paper 1 : 1.2 weather hazards and climate change Flashcards
where is there more solar radiation/heat
equator and less at the poles
name three circulation cells and their latitudes
hadley 0-30
ferrel 30-60
polar 60-90
what does the air do at the equator, what type of pressure and where does the air travel
what does it do, what kind of pressure does it create.
at the equator warm air rises forming low pressure (causing rain). the air cools, diverges and moves 30 north and south of the equator where the now cooler and dry air sinks to form high pressure (deserts)
what does the air at 30 degrees north/south do
some of the cool air moves back towards the equator (trade winds), the rest travels to the lower part of the ferrel cell to 60 north/south of the equator
what happens to the air at 60 degrees north/south
at 60, the warm air meets the cold polar air. the warmer air rises (forming low pressure and causing rainfall) and travels towards the poles. the now cold dry air sinks at the poles forming high pressure
what weather is caused by low pressure
rainy
what weather is caused by high pressure
sunny/settled
how is high pressure created
cold air sinks
how is low pressure created
warm air rises
what weather is caused when warm air rises
rainy
what weather is caused when cold air sinks
sunny/settled
do ocean currents transfer heat from the equator- yes or no?
yes
what do surface currents do
they transfer warmer water towards the poles where dense salty water sinks.
what do deeper ocean currents do
they move colder water back towards the equator.
name one ocean current that prevents the poles form becoming too cold and the equator from becoming too hot
the north atlantic drift
what time period are we in
quaternary period
what epoch are we in
holocene
what are cold periods in time called and how long do they last
glaciels
100,000 years each
what are warm periods in time called and how long do they last
inter-glaciels
15,000 years each
we are currently in an interglaciel
name 3 milankovitch cycles and what are they
- precession- as the earth rotates, it wobbles slightly upon it’s rotational axis, the wobbles causing currents
- axial tilt- the greater the tilt of the earth’s axis the greater the angle causing colder winters.
- eccentricity- the orbit of the earth changes from being round to oval causing glaciels and interglaciels.
how does solar variation affect temperatures.
higher levels of solar radiation cause inter-glaciel periods whereas low cause glaciels.
how does volcanic eruption affect temperatures
eruptions emit ash and dust into the atmosphere blocking out the sun’s rays causing the temperatures to fall.
name evidences for climate change
- fossilised animals
- ice cores
- pollen
- cave paintings
- tree rings
- bodies in greenland
- pic of frozen thames
what is the greenhouse effect
the sun’s rays being trapped in the earth’s atmosphere
what is enhanced greenhouse effect
the sun’s rays enters the earth’s atmosphere warming up the surface and when it is reflected off the surface it is trapped as the layer of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is thick, this causes the earth to heat up
how does industry lead to enhanced green house effect
burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to produce consumer goods
how does energy lead to enhanced green house effect
electricity produced from fossil fuel for a growing population
how does farming lead to enhanced green house effect
a growing demand for more meat increases methane levels
how does transport lead to enhanced green house effect
increased car ownership and air travel increases emissions
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
rising sea levels
from melting sheets and glaciers could cause the gulf stream to move furthur south, cooling temperatures in western europe.
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
coastal flooding
coastal flooding could contaminate ecosystems with sea water
negative impacts of climate change on the environment
retreating glaciers
retreating glaciers contribute to rising sea levels.
negative impacts of climate change on the people
unreliable rainfall
2 reasons
unreliable rainfal in regions such as sahel (africa) could cause:
- droughts
- lower crop yield
- food shortages
negative impacts of climate change on the people
rising sea levels
flood risk in low lying places like the maldives will be flooded and it will affect the tourism and the local income/jobs for the local people, it could force people to leave, lose their homes and livelihoods.
a period that has increased solar radiation
medieval warm period- higher temperatures mean greater crop yield
a period due loads of volcanic activity
little ice age(1600s)- temperatures were cold enough to freeze the River Thames
what type of winters and summers does north-west britain have
mild, cold or warm
mild winters and mild summers
what type of winters and summers does north-east britain have
mild, cold or warm
cold winters and mild summers
what type of winters and summers does south-west britain have
mild, cold or warm
mild winters and warm summers
what type of winters and summers does south-east britain have
mild, cold or warm
cold winters and warm summers
what factors affect UK’s climate
maritime influence
as an island, the air around the UK contains lots of moisture, leading to rainfall all year.
what factors affect UK’s climate
prevailing wind
south-westerly winds from the atlantic ocean bring moisture and rainfall
what factors affect UK’s climate
north atlantic drift
this ocean brings warm water and a milder climate to the UK for its latitude
what factors affect UK’s climate
atmospheric circulation
the UK sits between the ferrel and polar cells where air rises and forms low pressure bring rainfall.
what factors affect UK’s climate
altitude
higher regions in the UK (north and west) receive more rainfall.
where do tropical cyclones occur
where do hurricanes occur
where do typhoons occur
- indian ocean
- atlantic ocean
- pacific ocean
charcteristics required for a hurricane to take place
- 70 m deep waters
- over 27 degrees water
- 500km away from the equator (coreolis effect isnt strong enough)
- converging winds
charcteristics of tropical cyclones
(3 features)
- low pressure
- eye in the middle surrounded by eye wall
- a width of up to 400 km and height of up 10km.
