Paper 1 - Weather Hazards

Question 1

What is wind?

Answer 1

Winds are large scale movements of air caused by differences in air pressure.

Question 2

What causes differences in air pressure?

Answer 2

They’re caused by differences in temperature between the equator and the poles.

Question 3

Where do winds move from?

Answer 3

They move from the areas of high pressure to the areas of low pressure.

Question 4

What are winds part of?

Answer 4

They’re part of global atmospheric circulation loop (or cells).
These loops have warm rising air which creates a low pressure belt, and cool falling air which creates a high pressure belt.

There are three loops in each hemisphere.

Question 5

How do global atmospheric circulation loops work?

Answer 5

1. At the equator the sun warms the earth, which transfers heat to the air above, causing it to rise. This creates a low pressure belt with rising air, clouds and rain.
2. As the air rises it cools and moves out to 30 degrees north and south of the equator.
3. 30 degrees north and south of the equator the cool air sinks, creating a high pressure belt with cloudless skies and very low rainfall.
4. The cool air reaches the ground surface and moves as surface winds, either back to the equator or towards the poles:
   - surface winds blowing towards the equator are called trade winds.
   - they blow from the SE in the Southern Hemisphere and from the NE in the
   Northern hemisphere. At the equator, these trade winds meet and are heated
   By the sun. This causes them to rise and form clouds.
   - surface winds blowing towards the poles are called westerlies. They blow from
   the NW in the Southern Hemisphere and from the SW in the northern
   Hemisphere.
5. 60 degrees north and south of the equator the warmer surface winds meet colder air from the poles. The warmer air is less dense than the cold air so it rises, creating low pressure.
6. Some of the air moves back towards the equator, and the rest moves towards the poles.
7. At the poles the cool air sinks, creating high pressure. The high pressure air is drawn back towards back towards the equator as surface winds.

Question 6

What does global atmospheric circulation cause?

Answer 6

It causes areas to have some types of weather more often than others (it affect the earths climate)

For example the UK has a lot of low pressure weather systems that are blown in from the Atlantic Ocean on westerly winds. These bring wet and windy weather.

Question 7

What are tropical storms?

Answer 7

They’re intense low pressure weather systems with heavy rain and strong winds that spiral around the centre.

They have multiple names (hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones).

Question 8

What is needed for a tropical storm to develop?

Answer 8

1. Sea temperature 27 degrees or higher

2. Strong winds

Question 9

How do tropical storms develop?

Answer 9

1. Warm moist air rises and condensation occurs. This releases huge amounts of energy, which makes the storms powerful. The rising air creates an area of low pressure, which increase surface winds.
2. Tropical storms move towards the west because of the easterly winds bear the equator.
3. The earths rotation deflects the paths of the paths of the winds, which causes the storms to spin.
4. The storm gets stronger due to energy from the warm water, so wind speed increase. They lose strength when they move over land or cooler water because the energy supply from the warm water is cut off.

Question 10

Where and when do topical storms occur?

Answer 10

They occur between 5 and 30 degrees north and south of the equator.
Any further from the equator and the water isn’t warm enough.

The majority of storms occur in the northern hemisphere (especially the pacific), in the late summer and autumn, when sea temp is the highest.

Question 11

What are the features and structure of a tropical storm?

Answer 11

1. They’re in a circular shape.
2. Hundreds of km wide
3. They usually last 7-14 days
4. They spin anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
5. The centre of the storm is called the eye
6. The eye is surrounded by the eyewall, where there’s spiralling rising air, very strong winds, storm clouds, torrential rain and a low temperature.
7. Towards the edges of the storm the wind speed falls, the clouds become smaller and more scattered, the rain becomes less intense and the temperature increases.

Question 12

How can climate change affect a tropical storm?

Answer 12

Global temperatures are expected to rise as a result of climate change
This means that more of the worlds oceans could be above 27 degrees, so more places in the world may experience tropical storms.

Oceans will stay at 27 degrees or higher for more of the year so the number of tropical storms each year could increase.

Higher temperatures also mean tropical storms will be stronger, meaning they could cause more damage.

Question 13

Primary effects of tropical storms

Answer 13

1. Buildings and bridges are destroyed.
2. Rivers and costal areas flood.
3. People drown, or they’re injured or killed by debris that’s blown around.
4. Roads, railways, ports and airports are damaged.
5. Electricity cables are damaged, cutting off supplies.
6. Sewage overflows due to flooding. The sewage often contaminates water supplies.

