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Hazards > Storm Hazards > Flashcards

Storm Hazards Flashcards

1
Q

What is air pressure?

A

The amount of pressure the air puts on the earth or sea’s surface

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2
Q

What type of pressure does warm air have and why?

A

Warm air rises and therefore creates low pressure.

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3
Q

What type of pressure does cold air have and why?

A

Cold air sinks and therefore creates high pressure.

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4
Q

How are winds created?

A

They are created as air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure

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5
Q

What directly informs the weather and climate patterns that exist?

A

Heat from the equator is redistributed by the atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems

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6
Q

What causes the global energy balance?

A

There is a surplus of energy at the tropics and a deficit in polar areas.

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7
Q

How is the global energy balance maintained?

A

Atmospheric and oceanic circulation move energy from areas of surplus to areas of deficit.

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8
Q

Where are the areas of surplus located?

A

Between 38 degrees North and South

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9
Q

Where are areas of deficit located?

A

Above 38 degrees North and below 38 degrees South

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10
Q

What does the three cell model show?

A

Atmospheric circulation

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11
Q

What are tropical revolving storms?

A

Low-pressure weather systems that develop in the tropics

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12
Q

How wide do these storms tend to be?

A

2200-700km in diameter

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13
Q

Where do tropical revolving storms begin?

A

In areas of low pressure resulting from surface heating and warm air being drawn in in a spiral

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14
Q

How do tropical storms develop?

A

They start off as small-scale disturbances before evolving into tropical depressions with their own rotating wind systems.

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15
Q

What sea temperature is required for a tropical revolving storm to form?

A

27 degrees C

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16
Q

Why do oceanic temperatures need to be warm?

A

To provide a continuous heat source so that rising air currents can be maintained.

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17
Q

How deep does the ocean need to be?

A

A least 70m

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18
Q

Why does the ocean need to be deep?

A

Moisture is released by the storm in the form of condensation and so the ocean provides a source of moisture to drive the storm

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19
Q

Why does a tropical revolving storm have to form in a specific location?

A

So that the Coriolis force can bring about rotation

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20
Q

Where is the Coriolis force strong enough to bring about rotation?

A

At least 5 degrees north or south of the equator

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21
Q

Why don’t tropical revolving storms occur near the equator?

A

The Coriolis force is not strong enough to bring about rotation

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22
Q

Why is a low level of convergence in the lower atmospheric circulation system needed?

A

Winds have to come together near the centre of the low pressure zone

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23
Q

Why is a rapid outflow of air in the upper atmospheric circulation required?

A

To push away the warm air that has risen close to the centre of the storm

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24
Q

What happens once the tropical revolving storm reaches maturity?

A

A central eye develops

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25
Q

How wide is the central eye?

A

10-15km in diameter

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26
Q

What are the conditions like in the eye?

A

They are calm with clear skies, higher temperatures and descending air

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27
Q

What wind speeds have been observed around the eye?

A

Wind speeds of more than 300km/hour

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28
Q

What happens once the tropical revolving system reaches land or colder waters polewards?

A

The storm declines as the source of heat and moisture is removed

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29
Q

Where do these storms occur?

A

Between 5 and 20 degrees north and south of the Equator

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30
Q

In which 6 places do tropical storms often occur?

A

In the Caribbean/ Gulf of Mexico
Western side of Central America (eastern Pacific)
Arabian Sea/ Bay of Bengal
Off southeast Asia
Off Madagascar
Off north-western and north-eastern Australia

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31
Q

Where are tropical storms known as hurricanes?

A

Around the Americas

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32
Q

Where are tropical storms known as cyclones?

A

In the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

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33
Q

Where are tropical storms known as typhoons?

A

Off southeast Asia

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34
Q

Where are tropical storms known as willy-willies?

A

North-western Australia

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35
Q

What percentage of tropical storms occur in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico?

A

11%

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36
Q

What percentage of tropical storms occur on the western side of Central America?

A

17%

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37
Q

What percentage of tropical storms occur in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal?

A

8%

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38
Q

What percentage of tropical storms occur off Madagascar?

A

11%

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39
Q

What percentage of tropical storms occur near Australia?

A

20%

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40
Q

Which area experiences the most tropical storms?

A

Southeast Asia

One-third of all storms occur here every year

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41
Q

On what scale are tropical revolving storms measured?

A

The Saffir-Simpson scale

42
Q

How many points does the Saffir-Simpson scale have?

A

5

43
Q

What is the Saffir-Simpson scale based on?

A

Central pressure, wind speed, storm surge and damage potential

44
Q

What pressure does a scale 5 event have?

A

Central pressure at 920mb or below

45
Q

What wind speed does a scale 5 event have?

A

250km/hour or greater

46
Q

How big is the storm surge of a category 5 event?

A

At least 5.5m

47
Q

What does scale 5 damage potential refer to?

A

Complete roof failure of many buildings
Lower floors damaged on all structures less than 3m above sea level
Evacuation of all residential buildings within 16-24km of the coast is likely

48
Q

What is the average lifespan of a tropical storm?

A

7-14 days

49
Q

How many tropical storms develop each year?

A

80-100

50
Q

How many tropical storms each year develop into tropical revolving storms?

A

Approximately 80%

51
Q

What 6 factors does the vulnerability of people to a storm depend on?

A 
Intensity
Speed of movement
Distance from the sea
Physical geography of the coastal area
Preparations made by a community
Warnings and community response
52
Q

What are the impacts of wind on an area?

