Topic 1: Hadardous Earth✅ Flashcards

1
Q

What is warm air?

A

Low pressure

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2
Q

What is cold dry air?

A

High pressure

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3
Q

What are 3 natural factors that have caused climate change?

A

Asteroids
Volcanos
Orbital

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4
Q

What is the correct structure of the earth from outwards in?

A

Crust
Mantle
Outer core
Inner core

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5
Q

Which layer of earth is found beneath the crust?

A

Mantle

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6
Q

What is the asthenosphere?

A

The upper mantle

Below the crust and below the lithosphere.

(Middle mantle)

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7
Q

What is the lithosphere?

A

The CRUST both oceanic and continental

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8
Q

Which type of crust is heaviest?

A

Oceanic

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9
Q

Which crust is thicker continental or oceanic?

A

Continental

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10
Q

What is the lithosphere broken down into?

A

Tectonic plates

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11
Q

What tracks how plates move and behave?

A

GPS

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12
Q

What is magma called above the surface?

A

Lava

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13
Q

What does viscous mean?

A

How thick and sticky something is

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14
Q

What is a ridge push?

A

Gravity force that causes the plate into a subduction zone. It works with the slab pull. Weaker than the slab pull.

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15
Q

Where do convection currents happen?

A

In the mantle

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16
Q

What do convection currents cause?

A

Movement in the plates due to the rise and fall of rock in the asthenosphere

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17
Q

What is slab pull

A

Is the strongest force causing subduction

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18
Q

How are hurricanes categorised?

A

Wind speed

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19
Q

What magnitude was hurricane Catarina?

A

5

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20
Q

What is a plate margin?

A

Where two tectonic plates meet.

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21
Q

What are the types of plate boundaries?

A

Divergent, convergent and conservative.

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22
Q

What happens at a conservative plate margin?

A

Two plates slide past each other

Causes earthquakes and tsunamis

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23
Q

What happens at a convergent plate margin?

Both Continental plates

A

Two continental plates move towards each other.

Mountains are formed

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24
Q

What happens at a divergent plate margin?

A

Two plates move away from each other

Causes a new crust as magma rises and forms underwater mountains

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25
Q

What plate margin are rift valleys associated with?

A

Divergent

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26
Q

What is a good example of a rift valley?

A

The great rift valley in East Africa

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27
Q

Which type of plate margin has a subduction zone?

A

Convergent

Oceanic and continental

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28
Q

What plate margin are shield volcanos associated with?

A

Divergent

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29
Q

What plate margin causes fold mountains?

A

Convergent

Continental and continental

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30
Q

What is a subduction zone?

A

The area where the oceanic plate is pushed under a continental plate.

(Convergent)

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31
Q

Can volcanos and earthquakes occur at convergent plate margins?

A

Yes

Composite volcanos

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32
Q

What volcano is found along convergent plate boundaries?

A

Composite

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33
Q

What causes plates in conservative boundaries to get stuck?

A

Friction

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34
Q

What is liquefaction?

A

soil mostly loses strength and stiffness in response to stress such as shaking during an earthquake. The material that is ordinarily a solid behaves like a liquid.

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35
Q

Is the San andreas fault along a conservative plate margin?

A

Yes

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36
Q

Why do volcanos occur in convergent plate margins?

A

In subduction magma rises through cracks in the bedrock called vents.

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37
Q

Why do volcanos occur at hotspots?

A

A plume of hot mama rises from the mantle to the surface, causing large flow of heat from the mantle to the crust. Magma becomes lava.

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38
Q

Characteristics of composite volcanos:

A

They erupt andesitic lava which has high silica content.

Lava can not flow very far

Very violent but NOT frequent

Eruptions are explosive

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39
Q

Shield volcanos

A

Not very explosive

They erupt basaltic lava low silica level: it is runny spreads over a large area
No larva bombs

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40
Q

What is large scale movement of air?

A

Wind

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41
Q

What are trade winds?

A

Surface winds that blow from 30 degrees north and south of the equator.

The winds blow back to the equator

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42
Q

In the southern he hemisphere, trade winds will blow from _______ to _________ until the reach the equator.

A

South east

North west

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43
Q

In the northern he hemisphere, trade winds will blow from _______ to _________ until the reach the equator.

A

North east

South west

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44
Q

What are westerlies?

A

Wind that blow from 30 degrees north and south to the POLES.

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45
Q

In the southern he hemisphere, westerlies will blow from _______ to _________ until the reach the south pole.

A

North west

South east

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46
Q

In the northern hemisphere, westerlies will blow from _______ to _________ until the reach the north pole.

A

South west

North east

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47
Q

What are two types of surface winds?

A

Trade winds (to the equator)

Westerlies (to the poles)

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48
Q

Properties of winds:

A
  1. Caused by differences in air pressure.
  2. Large scale air movements.
  3. Move from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.
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49
Q

At what degree does air cool and sink north and south of the equator?

