hazards -DMFRP storm hazards Flashcards
what is the spatial distribution of storm hazards?
.between 5° and 20° north and south of the equator -however once generated, they tend to move westwards
what are the 6 main regions where the most destructive storm hazards occur?
.the Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico – 11%
.western side of South America -17%
.bay of Bengal – 8%
.southeast Asia – 33%
.madagascar – 11%
.north-western and north-eastern Australia – 20%
how are the magnitudes of tropical storms measured?
.Saffir-Simpson scale
what is the saffir Simpson scale?
.a five-point scale based on central
pressure, wind speed, storm surge and damage potential
what is a limitation to using the saffir Simpson scale?
.doesn’t take into account rainfall, or the area affected by the storm eg -a low category cyclone that hits a densely populated urban area can be more damaging than a high-category storm that makes landfall in a remote country
will climate change cause an increase in the number of storm hazards?
.scientists are unsure and say a longer study period will be needed to see any long term trends
will climate change lead to stronger more destructive tropical storms?
.it is suggested that warmer sea temperatures could intensify tropical storm force wind speeds and cause storms to be wetter, increasing flood risk
.sea level rise is likely to make coastal storms more damaging
how is climate change affecting the regions that experience tropical storms?
.as global temperatures rise, the tropics are expanding poleward, meaning that tropical storms may start to affect areas further north and south that have less experience of coping with storm hazards
can tropical storms be predicted?
.tropical storms can be predicted -they occur between 5-20° north and south of the equator
.they also mostly occur from late summer into autumn
.however, no guarantee that the pattern of storms in any given year will mirror this
how are tropical storms predicted?
.each year the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes a prediction of hurricane activity for the forthcoming season
how does the NOAA create a prediction of storm hazard activity for forthcoming seasons?
.sea- surface temperatures, atmospheric conditions and short-term climatic cycles eg -El Nino and La Nina
what has made the prediction of tropical storms more reliable and accurate?
.improved weather models and forecasting
how do the weather models make the prediction more reliable and accurate?
.they use data from satellites to provide them with data about storm structure, rain, wind speed and direction
.run numerical models through supercomputers on a daily basis to enable the prediction of the likely storm track - this is essential as storms tend to follow an erratic path
how can the frequency of storms be predicted?
.the frequency at which a certain intensity of tropical storm can be expected within a given distance at a given location