when are cyclones more possible in the northern tropics
june to november
when are cyclones more possible in the southern tropics
november to april
the distance covered by a cyclone
track
hazards associated with tropical cyclones
low pressure causes a large mass of water to surge inland
storm surges
hazards associated with tropical cyclones
saturated soil becomes heavy and slides downhill
landslides
hazards associated with tropical cyclones
damage to property and potential loss of life
coastal flooding
hazards associated with tropical cyclones
heavy rainfall can lead to flooding, stranding people
intense rainfall
hazards associated with tropical cyclones
strong winds can uproot trees and damage buildings
high winds
where did hurricane sandy hit and when
new jersey and new jersey
29 october 2012
social impacts of hurricane sandy
6 impacts
- 21 died in the bahamas
- subway and buses/ transport closed
- HMS bounty ship sunk-2 died
- 8 million homes without power and homes were damaged
- school closed
- 150 people killed
economic impacts of hurricane sandy
5 impacts
- stock exchange closed
- a crane damaged
- jersey shore theme park damaged
- $ 65 billion damage
- petrol in short supply
environmental impacts of hurricane sandy
2 impacts
-
nature reserves were damaged
-** raw and untreated sewage ended up in the waters around new york and new jersey.**
individual responses of hurricane sandy
6 responses
- evacuated
- put sand bags infront of their homes
- go kits ready
- preparation for their pets
- people posted images on social media
- the concert for sandy relief with artists (bon jovi)
organisations responses of hurricane sandy
2 responses
- cancelled flights (12000)
- american red cross provided relief to people in affected areas.
governments responses of hurricane sandy
5 responses
- governement of new jersey declares a state of emergency.
- law made minimum 3 people per car
- fixed/restored the flooded subway in 2 days
- provided billions to rebuild
- used satellite images to plan their response
when did typhoon haiyan form and where
2 november 2013
near micronesia
where was the most damage
what happened in the philippines
islands of samar and leyte
flooding and landslides in philippines
social impacts of typhoon haiyan
9 impacts
- no shelter/loss of homes, 80-90% lost roofs
- lack of clean water
- food and aid couldn’t reach people due to landslides
- spread of diseases- chloera outburst
- sewage leaks
- damage to roads, landslides
- 6000 people killed
- no power
- 60,000 were homeless
economic impacts of typhoon haiyan
3 impacts
- farmland damaged leading to food shortages
- damage is $2 billion
- roads damaged so hard to receive aid
environmental impacts of typhoon haiyan
5 impacts
- vegetation damaged-loss of biodiversity
-
mangroves damaged
-** thousand trees were uprooted** - chemical leaks form damaged factories
- a tanker ran around causing an oil spill
individual responses of typhoon haiyan
3 responses
- scavenging
- straining water through t-shirts
- people in countries like UK and canada gave money
organisation responses of typhoon haiyan
5 responces
- charities/red cross gave out food
- police and military helped evacuation
- the WHO coordinated the international response
- UNICEF is using rapid FTR, an app to reunite children with their families
- relief aid from UK and Canada
governmental responses of typhoon haiyan
4 responses
- 4 days- no support
- government redirected funds to help problems
- they evacuated people from samar, but this was very slow-no power
- loans and grants were given by other countries. (uk- £10 million including shelter, water and household items).
what are arid environments name one place
a area that has permenantely low percipitation such as the sahara desert
what are droughts
name the uk’s drought classification
how long does the uk go without rain to be classified as a drought
conditions that are temporary and occur when there is low percipitation
for the uk it is 15 consecutive days
name 2 natural causes of drought
- meteorological
- hydrological
natural causes of droughts
what is meteorological
this is where an area recieves less than average percipitation
natural causes of droughts
what is hydrological
this is where the hydrological cycle recieves less rainfall rainfall than normal leading to less groundwater.
human causes of droughts
3 causes
- deforestation
- dams
- agriculture
human causes of droughts
how has deforestation lead to droughts
can reduce evaporation as there are less trees to transpire
human causes of droughts
how has dams lead to droughts
restrict water flow downstream causing drought conditions
human causes of droughts
how has agriculture lead to droughts
water extraction for irrigation
which locations are more vulnerable to drought and why
at 30 north/south between the hadley and ferrel cell, air descends forming high pressure and little rainfall.
what can droughts lead to
5 causes
- crop failure
- famine
- water shortages
- contamination of water
- wildfires
californian drought
since when has california been experiencing drought
since 2012
californian drought
what consequences have california been facing
3 impacts
- groundwater has fallen
- land has been contaminated by salt
- wildfires have destroyed vegetation
californian drought
the impacts of the californian drought includes
3 impacts
- low river levels for fish and breeding
- wildlife habitats and people’s property destroyed by wildfires
- reduced crop production and incomes
californian drought
what action did the governement take
4 actions
- they gave water education
- imposed a law to cut water usage by 25%
- farmers are encouraged to use drip irrigation
- homeowners are encouraged to repair leaks
ethiopian drought
since when has ethiopia has been experiencing drought
1980s
ethiopian drought
what percentage of people live in rural areas and what is their main occupation
- 85%
- agriculture
ethiopian drought
what are the main hazards
4 hazards
- loss in crop yields
- malnutrition
- longer journeys to find water
- children dont go to school as they are sent in search of water.
ethiopian drought
impacts of the ethiopian drought
4 impacts
- death of livestock
- crop failure
- girls sent to collect water so miss education
- spread of diseases among humans and wildlife owing to a lack of clean water
ethiopian drought
how much food aid did the USA government give
$100 million in food aid
ethiopian drought
- which agencies have offered help
- how have they helped
- oxfam
- help people obtain water
- raise awareness and money
