Key Terms Summer 1

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Climate Change

Answer 2

A long-term change in the earth’s climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.

Question 3

Conservative plate boundary

Answer 3

Tectonic plate margin where two tectonic plates slide past each other.

Question 4

Constructive plate boundary

Answer 4

Tectonic plate margin where rising magma adds new material to plates that are diverging or moving apart.

Question 5

Destructive plate boundary

Answer 5

Tectonic plate margin where two plates are converging or coming together and oceanic plate is subducted. It can be associated with violent earthquakes and explosive volcanoes.

Question 6

Earthquake

Answer 6

A sudden or violent movement within the Earth’s crust followed by a series of shocks.

Question 7

Economic impact

Answer 7

The effect of an event on the wealth of an area or community.

Question 8

Environmental impact

Answer 8

The effect of an event on the landscape and ecology of the surrounding area.

Question 9

Extreme weather

Answer 9

This is when a weather event is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern, and is especially severe or unseasonal. This may take place over one day or a period of time. A severe snow blizzard or heat wave are two examples of extreme weather in the UK.

Question 10

Hazard risk

Answer 10

The probability or chance that a natural hazard may take place.

Question 11

Immediate responses

Answer 11

The reaction of people as the disaster happens and in the immediate aftermath.

Question 12

Long term responses

Answer 12

Later reactions that occur in the weeks, months and years after the event.

Question 13

Management strategies

Answer 13

Techniques of controlling, responding to, or dealing with an event.

Question 14

Mitigation

Answer 14

Action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from natural hazards, such as building earthquake - proof buildings or making international agreements about carbon reduction targets.

Question 15

Monitoring

Answer 15

Recording physical changes, such as earthquake tremors around a volcano or tracking a tropical storm by satellite, to help forecast when and where a natural hazard might strike.

Question 16

Natural hazard

Answer 16

A natural event (for example earthquake, volcanic eruption, tropical storm, flood) that threatens people or has the potential to cause damage, destruction and death.

Question 17

Orbital change

Answer 17

Changes in the pathway of the Earth around the Sun

Question 18

Planning

Answer 18

Actions taken to enable communities to respond to, and recover from, natural disasters, through measures such as emergency evacuation plans, information management, communications and warning systems.

Question 19

Plate boundary

Answer 19

The boundary or margin between two tectonic plates

Question 20

Prediction

Answer 20

Attempts to forecast when and where a natural hazard will strike, based on current knowledge. This can be done, to some extent for volcanic eruptions and tropical storms, but less reliably for earthquakes.

Question 21

Primary effects

Answer 21

The initial impact of a natural event on people and property, caused directly by it, for instance the ground buildings collapsing following an earthquake.

Question 22

Protection

Answer 22

Actions taken before a hazard strikes to reduce its impact, such as educating people or improving building design.

Question 23

Quaternary period

Answer 23

The period of geological time from about 2.6 million years ago to the present. It is characterized by the appearance and development of humans and includes the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs.

Question 24

Secondary effects

Answer 24

The after-effects that occur as indirect impacts of a natural event, sometimes on a longer timescale, for instance fires due to ruptured gas mains, resulting from the ground shaking.

Question 25

Social impact

Answer 25

The effect of an event on the lives of people or community

Question 26

Tectonic Hazard

Answer 26

A natural hazard caused by the movement of tectonic plates (including volcanoes and earthquakes).

Question 27

Tectonic plate

Answer 27

A rigid segment of the Earth’s crust which can ‘float’ across the heavier, semi-molten rock below. Continental plates are less dense, but thicker than oceanic plates.

Question 28

Tropical storm (hurricane, cyclone, typhoon)

Answer 28

An area of low pressure with winds moving in a spiral around the calm central point called the eye of the storm. Winds are powerful and rainfall is heavy.

Question 29

Volcano

Answer 29

An opening in the Earth’s crust from which lava, ash and gases erupt.