Topic 1 - Hazardous Earth Flashcards

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1
Q

Low pressure

A

The air rises and cools, condenses and forms clouds. This means that there is rain and it’s unstable.

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2
Q

High pressure

A

The air is sinking which means that there is clear sky and no rain and it’s stable.

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3
Q

Weather at different parts of the planet?

A

1 (on the equator) = This area is very hot and very wet.
2 = This area is very hot and very dry. Dessert.
3 = This area is mild (not to hot or cold) and wet. Temperature, mid latitudes.
4 = This area is very cold and very dry. North Pole, Polar climate.

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4
Q

Why does the sun heat the Earth’s surface unevenly?

A

• The earth receives most radiation on the equator where it is hottest compared to the poles where it is coldest.
• The equator receives the most radiation because the sun rays hit the surface a right angle.
• At the poles, the curvature of the earth means that the angle is much lower which means they have to heat up a much larger area.
• At the poles the atmosphere is thicker so the radiation has to get through a bigger atmosphere.

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5
Q

How do winds transfer heat from the equator to the poles?

A

• The differences in temperature cause differences in air pressure.
• Winds blow from the areas of high pressure to the areas of low pressure.
• The earth is constantly rotating and deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
• This transfers heat away from the equator.

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6
Q

What are the 3 cells in each Hemisphere?

A

Polar Cell
Ferrel Cell
Hadley Cell

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7
Q

Global atmospheric circulation

A

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. As the air rises, it cools and condenses forming clouds and rains.
2) The cool, dry air moves out to 30° north and south of the equator.
3) At 30° 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 back to the equator as trade winds.
Rising air cannot hold as much moisture that’s why there is more precipitation on the equator.
5) At 60° 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 is forced to rise, creating low pressure.
6) Some of the air moves back to the equator, and the rest moves towards the poles.
7) At the poles the cool air sinks, creating high pressure.

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8
Q

Ocean currents

A

Ocean currents are large scale movements of water that transfer heat energy from warmer to cooler regions

1) Some ocean currents are powered by winds resulting from the atmospheric circulation cells.
2) Others are powered by density differences due to differences in water temperature and salinity.
3) In the Arctic and Antarctic, the water gets very cold. This cold, salty dense water sinks.
4) As it sinks, warmer water from other laititudes is pulled in.
5) This is cooled to by the polar temperature and the cycle continues.

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9
Q

How does global atmospheric circulation determine the location of arid (dry) areas?

A

Sinking air from the Hadley and Ferrel cells meeting causes high pressure and prevents rainfall. Rainfall is very slow for all or most of the year. Temperatures are hot or warm.

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10
Q

How does global atmospheric circulation determine the location of tropical areas?

A

Rising air from the 2 Hadley cells meeting causes low pressure and lots of rainfall. Temperatures are hot all the time and rainfall is high.

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11
Q

How does global atmospheric circulation determine the location of polar areas?

A

Sinking air from the Polar cells creates an area of high pressure at the poles. Temperatures are low all year round and there’s very little rainfall.

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12
Q

ITCZ

A

• The inter tropical convergence zone. This is where trade winds meet and air is heated so it rises.
• When air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds and rain.
• The ITCZ migrates North in summer and South in winter. It brings the areas north and south of the equator a wet season. When it migrates away, it creates a dry season.

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13
Q

What is the quaternary period?

A

• This is the most recent geological period of time spanning from 2.6 million years ago to the present day.
• In the period of time before this the Earth was warmer and stable, however then things changed.
• During the quaternary period the Earths global temperature fluctuated between Inter glacial periods (warm) and Glacial periods (cold/ice ages).
• The last Glacial period ended around 15,000 years ago since then the Earth has been warming.

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14
Q

4 natural causes of climate change?

A
  1. Orbital changes
  2. Volcanic Activity
  3. Solar output
  4. Asteroid collisions
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15
Q

Orbital changes

A

1) Orbital changes are variations in the way the Earth moves round the sun.
• Stretch - the path of the Earth’s orbit around the sun changes from an almost perfect circle to an eclipse (an oval) and back again.
• Tilt - the Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle as it orbits the Sun. This tilt changes over a cycle.
• Wobble - the axis of the Earth Wobbles like a spinning top on a cycle of about 22,000.
2) These cycles affect the amount of solar radiation (energy) the Earth receives. If the Earth receives more energy, it gets warmer.
3) Orbital changes may have caused the glacial and interglacial period of the Quaternary period.

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16
Q

Volcanic activity

A

1) Major volcanic eruptions eject large quantities of material, e.g. ash, into the atmosphere.
2) Some of these particles reflect the Sun’s rays back out to space, so the Earth’s surface cools.

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17
Q

Solar output

A

1) The suns output of energy isn’t constant.
2) Periods when solar output is reduced may cause Earth’s climate to become cooler.

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18
Q

Asteroid collisions

A

1) Asteroids hitting the earths surface can throw up huge amounts of dust into the atmosphere.
2) These particles prevent the suns energy from reaching the earths surface so global temperatures fall.

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19
Q

What evidence for Natural Causes of Climate Change is there?