Question 14

Secondary effects of tropical storms

Answer 14

1. People are left homeless, which can cause distress, poverty and ill health or death due to lack of shelter.
2. There’s a shortage of clean water and a lack of proper sanitation, this makes it easier for disease to spread.
3. Roads are blocked or destroyed so aid and emergency vehicles cant get through.
4. Businesses are damaged or destroyed, causing unemployment.
5. There can be shortages of food if crops are damaged, livestock are killed or supply lines are blocked.

Question 15

Immediate responses of tropical storms

Answer 15

1. Evacuate people before the storm arrives.
2. Rescue people who have been cut off by flooding and treat injured people.
3. Set up temporary shelters fro people whose homes have been flooded or damaged.
4. Provide temporary supplies of water, food, electricity, gas and communications systems if regular supplies have been damaged.
5. Recover any dead bodies to prevent the spread of disease.
6. Foreign governments and charity’s may send aid workers, supplies, equipment or financial donations to the area.

Question 16

Long-term responses of tropical storms

Answer 16

1. Repair homes or rehouse people who have been displaced due to damaged buildings.
2. Repair or replace damaged infrastructure.
3. Repair and improve flood defence systems
4. Improve forecasting techniques to give people more warning in the future.
5. Provide aid, grants or subsidies to residents to repair and strengthen homes.
6. Promote economic recovery in the area and encourage people to return to the area.
7. Improve building regulations so more buildings withstand hurricanes, or change planning rules so homes cant be built in the most risky areas.

Question 17

Name the different weather hazards the UK faces

Answer 17

1. Rain
2. Wind
3. Snow and ice
4. Thunderstorms
5. Hailstorms
6. Heat waves
7. Drought

Question 18

Why is rain a hazard?

Answer 18

1. To much in a short space of time can cause flooding, which can damage homes and possessions, disrupt transport networks and cause death by drowning
2. It can also force businesses to close, and recovering from flooding can cost millions of pounds.

Question 19

Why is wind a hazard?

Answer 19

1. Strong winds can damage properties and cause disruption to transport.
2. Uprooted trees and debris can injure or kill people.
3. Forests can be damaged when trees are blown over.
4. Winds are strongest in costal areas of the UK, particularly the west coast and in upland areas.

Question 20

Why is snow and ice a hazard?

Answer 20

1. Snow and ice can cause injuries due to slipping and deaths due to the cold.
2. Schools and businesses can be forced to shut, and major disruption to road, rail and air travel can occur causing economic impacts.
3. Cold snaps can damage crops and other plants.

Question 21

Why are thunderstorms a hazard?

Answer 21

1. Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds occur.
2. They are most common in summer in the south and east of the UK.
3. Lightning can occasionally cause death and can cause fires that damage property or the environment.

Question 22

Why are hailstorms a hazard?

Answer 22

They make driving very dangerous and can damage properties and destroy crops.

Question 23

Why are drought a hazard?

Answer 23

1. Water supplies can run low during a drought, causing economic impacts such as crop failures.
   Rules to conserve water (like banning hosepipe use) have to be introduced.

Question 24

Why are heat waves a hazard?

Answer 24

1. Sometimes the UK can have long periods of hot weather. This can cause deaths from heat exhaustion or breathing difficulties as pollution builds up in the air.
2. Disruption to transport from rail buckling or roads melting can cause economic impacts.
3. The tourism industry may benefit from the better weather.

Question 25

Name examples of the UK’s weather becoming more extreme

Answer 25

1. Temperature - December 2010 was the coldest for over 100 years, with severe snow and ice causing several deaths, and school and road closures. But just 4 months later, April 2011 was the warmest April on record.
2. Rain - more rainfall records have been broken in 2010-2014 than in any decade on record, even after only half a decade. 2013 was one of the wettest years on record, and December 2015 was the wettest month ever recorded.
3. Flooding - there was major flooding caused by storms and high rainfall in the Somerset levels during the winter of 2013-2014.

Question 26

Name the management strategies used to reduce the risk from weather hazards

Answer 26

1. Prediction - warning systems gives people time to prepare.
2. Protection - individuals and local authorities prepare for extreme weather before it happens - stocking up on gritters and salt supplies.
3. Planning - emergency services and local councils plan how to deal with extreme weather events in advance - close school eg…