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AQA Hazards > The Nature of Storm hazards > Flashcards

The Nature of Storm hazards Flashcards

1
Q

What are tropical storms?

A
  • intense low pressure weather systems which regulates the earths temperature (without them we would have a very different climate globally)
  • violent storms - usually 200 - 700 km in diameter.
  • begin with an area of low pressure - resulting from surface heating
  • small scale disturbances enlarge into topical depressions with rotating wind systems
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2
Q

What is the sea temperature required to start a tropical storm?

A

Sea temp: 27°

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3
Q

Distribution

A
  • carribean sea/gulf of mexico = Hurricanes
  • Arabian sea/gulf of bengal = cyclones
  • Off southeast Asia = Typhoons
  • North-western Australia = Willy-willies
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4
Q

What are tropical storms measured with?

A

Saffir-Simpson scale

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5
Q

What does the saffir simpson scale measure?

A
  • wind speed
  • storm surge
  • potential impacts
  • windspeed at 250 km/hr or greater
  • storm surge 4-5 ft or greater
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6
Q

Average duration of tropical storm?

A

7-14 days

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7
Q

What do the impacts depend upon?

A
  • intensity (scale: 1-5)
  • speed movement = length of time over area
  • distance from sea = the more further out the lower the impacts (as the energy fizzles out as it reaches inland)
  • prep by community
  • warning and community responses
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8
Q

What depth is required to start a tropical storm?

A

ocean depth: 70m

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9
Q

Where do tropical storms develop?

A

Location of 5°-10° N and S of Equator

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10
Q

Tell me about the coriolis force

A
  • The location allows the coriolis force to bring max rotation.
  • The coriolis effect is at its weskest point at the equator.
  • Which is why moisture + latent heat is needed to provide the storm with energy to further develop.
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11
Q

How does the atmospheric circulation work out?

A
  • Low level convergence of air in lower atmospheric circulation system.
  • winds have to come together near the centre of the low-pressure zone
    • rapid outflow of air in the upper atmospheric circulation:
  • pushes warm air which has risen close to centre of storm.
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12
Q

What gives the storm its energy?

A

Latent heat + Moisture = Energy for further movement

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13
Q

What is the diameter of a tropical storm

A

10-15 km

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14
Q

Characteristics of wind speed

A
  • often exceed 150 km/hr

- over 250km/hr in a scale 5 event

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15
Q

Impacts of wind speed

A
  • structual damage to infrastructure e.g. potential collapse of roads and bridges.
  • devastate agricultural areas e.g. remove top of soil - where all the nutrients and minerals are.
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16
Q

Heavy Rainfall

A
  • exceed 200-300 mm
  • high relief near coastal areas > rainfall = 500 mm/day
  • severe flooding = landslides +/or mudslides
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17
Q

What causes storm surges?

A

High levels result when wind drive waves pile up and ocean heaves upwards as a result of lower atmospheric pressure.

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18
Q

Effects of storm surge

A
  • flooding in river deltas

- causes majority of deaths > extend inland - agricultural areas suffer the most

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19
Q

Case studies

A

Hurricane Katrina - Southern USA - August 2005

Typhoon Haiyan - Phillippines - November 2013

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20
Q

Where did Hurricane Katrina develop?

A

Over the Bahamas - a few days later was declared a category 5 hurricane

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21
Q

Vulnerability

A
  • New Orleans > lies on Gulf Coast of USA > prone to severe tropical storms at certain times
  • Since 1924 > 33 Atlantic hurricanes reached category 5
  • 50% of land is now below sea level
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22
Q

Social impacts of hurricane katrina - try to think of 2-3

A
  • 1,800 people died
  • 300,000 homes were destroyed - 1M refugees
  • 3 million people were left with no electricity - reconnected almost 2 months after disaster. - People had to move out of the area - within 400 km some even 1000 km.
23
Q

Economic impacts of hurricane Katrina - try to think of 2

A
  • 300 billion of damage.
  • Oil platforms were destroyed.
  • shops looted
  • fuel prices rised
  • Tourism decreased - French Quarter and New Orleans completely damaged
24
Q

Environmental impacts - try to list 3

A

Thestorm surgeflooded large areas of the coast.

80% of New Orleans flooded as man-madelevees, overwhelmed by extra water, broke.

Cotton and sugar cane crops were destroyed.

