge push)

Slab pull occurs at denser margins where the denser plate sinks down into the mantle under the influence of gravity

The plate is also pulled down with it.

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15
Q

What happens at a constructive / divergent plate boundary

A

Two plates are pulling apart and magma rises upwards

When the magma breaks through the crust it cools and condenses

When the magma breaks through earthquakes can occur

The magma also causes shield volcanos as it can flow a long distance before cooling

E.g Iceland

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16
Q

What happens at destructive / convergent plate boundaries

A

The plates are moving towards each other
The denser plate is subducted beneath the less dense plate (pulled below)

The oceanic plate is usually denser

As the plate is pulled downward it melts (due to friction and earth’s temperature)

This forms a deep oceanic trench
Magma then breaks through the surface and forms steep sided composite volcanos

E.g West coast of South America

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17
Q

What happens at conservative /transform plate boundaries

A

The plates are sliding past each other, generating friction

Over time the friction causes stresses to build up and when the plates shift / slip they are released causing earthquakes.

There are no volcanos as there is no magma

E.g San Andreas fault

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18
Q

What is a primary effect

A

Things that happen as a direct result of a hazard

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19
Q

What is a secondary effect

A

Things that happen indirectly due to a hazard

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20
Q

What is a short term response

A

What is done immediately to help recovery and reconstruction after an event (hours or days)

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21
Q

What is a long term response

A

What is done to help recovery and reconstruction in the weeks, months or years following an event

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22
Q

What is monitoring (hazards)

A

The process of observing changes in conditions of tectonic areas

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23
Q

What is prediction (hazards)

A

Process of using information and historical data to make predictions om future techtonic events

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24
Q

What is protection (hazards)

