P1 - Unit 1A - Natural hazards Flashcards
What are the characteristics of the Oceanic crust?
Denser Thinner Can be renewed Can be destroyed Younger
What are the characteristics of the Continental crust?
Less dense Can't be renewed Can't be destroyed Older Thicker
Define: epicentre
The point directly above the focus on the surface of the earth
Define: focus/hypocenter
The point within the earth where the earthquake rupture starts
-near the focus shock waves are stronger and cause more damage
What happens at a destructive plate boundary?
- when you have oceanic and continental plates moving towards each other
- The oceanic plate is sub-ducted because it’s denser
- friction between the plates cause earthquakes
- heat in the earth melts the oceanic plate creating magma
- the magma then creates a composite volcano
-when you have two continental plates, they collide and the ground is folded and forced upwards to create a mountain range
What is the location of tropical storms?
Tropical storms occur in areas of low pressure within the tropics between latitudes 5° and 20° north and south of the equator.
What are the conditions required for a tropical storm?
- water temperature greater than 27°C
- water at least 70m deep
- low pressure
- over water
- when the wind sheer(difference in windspeed) between the higher and lower parts of the atmosphere is low
How does a tropical storm form?
1) Water evaporates from the ocean surface and comes into contact with a mass of cold air, forming clouds.
2) A column of low pressure develops at the centre. Winds form around the column.
3) As pressure in the central column(the eye) weakens, the speed of the wind around it increases.
Why do tropical storms lose energy?
As hurricanes move inshore, their power gradually reduces because their energy comes from sucking up moist warm sea air.
What are the primary effects of tropical storms?
- buildings collapsing
- deaths
- storm surges flooding areas
- crops destroyed
- injuries
What are features of tropical storm shelters?
- shutters-so don’t have shards of broken glass
- building on stilts-storm surges can’t affect, flooding can’t affect
- built on raised ground-prevents house flooding
- made of strong concrete-withstand tropical storm
- siren-to warn people
What happens at a constructive plate boundary and what can be caused by it?
- when two plates move apart
- you can find shield volcanoes and ocean ridges
What happens at a conservative plate boundary and what can be caused by it?
- two plates move side by side
- you can find earthquakes, faults
What happens at a destructive plate boundary and what can be caused by it?
- two plates move towards each other
- you can find composite volcanoes, earthquakes, ocean trenches
Define natural hazard:
An extreme natural event that has the potential to cause loss of life and/or extreme damage to property and creates severe disruption to human activities.
Define hazard risk:
The probability or chance that a natural hazard may take place
Define natural disaster:
The realisation of a hazard with consequences
What are examples of meteorological hazards?
-caused by weather and climate Heatwaves Drought Storms Tornado Hurricane Flood
What are examples of geological hazards?
-caused by land and tectonic processes Volcanoes Earthquakes Tsunami Rockfall Landslide Avalanche Flood
What factors make hazards more dangerous to people?
Education Location HIC/LIC Climate Physical geography Population density Proximity to ocean Level of development Type of natural hazard (frequency and magnitude of it)
What are the layers of the earth?
From inside to out
- inner core
- outer core
- mantle
- crust
What is continental drift?
The gradual movement of the continents across the earths surface through geological time
Describe the distribution of earthquakes:
- found in long narrow belts along plate boundaries
- earthquakes are found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean following the mid Atlantic ridge
Describe the distribution of volcanoes:
- volcanoes occur in narrow belts or small clumps called hot spots
- one belt round the Pacific Ocean and is called the ring of fire
Define volcano:
A volcano is an vent or fissure in the earths crust through which molten rock and hot gases escape to the surface during an eruption.
What are characteristics of composite volcanoes?
- found at destructive plate boundary
- have steep sides, cone shaped
- made up of alternative layers of ash and lava
- acidic lava
What are characteristics of shield volcanoes?
- constructive plate boundaries
- have a wide base and gently sloping sides
- basaltic lava
How are earthquakes measured?
The moment magnitude scale
- it measures the magnitude (amount of energy released by the earthquake)
- it is logarithmic, so a magnitude 7 is ten times as powerful as a magnitude 6
What were the primary effects of the Haiti earthquake?
220,000 people died on impact 105,000 homes destroyed Presidential palace and Port-Au-Prince Cathedral damaged 80% of schools were damaged Airport damaged 300,000 people injured
What were the secondary effects of the Haiti earthquake?
$14 billion damage costs
1.5 million people made homeless
Cholera outbreak in October 2010
1.5 million people living in camps
What were the primary effects of the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake?
185 people died
6000 injured
CTV building collapsed
50% of central city building were damaged
What were the secondary impacts of the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake?
3.5m tsunami
Landslides in Lyttelton
Rugby World Cup moved to other locations
Buildings were demolished because they were deemed unsafe
What are some general facts about hurricane Katrina?
August 2005
In New Orleans
Struck Mississippi and Louisiana
Katrina got to a Category 5 status in the Caribbean
-In New Orleans the effects were particularly severe because the flood defences failed
What were the primary effects of hurricane Katrina?
- Super Bowl roof broke
- 1800 people died
- bridges collapsed, twin span bridge
- 80% of the city flooded
- 300,000 houses were destroyed
- 3 million people were left without electricity
- coastal habitats damaged
What were secondary effects of hurricane Katrina?
- oil spills
- industrial waste and toxic chemicals in water (water supply polluted)
- fall in trade business, tourism
- $150 billion cost of damage
- hundreds of thousands of people left homeless
- 230000 jobs were lost from damaged buisnesses
What were the immediate responses to hurricane Katrina?
- 70% of New Orleans residents were evacuated before it reached land
- Mississippi and Louisiana declared states of emergency (set up control centres, emergency shelters and stockpiled supplies)
- coastguard, police, fire service and army rescued over 50000 people
- charities collected donations and supplied aid, including millions of hot meals
What were the long term responses to hurricane Katrina?
- US government provided over 16 billion dollars for the rebuilding of homes and other essential infrastructure
- US army recommended that in low lying areas houses were re-built on stilts or not re-built at all
- repaired and improved flood defences for New Orleans costing 14.5 billion dollars (completed 2013)
What are the three main management strategies for reducing the risk from weather hazards?
Prediction-using satellites and aircrafts
Protect-designing buildings to withstand it
Prepare-raise awareness in places most at risk from tropical storms
What are the two categories of natural hazards?
geological hazard
meteorological hazard
What is the core of the earth made up of?
A ball of solid(inner) and liquid(outer) iron and nickel
What is the mantle?
semi-molten rock which moves very slowly
What are the two types of tectonic plate which the crust is divided into?
continental
oceanic
What causes plates to move?
Convection currents