Natural Hazards Flashcards
Atmospheric pressure
Those hazards to human health and wealth that are created in the atmosphere - including hurricanes and tornadoes.
Drought
A prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle.
Geological hazards
An extreme natural event in the crust of the earth that pose a threat to life and property, for example, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides
Hazard risk
The chance or probability of being affected by a natural event.
Natural hazards
A natural event that has a huge social impact.
Poverty
The state of not having enough material possessions or income for a person’s basic needs.
Tropical storm
A localised, very intense low-pressure wind system, forming over tropical oceans and with winds of hurricane force.
Composite volcanoes
A volcano with a stratified structure built up from sequential outpourings of erupted magma.
Conservative plate margin
Point where plates slide past each other in opposite directions, or in the same direction but at different speeds.
Constructive plate margin
Point where plates move apart from one another creating an opening in the crust.
Continental crust
Outermost layer of the earth comprised of different types of basalt rock.
Convection currents
Movements of energy in the mantle caused by the heat from the core.
Destructive plate margin
The plates move towards one another and this movement can cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
Mantle
Layer of the earth containing magma.
Monitoring
Using scientific equipment to detect warning signs of event such as a volcanic eruption.
Planning
Identifying and avoiding places most at risk of hazards.
Prediction
Using historical evidence and monitoring, scientists can make predictions about where and when hazards can occur.
Primary effect
An immediate, direct result of a natural hazard.
Protection
Designing buildings that will withstand tectonic hazards.
Ridge Push
Gravitational force that causes a plate to move away from the crest of an ocean ridge.
Secondary effect
A knock-on impact of a primary effect, indirect.
Shield volcano
A wide, flat volcano formed by the eruption of highly fluid lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows.
Slab pull
The pulling force exerted by a cold, dense oceanic plate plunging into the mantle due to its own weight.
Subduction
Occurs at destructive plate margins by which slabs of oceanic crust descend into the mantle.
Atmospheric circulation
The natural process whereby general circulation of the earth and regional movements of air around areas of high and low pressure.
Condensation
Change of the physical state of matter from the gas phase into the liquid phase.
Convectional Rainfall
Occurs when the energy of the sun heats the surface of the Earth, causing water to evaporate to form water vapour.
Coriolis effect
The pattern of deflection taken by objects not firmly connected to the ground as they travel long distances around the earth.
Evaporation
When a liquid turns into a gas due to the heat from the sun.
Extreme weather
Weather out of the ordinary that can cause harm to people and the environment.
Eye wall
Strongest part of a tropical storm with strong winds and the heaviest rain.
Pressure Belts
Seven areas that run laterally around the world with a similar pressure system.
Saffir - Simpson scale
A system that classifies tropical storms from a scale of 1-5 based on the sustained wind speeds.
Storm surge
A rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones.
Trade winds
Winds that reliably blow east to west just north and south of the equator.
Wind shear
A change in wind speed and and/or direction over a short distance.
Afforestation
The action of planting trees to promote carbon dioxide uptake.
Axial tilt
The movement of the earth on its axis from 21.5 degrees to 24.5 degrees.
Carbon capture and storage
The process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide before it is released into the atmosphere.
Eccentricity
The changing orbit of the earth from elliptical to circular.
Enhanced greenhouse effect
Additional heat retained due to the increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that humans have released into the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.
Fluctuations
An irregular rising and falling in number or amount; a variation.
Ice cores
A core sample that is typically removed from an ice sheet or a high mountain glacier.
Industrial revolution
The transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United states, involving the mass production of goods.
Mitigation
Reducing the severity of climate change by removing CO2.
Precession
The earth naturally wobbling taking 26,000 years.
Pyroclastic flow
A dense, fast moving flow of solidified lava pieces, volcanic ash, and hot gases.
Quarternary period
A geological epoch covering the last 2.6 million years.
Sunspots
A temporary phenomenon on the sun’s surface that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas.
Volcanic winter
A reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulphuric acid and water obscuring the sun.
