Paper 1 Section A - The Challenge of Natural Hazards

Question 1

Adaptation

Answer 1

Responding to climate change by coming up with ways to live and cope with the
effects.

Question 2

Atmospheric circulation

Answer 2

The general movements of air around the Earth due to pressure and
temperature.

Question 3

Atmospheric hazard

Answer 3

Hazards caused by the weather and processes in the atmosphere.

Question 4

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Answer 4

The process of capturing carbon dioxide that would
normally be emitted into the atmosphere and storing it underground in reservoirs.

Question 5

Conservative plate margin

Answer 5

A plate margin where two plates are moving alongside each other.

Question 6

Constructive plate margin

Answer 6

A plate margin where two plates are moving away from each other.

Question 7

Continental crust

Answer 7

The thicker, less dense crust that makes up the continents.

Question 8

Convection current

Answer 8

The movement of a fluid caused by a difference in temperature or density.

Question 9

Coriolis Effect

Answer 9

The effect of the Earth’s rotation on wind movements.

Question 10

Cyclone

Answer 10

A tropical storm that hits Oceania or Madagascar.

Question 11

Destructive plate margin

Answer 11

A plate margin where two plates are moving towards each other.

Question 12

Eccentricity

Answer 12

The changing of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun from a circular shape to an
ellipse.

Question 13

Eye

Answer 13

An area of a tropical storm with extremely low pressure and calm conditions.

Question 14

Eyewall

Answer 14

An area of a tropical storm with the most intense, powerful winds and torrential rain.

Question 15

Ferrel Cell

Answer 15

At around 60° either side of the equator, moist air rises, and travels to lower latitudes
at around 30° where it sinks, along with air travelling from the equator.

Question 16

Fossil fuels

Answer 16

Fuels made up of the remains of organic material, such as oil, coal and gas.

Question 17

Geological hazard

Answer 17

A hazard caused by processes on the land.

Question 18

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 18

Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap energy in the Earth’s system and
contribute to the greenhouse effect (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and nitrous oxides).

Question 19

Hadley Cell

Answer 19

At the equator, hot moist air rises, moves to higher latitudes (30°) and sinks.

Question 20

Hazard risk

Answer 20

The probability that a natural hazard will negatively affect a population.

Question 21

Hotspot

Answer 21

An area where unusually hot magma breaks through the middle of a plate and travels up
to the surface, creating a volcano.

Question 22

Hydrological hazard

Answer 22

A hazard caused by the movement of water on the land.

Question 23

Ice core

Answer 23

A cylinder of ice extracted from an ice sheet or glacier, which is used to analyse past
environmental conditions.

Question 24

Immediate responses

Answer 24

Actions taken as soon as the hazard happens and in its immediate
aftermath (hours, days, and potentially a week or so after the event).

Question 25

Long-term responses

Answer 25

Actions taken after the immediate responses when the effects of the hazard have been minimised (weeks, months, and years after the event).

Question 26

Magma

Answer 26

Molten rock found beneath the Earth’s surface.

Question 27

Mantle

Answer 27

The area underneath the crust which contains magma.

Question 28

Marine sediment core

Answer 28

A cylinder of ocean sediments removed from the ocean floor, which is used to analyse past environmental conditions.

Question 29

Mitigation

Answer 29

Reducing the causes of climate change, so that climate change slows or even stops.

Question 30

Monitoring

Answer 30

Detecting and recording physical changes and warning signs of a hazard.

Question 31

Natural hazard

Answer 31

A naturally occurring event that is a threat to a population.

Question 32

Obliquity (or axial tilt)

Answer 32

The tilt of the Earth’s axis, which changes from 21.5° and 24.5°.

Question 33

Oceanic crust

Answer 33

The thinner, denser crust that makes up the ocean floor.

Question 34

Planning

Answer 34

Having systems in place, such as evacuation routes, so that if a hazardous event does occur, the population is prepared in advance.

Question 35

Plate margin

Answer 35

The point at which two plates meet.

Question 36

Polar Cell

Answer 36

At 60° north or south of the equator, moist air rises, and travels to the poles (90°), where it sinks.

Question 37

Precession

Answer 37

The ‘wobble’ of the Earth’s axis.

Question 38

Prediction

Answer 38

Using monitoring as well as historical trends and computer-based modelling to predict when a hazardous event may occur.

Question 39

Pressure belt

Answer 39

A region of the Earth which is generally under the same pressure.

Question 40

Primary effects

Answer 40

The effects that are directly caused by the hazard itself.

Question 41

Protection

Answer 41

Increasing the resistance of a population to natural hazards by physically designing things that will withstand natural hazards.

Question 42

Quaternary Period

Answer 42

The geological time period that started 2.6 million years ago and extends into the present.

Question 43

Secondary effects

Answer 43

The effects that are a result of the primary effects.

Question 44

Storm surge

Answer 44

A rise in sea level caused when a tropical storm pushes a large amount of sea water onto the shore.

Question 45

Subduction

Answer 45

A process that occurs at a destructive plate margin when a plate is pushed below another plate, forcing it to sink into the mantle.

Question 46

Tectonic hazard

Answer 46

A natural hazard caused by the physical processes and movements of tectonic plates.

Question 47

Tectonic plates

Answer 47

Large slabs of the Earth’s crust that sit and move on top of the liquid mantle.

Question 48

The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Answer 48

A process where the Earth’s surface is heated by the greenhouse effect at a higher rate due to increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

Question 49

The Greenhouse Effect

Answer 49

A natural process where greenhouse gases trap the energy from the Sun inside the Earth’s atmosphere, warming the Earth’s surface.

Question 50

Tropical storm

Answer 50

A very large, spinning storm with high winds and torrential rain that forms in the tropics.

Question 51

Tsunami

Answer 51

A large wave caused by a large amount of water being displaced when plates move.

Question 52

Typhoon

Answer 52

A tropical storm that hits India, Japan or the Philippines.