A

30 degrees(they move as surface winds)

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50
Q

What does raising hot air form?

A

Rising hot air forms a low-pressure belt

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51
Q

High pressure!

A

When air cools and falls, this results in a high pressure belt with no clouds and minimal rainfall.

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52
Q

What happens at 60 degrees north and south?

A

cold air blown from the poles meets warm air surface winds. Because the warmer air is less dense, it rises and forms a low-pressure belt.

The air splits, with some returning back towards the equator and the rest heading to the poles.

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53
Q

What happens to air at the poles?

A

The high pressure belt will move back to the equator as surface winds.

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54
Q

A low pressure belt?

A
  • raising air
  • clouds
  • rain

Usually the equator and between 50° and 70° latitude.(north and south CHECK

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55
Q

Examples of low pressure in the northern hemisphere:

A

Aleutian low and the Icelandic low.

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56
Q

What are deep ocean currents caused by?

A

Deep ocean currents are caused by differences in water density.

(Thermohaline circulation)

Water freezing in polar regions causes the surrounding water to become saltier and therefore denser.
The sinking of this dense water lets warm water flow in near the surface. This warm water will then cool and sink.

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57
Q

How is warm water is transferred to Western Europe from the Caribbean?

A

The gulf stream

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58
Q

What is the name of the circulation system that causes deep ocean currents?

A

Thermohaline circulation

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59
Q

Surface currents transfer heat ______ the equator

A

Away from (shallower)

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60
Q

How is a low pressure belt formed from the Hadley cell?

A

Air rises where the Hadley cells from each hemisphere meet. This creates a belt of low pressure.

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61
Q

How is a high pressure belt formed from the Hadley and ferrel belt meeting?

A

Air sinks where the Ferrel and Hadley circulation cells meet. This creates a belt of high pressure.

62
Q

What are the conditions in tropical climate zones?

A

High rainfall

High temperatures

63
Q

What type pf ocean current is the gulf stream?

A

Surface current

64
Q

What are the conditions in tropical climate zones?

A

Winds move from high pressure areas to low pressure areas.

65
Q

What are the three names of the global atmospheric circulation cells found in EACH hemisphere?

A

Polar cell
Hadley cell
Ferrel cell.

66
Q

How long do interglacial periods usually last?

A

8-12 thousand years

67
Q

What is the greenhouse effect?

A

The greenhouse effect happens when greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide, methane) absorb heat that has been reflected off the Earth and re-radiate this heat back towards Earth.

68
Q

How long did the Quaternary period last?

A

2.588 million years

69
Q

How long did the Neogene period last for?

A

21.4 million years

70
Q

How long do glacial periods last for?

A

About 100 thousand years.

71
Q

Sources for climate change evidence:

A
Ice cores
Tree rings
Pollen analysis
Temperature records 
Sediment cores
72
Q

What geological period are we currently in?

A

Quaternary period

73
Q

When was the mini ice age?

A

1600-1685

74
Q

When was the medieval warm period?

A

950-1100 AD

75
Q

The UK’s air masses:

A

The climate of the UK today is influenced by six air masses, leading to different weather conditions that contribute to four distinct climate regions.

The north-west - tends to experience mild winters and cool summers

The north-east - tends to experience cold winters and cool summers

The south-west - tends to experience mild winters and warm summers

The south-east - tends to experience cold winters and warm summers.

76
Q

How often does the earth’s tilt change?

A

41,000 years

77
Q

What is the length of the cycle of earth wobbling on its axis?

A

22 thousand years

78
Q

How often does the earth’s orbit change from circular to elliptical?

A

Every 96,000 years

79
Q

What emits methane?

A
  • The digestive system of cows

- rice paddies

80
Q

What is an example of an industry process that releases methane?

A

Clement (made from limestone contains a lot of carbon co2 is released when it is made

Decay of industrial waste also produces methane

81
Q

During____ plants take in co2 from the atmosphere and convert it into food.

A

Photosynthesis

82
Q

Proof of human enhanced sea level rise:

A
  • Global sea level rise increasing by 210 mm since 1900(melting ice)
  • more extreme weather events (more frequent)

The ice sheets in the poles are getting thinner (13 % each decade)

  • world increased by 1 degree since 1880
  • all ten of the hottest years have been post 2001
83
Q

The natural green house effect:

A

Greenhouse gases cause the greenhouse effect. This helps keep the Earth warm enough for life. But, the greenhouse effect can cause global warming if too strong. The process is:
The Sun emits short wavelength

infrared radiation that enters the atmosphere and travels towards the Earth’s surface.

The Earth absorbs some of this radiation, but long wavelength radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gases can’t absorb the frequency of radiation emitted by the Sun, but they can absorb the longer wavelength reflected radiation.
The gases re-radiate this energy.
Temperature at the Earth’s surface rises.