A

Process of building structures that will reduce the impacts

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25
What is protection (hazards)
Process of building structures that will reduce the impacts
26
What is planning (hazards)
Preparation of an area to be able to cope with and reduce the impacts of hazards
27
What can cause earthquakes to pose a greater risk / be more destructive
Magnitude Plate margins - some plate margins produce more destructive earthquakes Construction standards - buildings with a strict regulations are less likely to collapse
28
How can volcanos be monitored
Gas emissions around volcanos can be measured - as magma rises gas increases Seismic waves can be measured to see if a volcano is about to erupt Satellite images and remote sensing can monitor thermal activity, magma and gas changes
29
How can volcanos be predicted
The data collected can help predict a few days before eruptions
30
How are earthquakes monitored
Seismometers are used to monitor seismic waves (small earth quakes before the big one) Laser beams can be used to detect earthquakes by directing the beam across a fault line
31
How can earthquakes be predicted
Using seismic waves we can see where an earthquake will occur but not when
32
How can we protect against earthquakes
By rethinking how buildings and roads are designed
33
Why is it warmer at the equator
The energy from the sun (sunbeams) is most concentrated in this area, so the area is warmer Where the earth is curved the sunbeams are less concentrated
34
What is coriolis effect
The direction winds move due to the constant eastward rotation of the earth. Winds will always blow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure These winds are important in moving moisture and heat
35
What are the different cells of the earth, starting from the edge and going to the center
Polar cell Ferrel Cell Hadley Cell
36
What is pressure like between the hadley cells (on the equation)
Warm air rises, condenses and cools Areas of low pressure
37
What is the pressure like between the hadley and ferrel cells
Cold air is sinking, so there are areas of low pressure
38
How does wind move in the Northern hemispher
It moves in an anticlockwise direction
39
How does wind move in the southern hemisphere
It moves in a clockwise direction
40
What degrees North / south of the equator can tropical storms be foun
5 to 30° N/S
41
What are tropical storms originating in the atlantic ocean called
Hurricanes
42
What are tropical storms originating in the Indian Ocean called
Cyclones
43
What are Tropical storms formed in the Pacific Ocean called
Typhoons
44
Where do tropical storms form
Above oceans where the sea temperature is at least 27°C
45
What time are tropical storms most frequent
During summer and autumn, when the sea is at its warmest
46
How do tropical storms form
Hot air above the sea rises, creating areas of low pressure As the air rises it cools and condenses forming clouds The air in the surrounding area rushes in to fill the gap caused by rising air The air then begins to spiral due to the earths movement
47
How do tropical storms dispate
Friction from land causes them to slow down
48
How is climate change increasing the impact of tropical storms
Higher global temperatures mean they are more frequent and can form in more areas Wind speeds are predicted to increase between 2 - 11 percent When sea levels rise, storm surges will be higher, causing more widespread damage
49
What is a storm surge
Floods associated with strong winds The storm pushes the water from the sea to the land Due to the storms low pressure the sea level bulges upwards, making it appear higher Water from a storm surge can glow 100m inland
50
What are the 3 main hazards from tropical storms
Strong winds (can be 150mph+) Storm Surges Heavy rain
51
How are the effects of tropical storms reduced
Through: Monitoring Prediction Protection Planning
52
How are tropical storms monitered
Airplanes can drop special probes into the strom that gathers information about winds pressure humidity and temperature Satellites, ocean buoys, ground stations and monitoring platforms from meteorological institutes all over the world do the same thing
53
How do people protect against tropical storms
Buildings can be designed differently (e.g.built on stilts to avoid storm surges) Gutters get rid of excess rain Shutters protect windows Built on raised land
54
How do people plan for tropical storms
Planning for tropical storms is mostly about raising awareness In the USA they have a Hurricane Preparedness week' People can also prepare by a bag of clothes Practicing evacuation drills
55
Weather
A description of day to day composition of the atmosphere in a certain area
56
What is climate
The average weather of a place over a long period of time
57
Different types extreme weather
Extreme heat and drought Thunderstorms Strong wind Heavy snow and extreme cold Prolonged rainfall
58
Where does extreme weather in the uk come from Heavy snow / bitterly cold conditions (1) Severe winter weather (2) Storms (3) Hot and sunny weather / droughts / heawaves
1 - The arctic 2 - Eastern europe / russia 3 - Atlantic 4 - Africa
59
What is extreme weather
A weather event is significantly different to the average / usual weather pattern and is especially severe or unseasonal
60
What evidence is there for increasing extreme weather in Britain
Frequency of extreme events is increasing 2003 - heatwaves (record breaking temps of 39.5°C) 2007 - floods 2008 - floods 2009 - heavy snow (20cm of snow fell in the capital) 2010 - heavy snow 2013/14 - floods 2015/16 - floods (December 2015 was wttest and warmest month) 2018 - snow 2023 - heatwaves (new high temperatures of 40°C)
61
Quaternary period
A period that started 2.5 million years ago
62
What are glacial periods
Periods of generally low temperatures (below 0°C)
63
What inter glacial periods
Periods between glacial periods
64
How do we know the climate is changing
The ice on land is melting, increasing sea levels. Since 1984 artic sea ice has shrunk by 300million km^2
65
How do tree rings show the climate is changing
Rings in trees show how long they have been growing The size and width of these rings depends on the temperature that year. Look further back, tree rings used to be smaller
66
How much has the sea levels risen in the past 100 years
10 - 20cm
67
How do changes in the earth orbit effect climate change
The earth has a regular astronomical cycle When the earth is less tilted towards the sun we have cooler summers When the earth's tilt is greater we have warmer summers Due to the earth elliptic orbit the distance between it and the sun changes throughout the year
68
How does volcanic activity contribute to global warming
When they erupt they emit greenhouse gases which the temperature to rise When they erupt they release ash which blocks out the sun reducing temperatures
69
How does solar activity effect climate
The energy released by the sun varies overtime A 1% change in solar energy can cause 0.5°C / 1°C Sunspot activity also affects solar output Between 1645 and 1715 there was a small ice age due to a decrease in sunspot activity
70
How does burning of fossil fuels cause climate change
Coal used in 2011 equivelent 4 billion tons oil In 1994 it was 2.25 billion tones Burning fossil fuels releases gases such as Co2
71
How does deforestation cause climate change
1.6 million hectares of trees were cut down in 2001 Releasing 760million tonnes of Co2 Trees act as carbon sinks → cutting them releases the CO2
72
How does agriculture cause a change in climate
Livestock cause 9% of global co2 emissions And 40% of global methane emissions This contribution to greenhouse gases warms the atmosphere
73
What is adaptation (to hazards)
Actions taken to adjust to natural events such as climate change, to reduce potential damage, limit the impacts take advantage of opportunities or cope with the consequences
74
What is mitigation
Action taken to reduce or eliminate the long term risk to human life or property. E.g international agreements on carbon emissions
75
Alternate energy production - mitigation
Burning of fossil fuels for power uses 57% of all co2 production By moving to renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro electric or tidal power carbon emissions Uk aims to produce 15% of its energy through renewable sources These sources are very expensive
76
Carbon capture and storage - mitigation
Possible to capture and store up to 90% of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels used in electricity When captured gas is transported and compressed through a pipeline to an injection well. It is injected as a liquid into the ground to be stored in geological reservoirs. It os extremely expensive to do E.g in teeside
77
Planting trees - mitigation
Trees act as carbon sinks by removing c,o2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis Plantations absorb co2 quickly due to the vast number of trees 2mill hectares of the amazon are planning to be reforested, in order to mitigate climate change This process takes a while as the trees need to grow
78
International agreements - mitigation
Agreements such as the paris agreement (3015( are made to control global temps of the world 195 countries agreed to keep global temperature rise under 2°C (Us$100 billion donated) These are promises not aims so countries may break them
79
Change in agriculture - mitigation (climate change)
As southern africas graze crop is predicted to fall 30% by 2030 they will have to: Use new irrigation systems Introduce drought resistant crops. Educate farmers in water harvesting techniques This will be time consuming and expensive to teach people
80
How have changes in agriculture been seen (adaptation)
Acuba rice is being used in southeast asia and it is able to be soaked in floodwater
81
Managing water supply - adaptation
Climate change has caused increasing numbers of droughts Rainfall is less reliable so water needs to be managed. Millions in asia depend on rivers fed by melting glaciers for agricultural water supply In ladakh india villages use an artificial glacier project to maintain water They collect water in winter and freeze it so that it melts in spring, providing water to the village Sometimes they cannot collect enough water in winter, to support spring
82
Reducing risk from rising sea levels - adaptation
By 2100 sea levels are predicted to rise 28cm This will cause flooding in low countries such as vietnam As sea levels rise freshwater will decrease (contaminated by floodwater) Building raised houses, constructing sea walls and restoration of coastal forests all help to reduce the effect of rising sea levels
83
What are some risks of climate change
£12 billion in flooding damage sin the uk by 2080 Warmer and more acidic oceans will destroy coral reefs and ecosystems such as the great barrier reef Maize and wheat yields in south america will decrease
84
What are meteorological hazards
Hazards caused by the earths atmosphere

Geography - Basics (6 decks)

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