A
  1. Tree rings
  2. Ice cores
  3. Historical data
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20
Q

Tree Rings

A

1) Most trees produce one ring within their trunks every year.
2) The thickness of the ring depends on the climate when the ring was formed - when it’s warmer the rings are thicker.
3) Scientists take cores through tree trunks then date each ring by counting them back from when the core was taken. By looking at the thickness of the rings, they can see what the climate was like each year.

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21
Q

Ice cores

A

1) Ice sheets are made up of layers of ice - one layer is formed each year.
2) Scientists drill into ice sheets to get long cores of ice.
3) By analysing the gasses (e.g. carbon dioxide) trapped in the layers of the ice, they can tell what the temperature was each year.

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22
Q

Historical data

A

1) Since the 1850s global temperatures have been measured accurately using thermometers. This gives a reliable but short-term record of temperature change.
2) Historical records (e.g. diaries and paintings) can extend the record of climate change a bit further back.

+ They are very detailed and can give an understanding of what the weather/climate was really like at the time. May also identify the impacts of this.
- The main drawbacks are that they were not written with the intention to record climate. Often info needs to be inferred. May be biased/exaggerated/made up. Lacks quantitative data.

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23
Q

Enhanced greenhouse effect

A

1) Solar radiation enters the atmosphere as short wave radiation. This easily passes through the atmosphere, as very little is absorbed.
2) Solar energy (radiation) is absorbed at the earths surface, and then radiates as long wave (infrared) radiation back into the atmosphere.
3) Long wave radiation is easily absorbed by the GHGs and so the heat becomes trapped, heating up the world.
4) Some long wave radiation escapes out of the atmosphere and into space.
5) Humans are releasing more greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels. This is enhancing the natural process. Carbon dioxide is the most abundant GHG in the atmosphere.

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24
Q

Consequences of global warming

A

• Coastal flooding from sea level rises.
• More destruction from more frequent, stronger hurricanes.
• More droughts, longer lasting.
• More flood from more frequent, heavier precipitation.
• Biodiversity loss on land and in the oceans.
• Spread of pests and diseases.
• Changes in farming could affect food supplies.

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25
Q

Human activists making the greenhouse effect stronger

A

• Farming
• Industry
• Energy
• Transport

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26
Q

Farming

A

1) Farming of livestock produces a lot of methane - cows love to fart.
2) Rice paddies contribute to global warming, because flooded fields emit methane.
3) Trees absorb and store CO2. When land is cleared of trees for agriculture it stops the absorption of CO2, which leaves more CO2 in the atmosphere.

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27
Q

Industry

A

1) Most industry uses a lot of energy.
2) Some industrial processes also release greenhouse gasses.
3) Industrial waste may end up in landfill sites where it decays, releasing methane.

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28
Q

Energy

A

CO2 is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas are burnt.

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29
Q

Transport

A

1) Most cars, lorries, ships and planes run on fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gasses when burnt.
2) Car ownership is rapidly increasing in countries which are developing.
3) This means there are more cars on the road.
4) This increases congestion. As a result, car engines are running for longer, so the amount of greenhouse gases released increases.

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30
Q

Evidence that human activity is causing climate change

A

• Declining arctic ice
• Sea level rise and warming oceans
• Global temperature rise
• Extreme weather events

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31
Q

Declining Arctic ice

A

1) Sea ice forms around the poles in winter when ocean temperatures fall below -1.8°C and melts during summer when it’s warmer.
2) The extent of Arctic sea ice in winter has decreased by more than 3% each decade over the past 25 years.

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32
Q

Sea level rise and warming oceans

A

There are two factors behind this rise:
• Eustatic sea level rise - warmer temperatures are causing glaciers to shrink and ice sheets to melt. The melting of ice on land means that water stored on land as ice returns into the oceans. This causes sea levels to rise.
• Thermal expansion - water in the ocean expands as it gets warmer. Scientists think this accounts for about half of the measured rise in sea levels.

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33
Q

Extreme weather events

A

• Higher frequency of heat waves.
• Fewer cold weather extremes.
• In the Uk, more rainfall records where broken in 2010-2014 than in any decade on record.

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34
Q

Impacts of climate change one people

A

• Deaths due to heat have increased.
• Some areas could become so hot and dry that they’re difficult or impossible to inhabit.
• Low lying coastal areas could be lost to the sea or flood.
• Affecting farming.
• Lower crop yields — > Increase malnutrition, ill health and death.
• Weather is getting more extreme so more money has to be spent on predicting extreme weather events, reducing their impacts and rebuilding after them.

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35
Q

Scenarios for the range of projections for global temperature change and sea level rise.

A

• Scenario 1 - minimum emissions —> This is the best outcome in which levels of greenhouse gases peak, then reduce.
• Scenario 2 and 3 - Stabilising scenarios —> These are scenarios in which greenhouse gas levels continue to increase, but eventually level off (after steps are taken to reduce emissions)
• Scenario 4 - Maximum emissions —> This is the worst outcome, in which the rate of production of emissions continues to increase and greenhouse gas levels end up very high.

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36
Q

Why is it difficult to predict future climate change?