84
Q

Will climate change change the distribution of species?

A

Yes

85
Q

How much did hurricane Katrina cost the USA?

A

125 billion

86
Q

By 2100 how much is the temperature expected to rose by?

A

2.8-3.2 degrees

87
Q

Rising sea temperatures are causing the _______ of sensitive _______

A

Bleaching

Corals

88
Q

What graphs predict the best and worse case temperature scenarios as a result of climate change?

A

Temperature projection graphs

89
Q

What are the conditions in the eye of a tropical cyclone?

A
No clouds
High temperature
Low pressure 
No rain 
Light winds
90
Q

What are the 6 sources of climate change evidence?

A
  • Pollen analysis
  • Ice cores
  • tree rings
  • sediment cores
  • temperature records
  • historical records
91
Q

How does pollen analysis show climate change?

A
  • it can be preserved in sediment

- comparing plant pollen from sediment plant pollen can show the differences from the past climate.

92
Q

How do tree rings show climate change?

A

Every year, a new ring forms in the trunks of trees.

Rings are thicker in good conditions for growth (temperate and wet climate).

Counting the number of tree rings can show that tree’s age.

Tree rings give us data on the climate and temperature for up to the last 10,000 years.

93
Q

How do ice cores show climate change?

A

Every year a new layer of ice freezes on top of the previous ice sheet

Examining the gasses in each layer of ice can show us what the temperature was like thousands of years ago.

-sometimes there are fossils and sediment that can provide more information.

94
Q

How do temperature records show climate change?

A

Temperatures have been recorded globally since 1850, however, global records are a lot better from the last 50 years.

This data is very reliable but only stretches back 170 years.

95
Q

Give 2 possible effects of climate change:

A

Possible effect 1:

POINT!Global climate change will cause sea levels to rise.

EXPLAIN: rising sea levels will affect approximately 80 million people and will result in a massive migration away from the coast. This has the potential to lead to over population in some areas.

Possible effect 2:

POINT: Global climate change will cause an increased frequency of droughts.

ExPLINTION: this will stop crops from growing in affected areas, which could cause malnutrition and starvation.

96
Q

Four possible effects of global climate change:

A

Increased frequency of flooding.

Increased frequency of extreme weather events.

Changes in farming patterns.

Changes in animal/plant/disease distribution.

97
Q

Where are composite volcanos usually found?

A

At destructive plate boundaries(convergent)

98
Q

What happens at the collision zone?

A

Fold mountains are formed

99
Q

What is the characteristics of composite volcanos?

A
  • occur at convergent plate boundaries
  • the water reacts with magma tp form gasses. This causes subducted crust to erupt
  • very explosive, ash explosions
  • erupt andesitic lava(high silica) very thick and sticky
  • can’t flow far forms a steep-sided cone.

Eg. Mount Fuji in Japan

100
Q

Characteristics of shield volcanos:

A
  • occur at hotspots or divergent plate boundaries.
  • not very explosive made up of only lava
  • erupt basaltic lava(low silica) very runny

-flows quickly over a large
area forming a gentle-sided volcano(no massive mountains)

101
Q

Characteristics of hotspot volcanos:

A
  • plume of hot magma moves towards the surface.
  • ballistic lava (low silica)
  • they remain stationary but the crust moves above them, it creates volcanic islands.

Eg. Hawaii is a chain of hotspot volcanos in the pacific plates.

102
Q

What are storm surges?

A

Storm surges are large sea level rises brought about by high winds and low pressure.

It leads the sea to flood costal areas

103
Q

In cyclone Nargis, how manny people are dead and missing?

A

84,000 people dead

53,800 missing

104
Q

Physical hazards of tropical cyclones:

A

Storm surges
Costal flooding
High winds
Landslides intense rainfall

105
Q

Whar do meteorologists do?

A

Build models to forecast weather and cyclones

106
Q

How can we reduce the impacts of tropical cyclones?

A
  • weather forecasting
  • storm surge defences
  • evacuations
107
Q

What are the 3 types of vulnerabilities with tropical cyclones?

A

Social
Economic (high dependence on agriculture)
Physical

108
Q

2environmental impacts of hurricane Katrina:

A

Oil spills

Damage of costal areas

109
Q

Where did hurricane Katrina strike on 29th of August 2005?

A

Mississippi

Louisiana

110
Q

Primary effects of hurricane Katrina:

A

1,836 dead

154,522 houses were destroyed

The electricity for over 3 million people were cut off.
Many people in New Orleans
.
80% of New Orleans was flooded

Coastal habitats were damaged and bridges & infrastructure collapsed.

111
Q

In hurricane Katrina, how many evacuated?

A

1.7 million people were evacuated from the states of Mississippi and Louisiana before the storm struck.