Delicate coastalhabitatswere destroyed.

Tornadoes were created.

25
Q

Responses

A
  • aid rapidly assigned from gov
  • US senate issued a bill to assign $10.5B in aid in first week of Sep
  • further $50.8B allocated from federal funds
  • public donated $1.8B
26
Q

Long term responses

A

Relief on electric rates provided to 30,000 consumers affected by the storms

All oil gas and energy facilities damaged by the storm have been replaced or repaired

DOC (US Department of Commerce) invested $1.3million in improving hurricane related public broadcasting stations

The NOAA and NHC has invested in
better prediction technologies,
so ‘they’ have more time to prepare.

People encouraged to join emergency help organisations

Huge funds have been spent on restoring environment and removing debris by FEMA, NRCS, Coast Guard and other such organisations

27
Q

Overall judgement

A

OVERALL, DESPITE DIFFICULTIES AND HINDRANCES
AS A WHOLE THE U.S GOVERNMENT, AND NGO’S SUCH AS THE RED CROSS HAVE DONE A HUGE AMOUNT TO BOTH RECOVER FROM KATRINA AND TO DAMPEN THE IMPACTS OF A FUTURE STORM

28
Q

Secondary effects of tropical storms?

A
  • storm surges
  • heavy rainfall
  • strong winds
  • landslides
  • coastal + river flooding
29
Q

How has the damage from Katrina beem recovered?

A

Majority of areas devastated have now fully recovered

30
Q

what is a primary impact?

A

initial and direct impacts of a tropial storm.

31
Q

example of a primary impact

A

strong winds, storm surge, heavy rain and coastal flooding.

32
Q

what is a secondary impact?

A

happen as a consequence of a primary impact .

33
Q

e.g. of secondary impact

A

river flooding or landslide

34
Q

what is a social impact?

A

things that affect people’s quality of life or standard of living

35
Q

e.g. of social impact

A

disruption of everyday lives, homelessness, loss of community/culture

36
Q

what is a health impact?

A

impacts causing medical problems

37
Q

e.g. of health

A

death, injury, illness from contaminated water

38
Q

define economic impact

A

the financial costs of a tropical storm to local people and governments

39
Q

e.g. of economic impact

A

property damage, cost of collecting and disposing of waste and debris. it is often supported by the insurance industry

40
Q

define environmental impact

A

things that affect the environment and its surroundings

41
Q

e.g. of environmental

A

inundation of saltwater, destruction of salt marsh and pollution

42
Q

define political impacts

A

issues around command and control

43
Q

e.g. of political impacts

A

national emergency status causing greater personnel and financial support, international aid from governments, trading blocs or NGO’s. support from the military.

44
Q

define global warming

A

A recently measured rise in global temperatures

45
Q

define climate change

A

long term variations in climate particularly related to the average annual temperatures and annual rainfall

46
Q

what is the greenhouse effect?

A

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere due to the trapping of heat that would otherwise be radiated back into space

47
Q

what is the enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

This occurs when the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase owing to human activity

48
Q

fact about the greenhouse effect?

A

only 5% is released back into the atmosphere

49
Q

why is it that global temperatures rose by 0.85° from 1880 to 2012. Sea levels have subsequently risen by 21cm?

A
  • meltwater from melting glaciers

- thermal expansion

50
Q

what is thermal expansion?

A

when water heats up, it expands. About half of the past century’s rise in sea level is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.

51
Q

melting glaciers

A

increased melting of land-based ice, such a glaciers and ice sheets. The world’s glacier lost 260 gigatons of water each year between 2003 and 2009, making these rivers of ice responsible for almost a third of sea-level rise.

52
Q

arguments for increasing intensity and frequency of storms

A
  • cat 4-5 storms are twice as common, global warming increasing heat in oceans is likely to be the liable factor.
  • ## natural climate cycle that started in 1995 (in north Atlantic) combined with global warming there will be a greater magnitude of storms as there will be warmer waters and reduced wind shear.
53
Q

arguments against increasing intensity and frequency of storms

A
  • El Nino, fewer hurricanes as the winds stop the formation of convection cells which are key for hurricane formation. (happen every 5-7 yrs and last for 1-2yrs.
  • ## NHC says data on storms collected before the widespread use of satellites cannot be trusted.

AQA Hazards (21 decks)

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