Natural Hazards

Question 1

Natural Hazard

Answer 1

A natural event which has the potential to cause harm to human’s or their property.

Question 2

Prediction

Answer 2

Steps taken to try and see when and where a hazard might occur (e.g. satellite observations for tropical storms)

Question 3

Prevention

Answer 3

Steps taken to try and stop a hazard (or associated hazard) from impacting a place (e.g. stabilising steep slopes to prevent landslides during an earthquake)

Question 4

Preparation

Answer 4

Steps taken to ensure that a place is ready for a potential hazard (e.g. conducting earthquake drills or building structures to higher standards)

Question 5

Mitigation

Answer 5

A method of management which aims to prevent something from occurring (e.g. mitigating climate change via the planting of trees)

Question 6

Adaptation

Answer 6

Changes people make in order to deal with hazards (e.g. Growing drought resistant crops to cope with climate change)

Question 7

Focus

Answer 7

The point within the Earth where the pressure is released to cause an earthquake

Question 8

Epicentre

Answer 8

The point directly above the focus of an earthquake where ground shaking is most intense.

Question 9

Greenhouse effect

Answer 9

The warming of Earth through the presence of greenhouse gases (e.g. Carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) in our atmosphere.

Question 10

Eye wall

Answer 10

Part of a tropical storm surrounding the central eye where wind and rain are most intense.

Question 11

Mercalli scale

Answer 11

Scale used to assess earthquake magnitude. Measured from 1-12 and based on the opinions on the damage made by observers.

Question 12

Frequency

Answer 12

How often a hazard occurs

Question 13

Magnitude

Answer 13

The size of a hazard when it occurs

Question 14

Convection currents

Answer 14

Heat driven currents in the mantle which cycle around and move the ‘floating’ plates which sit on top of them,

Question 15

Subduction

Answer 15

The process of dense oceanic plate moving below the less dense continental plate at a destructive plate boundary.

Question 16

Orbital (Milankovitch) cycles

Answer 16

Natural changes to Earth’s orbit of the sun. Thought to have caused historic changes in climate and ice ages. Largest changes occur once every 100 000 years.

Question 17

Thermal expansion

Answer 17

A cause of sea level rise where the additional heat of the water leads to the ocean expanding, taking up more space and causing sea levels to rise.

Question 18

Saffir Simpson scale

Answer 18

Scale from 1-5 which assesses the magnitude of tropical storms based on wind speed.

Question 19

Carbon Capture

Answer 19

Method of mitigating climate change where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the ground.

Question 20

Renewable energy

Answer 20

Method of mitigating climate change where a move is made away from fossil fuels and towards non-emitting energy sources.

Question 21

Extreme weather

Answer 21

Weather which is noticeably different from the climatological average for an area.

Question 22

Global atmospheric circulation

Answer 22

A ‘6-cell’ model of atmospheric circulation. Shows the general flow of global air and how temperature and pressure drive it.