112
Q

How many people were rescued by the coast guard in New Orleans

A

35000

113
Q

What produces heat in the earth’s core?

A

Radioactive decay

114
Q

How high was the storm surge in cyclone Nargis?

A

7.6 m

115
Q

When was the first batch of aid allowed in as a response to cyclone Nargis?

A

9 May

116
Q

How high were the winds in cyclone Nargis?

A

120 MpH

117
Q

Where are shield volcanos found?

A

Divergent or hotspots

118
Q

What is pyroclastic flow?

A

Pyroclastic flows are currents of hot ash, lava and gas that can move downhill at speeds of up to 500 km/h during an eruption.

119
Q

In the decade before cyclone Nargis large amounts of ______ forest had been cut down. It reduced the natural protection of the coast line.

A

Mangrove

120
Q

Can earthquakes happen in all 3 plate margins?

A

Yes

121
Q

Parts of an earthquake:

A

Seismic waves
Epicentre
Focus

122
Q

Earthquakes at divergent margins:

A

pressure can build up from cracks in the plates when they move apart. This can cause earthquakes.

123
Q

Earthquakes at conservative margins:

A

there can be friction between plates because they aren’t smooth. A build up of friction will cause a snap(an earthquake)

124
Q

Earthquakes at convergent margins!

A

a plate can get stuck as it moves under another. This can cause earthquakes.

125
Q

What measures earthquakes?

A

The moment magnitude scale

126
Q

What is the focus of an earthquake?

A

Pressure is released underground and where energy comes from.

-this is where the strongest waves do the most damage

127
Q

Seismic waves

A

Energy from the focus in shock waves

-most damage will occur in places where earthquakes are strongest.

128
Q

What is the epicentre of an earthquake?

A

The place on the surface that is directly above the centre of the earthquake.

129
Q

What are shallow focus earthquakes?

A

Earthquakes where the focus is close to earths surface.

0-70km

130
Q

What are deep focus earthquakes?

A

Earthquakes where the focus is more than 70km under earth’s surface

  • usually happen at convergent plate boundaries
  • usually less damaging as it is so far deep under the surface
131
Q

Underwater earthquakes:

A

They move the sea bed and displace water.

Cause Tsunamis

132
Q

What year was the Hati earthquake?

A

2010

133
Q

What’s the name of the model that describes how air circulates between low and high-pressure belts?

A

Global atmospheric circulation model

134
Q

What is the magma type for composite volcanos?

A

Andesitic

135
Q

What is the magma type for sheild volcanos?

A

Basaltic

136
Q

What type of radiation is emitted by the Sun?

A

Short wave radiation

137
Q

What causes bigger tsunamis?

A

Shallow-focus earthquakes

Deep-focus earthquakes

138
Q

Are Earthquakes easy to predict, and why?

A

Cannot be easult predicted but monitoring certain signs like

  • movements
  • vibrations in Earth’s crust
139
Q

How are vibrations in Earth’ crust measured?

A

Using seimoeters

140
Q

What happens to rocks before an earthquake?

A

They crack and expand due to increased pressure

141
Q

Can volcanic eruptions be predicted

A

Yes, if the volcano is well monitored

142
Q

How do we know if a volcano is likely?

A
  • tiny earthquakes

- changes in the Volcano’s shape

143
Q

What are used to detect changes of temperature around a volcano?

A

Thermal imaging cameras

144
Q

What long term planning can be done to help prepare for a tectonic hazard?(5 reasons)

A
  • train emergency services
  • buildings designed to withstand earthquakes
  • educate population
  • evacuation routes
  • emergency supplies
145
Q

Name 5 examples of short term relief that needs to be provided after a disaster?

A
  • food,drink
  • treat injured
  • Prevent the spread of disease(recover dead bodies)
  • rescue trapped people
  • provide temporary supplies(gas, electricity, communications ect
146
Q

What are our two tropical cyclone case studies?

A

Hurricane Katrina(USA) and Cyclone Nagis(Myanmar)

147
Q

What is Hurricane Katrina’s magnitude at landfall, and date?

A

Magnitude 3 and landfall and 2005

148
Q

What forecasting did the USA have for Hurricane Katrina?

A

-sophisticated monitoring system

149
Q

What warning and evacuation did the USA have for Hurricane Katrina?(3 answers)

A
  • warning issued for: Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
  • state of emergencies issued
  • 70-80% of New Orelands residents evacuated
150
Q

What flood defences did the USA have for Hurricane Katrina?

A

Flood defences(e.g embankments failed- 80% of New Orleans underwater

151
Q

What were the enviromentwl impacts of Hurricane Katrina(2 answers)

A
  • costal habitats damaged

- oil spills

152
Q

Two social impacts of the Hati earthquake?

A
  • 250,000 injured

- 3 million affected