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Geography - Basics > Hazards > Flashcards

Hazards Flashcards

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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
Q

What is protection (hazards)

A

Process of building structures that will reduce the impacts

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26
Q

What is planning (hazards)

A

Preparation of an area to be able to cope with and reduce the impacts of hazards

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27
Q

What can cause earthquakes to pose a greater risk / be more destructive

A

Magnitude
Plate margins - some plate margins produce more destructive earthquakes

Construction standards - buildings with a strict regulations are less likely to collapse

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28
Q

How can volcanos be monitored

A

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

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29
Q

How can volcanos be predicted

A

The data collected can help predict a few days before eruptions

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30
Q

How are earthquakes monitored

A

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

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31
Q

How can earthquakes be predicted

A

Using seismic waves we can see where an earthquake will occur but not when

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32
Q

How can we protect against earthquakes

A

By rethinking how buildings and roads are designed

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33
Q

Why is it warmer at the equator

A

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

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34
Q

What is coriolis effect

A

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
Q

What are the different cells of the earth, starting from the edge and going to the center

A

Polar cell
Ferrel Cell
Hadley Cell

36
Q

What is pressure like between the hadley cells (on the equation)

A

Warm air rises, condenses and cools

Areas of low pressure

37
Q

What is the pressure like between the hadley and ferrel cells

A

Cold air is sinking, so there are areas of low pressure

38
Q

How does wind move in the Northern hemispher

A

It moves in an anticlockwise direction

39
Q

How does wind move in the southern hemisphere

A

It moves in a clockwise direction

40
Q

What degrees North / south of the equator can tropical storms be foun

A

5 to 30° N/S

41
Q

What are tropical storms originating in the atlantic ocean called

A

Hurricanes

42
Q

What are tropical storms originating in the Indian Ocean called

A

Cyclones

43
Q

What are Tropical storms formed in the Pacific Ocean called

A

Typhoons

44
Q

Where do tropical storms form

A

Above oceans where the sea temperature is at least 27°C

45
Q

What time are tropical storms most frequent

A

During summer and autumn, when the sea is at its warmest

46
Q

How do tropical storms form

A

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
Q

How do tropical storms dispate

A

Friction from land causes them to slow down

48
Q

How is climate change increasing the impact of tropical storms

A

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
Q

What is a storm surge

A

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
Q

What are the 3 main hazards from tropical storms

A

Strong winds (can be 150mph+)
Storm Surges
Heavy rain

51
Q

How are the effects of tropical storms reduced

A

Through:

Monitoring
Prediction
Protection
Planning

52
Q

How are tropical storms monitered

A

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
Q

How do people protect against tropical storms

A

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
Q

How do people plan for tropical storms

A

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
Q

Weather

A

A description of day to day composition of the atmosphere in a certain area

56
Q

What is climate

A

The average weather of a place over a long period of time

57
Q

Different types extreme weather

A

Extreme heat and drought
Thunderstorms
Strong wind
Heavy snow and extreme cold
Prolonged rainfall

58
Q

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

A

1 - The arctic
2 - Eastern europe / russia
3 - Atlantic
4 - Africa

59
Q

What is extreme weather

A

A weather event is significantly different to the average / usual weather pattern and is especially severe or unseasonal

60
Q

What evidence is there for increasing extreme weather in Britain

A

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
Q

Quaternary period

A

A period that started 2.5 million years ago

62
Q

What are glacial periods

A

Periods of generally low temperatures (below 0°C)

63
Q

What inter glacial periods

A

Periods between glacial periods

64
Q

How do we know the climate is changing

A

The ice on land is melting, increasing sea levels.

Since 1984 artic sea ice has shrunk by 300million km^2

65
Q

How do tree rings show the climate is changing

A

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
Q

How much has the sea levels risen in the past 100 years

A

10 - 20cm

67
Q

How do changes in the earth orbit effect climate change

A

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
Q

How does volcanic activity contribute to global warming

A

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
Q

How does solar activity effect climate

A

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
Q

How does burning of fossil fuels cause climate change

A

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
Q

How does deforestation cause climate change

A

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
Q

How does agriculture cause a change in climate

A

Livestock cause 9% of global co2 emissions
And 40% of global methane emissions

This contribution to greenhouse gases warms the atmosphere

73
Q

What is adaptation (to hazards)

A

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
Q

What is mitigation

A

Action taken to reduce or eliminate the long term risk to human life or property.

E.g international agreements on carbon emissions

75
Q

Alternate energy production - mitigation

A

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
Q

Carbon capture and storage - mitigation

A

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
Q

Planting trees - mitigation

A

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
Q

International agreements - mitigation

A

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
Q

Change in agriculture - mitigation (climate change)

A

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
Q

How have changes in agriculture been seen (adaptation)

A

Acuba rice is being used in southeast asia and it is able to be soaked in floodwater

81
Q

Managing water supply - adaptation

A

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
Q

Reducing risk from rising sea levels - adaptation

A

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
Q

What are some risks of climate change

A

£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
Q

What are meteorological hazards

A

Hazards caused by the earths atmosphere

Geography - Basics (6 decks)

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