P1 Section C (Hazards)

Question 1

What is a wildfire

Answer 1

A wildfire is a large uncontrolled fire that quickly spreads through vegetation

Question 2

What conditions favour intense wildfires

Answer 2

Dry, densely packed vegetation, enough rainfall to grow vegetation but dry spells and droughts and also wind and natural fuels like eucalyptus

Question 3

How does El Niño and La Niña create wildfires in Australia

Answer 3

El Niño and La Niña creates wildfires as La Niña brings wet seasons to cause vegetation growth and then El Niño provides dry seasons where the vegetation can provide fuel

Question 4

What were black Saturday bushfires

Answer 4

black Saturday bushfires were a series of wildfires in Australia 2009 which killed 173 and burned over 450,000 hectares

Question 5

Primary impacts of black Saturday bushfires

Answer 5

Primary impacts of black Saturday bushfires are killed 173 people, burned over 450,000 hectares, destroyed 3,500 structures, killed 11,800 livestock and cut power supplies to 60,000 people

Question 6

What caused black Saturday bushfires

Answer 6

black Saturday bushfires caused by temperature above 40 C, low humidity and winds over 80mph all in the week leading to the fires, which was ignited by lightening and human activity

Question 7

Types of wildfire

Answer 7

Types of wildlife are crown fires, surface fires and ground fires

Question 8

What are crown fires

Answer 8

Crown fires are the most destructive fires and burn entire trees from top to bottom

Question 9

What are surface fires

Answer 9

Surface fires are when only leaf litter is burnt so they’re easily extinguished

Question 10

What are ground fires

Answer 10

Ground fires are when dry peat or vegetation beneath the surface are burnt and they are difficult to put out and can continue to burn throughout the year if weather conditions allow

Question 11

Responses to black Saturday bushfires 2009

Answer 11

Responses to black Saturday bushfires 2009 were fire danger index measuring the risk of the bushfire on a scale - which is shown before and during the fire and also there is designated emergency radio station which communicates danger

Question 12

Natural causes of wildfires

Answer 12

Natural causes of wildfires are air pressure, wind, temperatures and lightening strikes

Question 13

Anthropogenic causes of wildfires

Answer 13

Anthropogenic causes of wildfires are land use (if irrigated less likelihood of fire), arson and recreational activity

Question 14

Positive feedback loop of wildfires in water cycle

Answer 14

Positive feedback loop of wildfires in water cycle is reducing vegetation, meaning less transpiration so less humidity so drier and more likely to catch fire

Question 15

Positive feedback loop of wildfires in carbon cycle

Answer 15

Positive feedback loop of wildfires in carbon cycle is releasing carbon stored in vegetation, increasing CO2 in atmosphere so enhancing greenhouse effect and making earth warmer so more likelihood of wildfires

Question 16

How is preparedness used to manage wildfires

Answer 16

preparedness is used to manage wildfires by techniques like USAs national weather service issuing warnings to fire departments, firebreaks set up and evacuation zones in place

Question 17

How is mitigation used to manage wildfires

Answer 17

mitigation is used to manage wildfires by techniques like NASA developing drone technology to survey vast areas like Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and disaster aid and fire insurance like the A$12 million raised for 1983 Australian Ash Wednesday fires and building homes with materials that don’t produce harmful substances when burnt

Question 18

How is adaption used to manage wildfires

Answer 18

Adaption is used to manage wildfires by techniques like letting wildfires take their course and restricting access to areas that are at risk, for example space out trees so crowns at least 20 feet apart

Question 19

Location of Alberta wildfire 2016

Answer 19

Location of Alberta wildfire 2016 was Canada’s Alberta province particularly the city of Fort McMurray

Question 20

What caused Alberta wildfire 2016

Answer 20

Alberta wildfire 2016 had unknown cause, but a shift in wind direction resulted in the fire moving into the outskirts of Fort McMurray

Question 21

Impacts of Alberta wildfire 2016

Answer 21

Impacts of Alberta wildfire 2016 were 90,000 people fled the city, 2,400 homes and buildings burnt down, costed the nearby oil industry 1 billion Canadian dollars and the fire fuelled political debates about impacts of climate change

Question 22

Responses to Alberta wildfire 2016

Answer 22

Responses to Alberta wildfire 2016 were Canadian Red Cross receiving $50 million Canadian, recreational centres were set up to house evacuees and mitigate trauma and USA Russia and Australia all offered help

Question 23

What were the conditions which led to Alberta’s wildfire 2016

Answer 23

conditions which led to Alberta’s wildfire 2016 was a lack of winter snowfall, warmer temperatures which dried the ground and a change in wind direction to an unpredictable location

Question 24

How is Philippines multi-hazardous

Answer 24

Philippines is multi-hazardous as it is located on a destructive plate boundary with 22 volcanoes, frequent EQs, prone to tsunamis, average 20 typhoons per year and steep topography and high rainfall leading to landslides

Question 25

How is the Philippines population vulnerable to hazards

Answer 25

the Philippines population is vulnerable to hazards as 30% live within 30km of a volcano. many of the poor live in coastal areas, 25% of the population are in poverty and there is rapid urbanisation

Question 26

how did 2006 hazards affect Philippines

Answer 26

2006 hazards affected Philippines as an EQ killed 15 people and it led to landslides and tsunamis with 3m waves that flooded the area

Question 27

how did 2013 hazards affect Philippines

Answer 27

2013 hazards affected Philippines as an EQ killed 223 people, typhoon Haiyan killed over 7000 people and tropical floods killed 6 people - all within 3 months

Question 28

problem with response to Australian Black Saturday 2009 bushfire

Answer 28

problem with response to Australian Black Saturday 2009 bushfire was that fire advisers sent from USA and France in response often gave out inaccurate information to public since they were reliant on emergency radio station (who were reliant on public phone calls) to direct people and so safety information system collapsed with over 80% of phone calls seeking crucial information going unanswered