A

Can cause structural damage and bring down electricity transmission lines as well as devastate agricultural areas.
Debris that are thrown about are harmful to people.

53
Q

What are the impacts of heavy rainfall?

A

Severe flooding, landslides and mudslides

54
Q

How much rainfall can fall during a storm event?

A

200mm-300mm

55
Q

How much rainfall can fall in coastal areas with high relief during a tropical revolving storm?

A

Over 500mm a day

56
Q

What do storm surges result from?

A

High sea levels when wind driven waves pile up and the ocean heaves upwards as a result of the lower atmospheric pressure

57
Q

What are the impacts of storm surges?

A

Flooding
Storm surges are the main reason for death
Agricultural areas can suffer as a result of soil being contaminated by sea water.

58
Q

What is the weather bureau in Florida called?

A

The National Hurricane Centre

59
Q

What can the National Hurricane Centre access?

A

Data from geostationary satellites and from both land- and sea- based recording centres.

60
Q

How does the USA maintain round-the-clock surveillance of tropical storms that have the potential to become hurricanes?

A

It uses weather aircraft

61
Q

How does the USA decide when to evacuate an area?

A

It compares the data it collects to models

62
Q

Why is it essential that evacuation warnings are correct?

A

It is costly to evacuate people

People may be less likely to evacuate next time if they weren’t affected.

63
Q

How much does it cost to evacuate coastal areas in the USA?

A

$1million per km of coastline

64
Q

Why does it cost the USA so much to evacuate its coastal populations?

A

There are losses in business and tourism

Provision of protection

65
Q

Why is it not always possible to give more than 12-18 hours warning?

A

Cyclones tend to follow an erratic path

66
Q

Why is there insufficient evacuation in poorer areas?

A

Communications are poor

67
Q

Give two locations with established warning systems

A

Central America and the Bay of Bengal

68
Q

Where was the 1997 tropical cyclone warning?

A

Cox’s Bazaar area of Bangladesh

69
Q

How many people were evacuated thanks to the 1997 tropical cyclone warning?

A

300,000

70
Q

How many people died in the tropical cyclone at Cox’s Bazaar?

A

Less than 100

71
Q

What is cloud seeding?

A

The process of creating more precipitation over oceans so that more water is released into the sea, weakening the system as it approaches land.

72
Q

Why is research into cloud seeding no longer continued?

A

Concerns over the effects of cloud seeding on the global energy system

73
Q

What is the name of the protection unit in the USA?

A

The National Guard

74
Q

What do protection units do?

A

Prevent homes and commercial properties from being looted

75
Q

What is ‘Project Safeside’?

A

A hurricane awareness programme in Florida

76
Q

What does ‘Project Safeside’ do?

A

It has precautionary hurricane drills for schools and operates the Emergency Operations centre of the state.

77
Q

What can be done to minimise the threat of storm surges?

A

Land-use planning can be used to identify the areas at the greatest risk and limit certain types of development in some areas.
Build sea walls, breakwaters and flood barriers
Put houses on stilts

78
Q

How many people were killed in the 1900s Texas storm surge?

A

Over 6000

79
Q

What was built after the 1900s Texas storm surge?

A

A sea wall

80
Q

Why is a sea wall like the one in Texas unlikely to be built again?

A

It was so expensive

81
Q

Whereabouts in Texas is the sea wall?

A

Galveston

82
Q

How do local authorities in the USA address the problem of storm surges?

A

They limit expenditure on developments in high-risk areas and direct the population away from them
Sound evacuation plans to reduce the evacuation times
Plans for post-disaster redevelopment

83
Q

Why does expenditure on developments in high-risk areas take place in poorer areas?

A

The need for land often outweighs these other considerations

84
Q

What can be done to structures to ensure greater safety during an event?

A

They can be retrofitted

85
Q

What happened in 1994 in Dominica?

A

Some homes were retrofitted

86
Q

Who retrofitted homes in 1994?

A

A joint project between the Organization of American States and the government of Dominica

87
Q

How successful was the retrofitting of buildings in Dominica?

A

The following year, all retrofitted buildings withstood the impact of Hurricane Marilyn

88
Q

Where are the Outer Banks located?

A

North Carolina

89
Q

What are the Outer Banks?

A

Barrier islands

90
Q

What are the aims of the Outer Banks Mitigation Plan?

A 
To save lives and money 
Protect property and natural resources
Reduce future vulnerability
Speedy recovery
Post-disaster funding
91
Q

What else is in the Outer Banks Mitigation Plan?

A

An emphasis on making as much information as possible available to the people of the Outer Banks area

92
Q

What are people in HICs encouraged to do?

A

Take out insurance

93
Q

What is needed to help people in LICs?

A

Both long and short term aid

94
Q

Why do poorer areas suffer more?

A

Land-use planning, warning systems, defences, infrastructure and emergency services are inadequate

95
Q

Which area did a cyclone hit in 1991?

A

Bangladesh

96
Q

How many people died in the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone?

A

131,000

97
Q

What was the monetary loss as a result of the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone?

A

$1.7 billion

98
Q

Where was Hurricane Andrew?

A

Florida

99
Q

When did Hurricane Andrew strike?

A

1992

100
Q

How many people died as a result of Hurricane Andrew?

A

60

101
Q

What was the monetary loss as a result of Hurricane Andrew?

A

$20 billion

102
Q

Which cyclone was Hurricane Andrew similar in strength to?

A

The Bangladesh cyclone in 1991

Hazards (15 decks)

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