[Part 3] Weather Hazards and Climate change ☂️🌐

Question 1

Where do most tropical cyclones occur?

Answer 1

• most tropical cyclones occur in a band of low pressure, and warm temperatures between 5c and 30c north and south of the equator.

Question 2

How do tropical cyclones form ?

Answer 2

• Converging surface winds pick up the heat and moisture from the ocean.
• Tropical storms release a lot of the latest heat and warm the core of the developing hurricane.
• winds in the upper atmosphere diverge, and they move from high pressure at the top to low pressure at the edges
• the divergence of winds in the upper atmosphere lowers the surface pressure. When the surface pressure decreases, the storm intensifies.

Question 3

What is the eye of a tropical cyclone?

Answer 3

• the eye of a tropical cyclone is the centre of the cyclone.
• the eye is up to 50km across, caused by descending air; there’s also: very low pressure, light winds, no clouds, no rains + a high temperature in the eye.

Question 4

What is the eyewall of a tropical cyclone?

Hint: surrounds

Answer 4

• the eye wall of a tropical cyclone, surrounds the eye.
• In the eye wall, there’s: spiralling rising air, very strong winds (roughly 160km per hour), storm clouds, torrential rain + a low temperature.

Question 5

What is a storm surge ?

Hint: sea level

Answer 5

• a storm surge is a large rise in sea level, caused by low pressure and high winds.

Question 6

• Fill in the gaps about the structure of a tropical cyclone: Tropical cyclones are ________ in shape and are ________ of kilometres wide. They usually last for 7 to __ days.

Answer 6

• Tropical cyclones are circular in shape and are hundreds of kilometres wide. They usually last for 7 to 14 days.

Question 7

What are arid environments?

Answer 7

• arid environments are places which usually have very low rainfall.
• many arid environments (deserts) are hot which causes water to evaporate, faster than it can be replaced by rain.

Question 8

Explain how characteristics of arid environments, reflect the lack of water in arid environments ?

Answer 8

• one characteristic is plant growth is sparse due to the lack of rainfall. The plants are quite short + there are a few tall trees.
• Because of this, theres hardly any rainfall= the soil is shallow + not very fertile. Lack of rainfall + plant material—-> soil normally dry and dusty.
• Low vegetation; plants + animals have adapted to lack of water.

Question 9

What’s a drought?

Answer 9

• A drought is a severe shortage of water, in a particular location, (which normally happens when rainfall is below average for a long period)

Question 10

Explain some of the characteristics of a drought

Answer 10

• the characteristics of a drought are:
• random deficits in rainfall, and a drop in rivers and lakes that doesn’t follow a regular pattern.
• vegetation also won’t be adapted to dry conditions, so vegetation may wilt or die during a drought.

Question 11

How can droughts can be hazardous for ecosystems?

Hint: depletion of water

Answer 11

• droughts can cause a depletion of water supplies, water shortages and low water levels in rivers/lakes- which means aquatic plants and animals die
• ; droughts also mean that soil can dry out, so plants die. This leaves the soil vunlerable to erosion [by the wind and rainfall]
• with droughts, wildfires are more likely because the soil becomes very dry, and wildfires can destroy: crops, forests animals and people’s homes.

Question 12

How can droughts can be hazardous towards humans ?

Hint: 🦠🧫

Answer 12

• droughts can be hazardous in humans because:
• they can lead to a depletion of water supplies. This can then cause shortages of water levels in rivers, lakes or reservoirs- meaning lakes and reservoirs become stagnant.
• this means there’s less freshwater to dilute waste materials [such as sewage], therefore this is an increased risk of contamination of water supplies.
• outbreaks of diseases like cholera can be fatal for young children.

Question 13

Can you please tell me how droughts can be hazardous towards humans ? 👨🏾‍🌾

Answer 13

• droughts can mean farmers lose their livelihoods [as their crops are dryed up, due to not being adapted to drought conditions
• ; hunger and malnutrition can also be caused, by a lack of of water which damages crops, and also harm livestock [such as cattle, as they do not have a reliable source of water]

Question 14

Can you please tell me how droughts can be hazardous towards humans?

Hint: 💨🌧️

Answer 14

• erosion from wind and rain removes the topsoil—-> when it rains, difficult to grow crops.
• But if there’s an existing food shortage, this can make the situation worse and lead to starvation.

Question 15

Can you please tell me how droughts can be hazardous towards humans?

Hint: 🏠

Answer 15

• Flooding can damage homes, farmland + infrastructure because during a drought, soil hardens + sewers can be blocked.
• So when it does rain, water cannot drain quick enough—-> leading to flooding.

Question 16

How can droughts be caused by meteorological factors? [3]

Answer 16

• droughts can be caused by meteorological factors because: it can cause an area to get less rainfall than average.
• [low rainfall can also be caused when high pressure weather systems stop depressions from entering an area]
• also, changes in atmospheric circulation can mean that it doesn’t rain much in an area, for months or years.

Question 17

How can droughts be caused by meteorological factors?

Hint: 🇮🇳

Answer 17

• droughts can be caused by meteorological factors because, changes in atmospheric circulation can make annual rains fall.
• For example, monsoons not coming when they usually do I’m places like India.

Question 18

How can droughts be caused by hydrological factors?

Answer 18

• droughts can be caused by hydrological factors Aswell, because a lack of water in hydrological stores (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, aquifers) can lead to drought.

Question 19

How can droughts be caused by hydrological factors?

Hint:

Answer 19

• Drought can also be caused by hydrological factors, because in some warm + dry conditions, surface water evaporates so it gets depleted faster than in aquifers.
• [ ; some areas rely on rainfall + stores of surface water
• And once they’re depleted, stores of water can take months to years to be replenished]

Question 20

How can droughts be caused by humans?

Hint: 🐄⛲️

Answer 20

• Droughts can be caused by humans because of intensive farming, as it depletes water supplies—-> uses large volumes of water.
• Farming livestock also demand lots of water. [e.g- for animals to drink]

Question 21

How can droughts be caused by humans?

Hint: resevoir

Answer 21

• Buildings dams across rivers creates reservoirs, providing water for local people.
• But dams can reduce the flow of water downstream, causing droughts in other areas.

Question 22

How can droughts be caused by humans?

Hint: 🌲

Answer 22

• droughts can be caused by humans, because deforestation reduces the amount of water that can be held in the soil- therefore the soil dries out quickly.
• Trees also release a lot of moisture into the air through their leaves, meaning deforestation can make the atmosphere of the air drier- adding to the meteorological causes/factors of drought.

Question 23

Why are some places more vulnerable to droughts than others?

Answer 23

• some places more vulnerable to droughts than others, because areas found 30* north + south of the equator are more susceptible to droughts.
• This is because of global atmospheric circulation, where cool, dry air sinks at 30* north + south of the equator—->creating a belt of high pressure [where there is also very little rainfall]