A

• Emissions - we don’t actually know how emissions will change. —> Preditions have to take into account things like population increase and economic development. It’s hard know how global population will change in the future or how much development will change.
• Complexity - we don’t know what exact climate changes each scenario will cause. —> There are lots of natural processes that we don’t fully understand, which makes it difficult to predict what will change. We don’t know how these natural factors could have an impact on climate change.
• Management - We don’t know what attempts there will be to manage the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and how successful they will be.

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37
Q

Tropical cyclone distribution

A

• Located North and South of the equator.
• Between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn.
• Found over the oceans.

38
Q

The formation of tropical cyclones relies on 3 factors?

A

• Warm oceans (temp to exceed 26.5°)
• Strong winds which draw warm air up rapidly from the ocean surface.
• High humidity in the atmosphere (low pressure).

39
Q

What seasons do tropical cyclones occur in?

A

• In the Northern Hemisphere: June to November.
• In the Southern Hemisphere: November to April.

Atlantic off the west coast of Africa - Hurricanes
Northwestern Pacific - Typhoons
Southwestern Indian Ocean and southwestern pacific - Tropical cyclones

40
Q

How does the global circulation of the atmosphere lead to tropical cyclones?

A

• 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 increases surface winds.
• The earths rotation deflects the paths of the winds, which causes the cyclone to spin.
• Tropical cyclones move towards the west because of the easterly winds towards the equator.
• When cyclones travel further away from the equator, their path may start to curve to the east as they get caught in the mid-latitude westerlies.

41
Q

Why do some tropical cyclones intensify?

A

Due to energy from the warm water.

42
Q

Why do some tropical cyclones dissipate?

A

When they move over land or cooler water because the energy supply from the warm water is cut off.
Changes in wind speed can also cause a cyclone to dissipate.

43
Q

What is the source area and tracks of tropical cyclones?

A

Between 5° and 30° North and South of the equator.
Tracks follow the path of trade winds away from the tropics. They curve due to the coriolis effect.

44
Q

Physical hazards of tropical cyclones?

A

• High winds
• Infense rainfall
• Storm surges
• Coastal flooding
• Landlisdes

45
Q

Impacts on people of physical hazards?

A

• People may drown in strong current created by floodwater and storm surges.
• Windspeeds in tropical cyclones can be strong enough to completely destroy buildings, which means people are left homeless.
• High winds and floodwater can carry large amounts of debris, which can kill or injure people.
• Electricity supplies are cut off because cables are damaged or swept away by flood water.
• The shortage of clean water and lack of proper sanitation makes it easier for diseases to spread.
• In poorer countries there’s often a shortage of food because crops are damaged and livestock killed.
• Unemployment increases because businesses are damaged or destroyed.
• Damaged roads make it very difficult for aid and emergency vehicles to get through.

46
Q

Impacts on the environment of physical hazards?

A

• Trees are uprooted by high winds which can damage or completely destroy wooded habitats.
• Storm surges can erode beaches and damage coastal habitats.
• Flooding caused by storm surges can pollute freshwater environments with saltwater.
• Landslides deposit sediment in rivers and lakes, which can kill fish and other wildlife.
• Flooding can damage industrial buildings on the coast, e.g. oil or chemical factories. This causes harmful chemicals to leak into the environment and cause pollution.

47
Q

Physical vulnerability

A
  1. Low lying coastlines are vulnerable to storm surge flooding as well as large waves caused by high winds.
  2. Areas in the path of tropical cyclones are hit more frequently.
  3. Steep hillsides May increase the risk of landslides.
48
Q

Economic vulnerability

A

Poorer countries are economically vulnerable because:
1. Many people depend on agriculture which is often badly affected - this leads to a loss of livelihoods.
2. People may not have insurance to cover the costs of repairing damage caused by cyclones.
However, the economics impact is often greater in richer countries as the buildings and infrastructure damaged are worth a lot of money.

49
Q

Social vulnerability

A

Poorer countries are often more socially vulnerable because:
1. Buildings are poorer quality so more easily damaged.
2. Health care isn’t as good so they struggle to treat all the casualties.
3. There is little money for flood defences or training emergency teams.
4. It’s harder to rescue people because of poor infrastructure.

50
Q

How might climate change affect tropical cyclones in the future?

A

Higher temperatures means oceans heat up so more evaporation, condensation and release of energy so more intense storms.

51
Q

How can countries prepare for and respond to tropical cyclones?

A

• Weather forecasting
• Satellite technology
• Warning and evacuation strategies
• Storm-surge defences

52
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Predict

A

• The USA has a sophisticated monitoring system to predict if (and where) a hurricane will hit,
• The National Hurricane centre in Florida tracks and predicts hurricanes using satellite images and planes that collect weather data on approaching storms.

53
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Prepare

A

• There was an evacuation order from the mayor of New Orleans. The super dome was made a designated shelter for people who couldn’t evacuate.
• FEMA (Federal emergency management agency) were unprepared for the scale of the destruction.
• Evacuation procedures were not effective because public transport wasn’t used and the highways were jammed.

54
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Protect

A

• The city of New Orleans was very badly damaged - flood defences (e.g. levees) that were supposed to protect the city failed.
• This caused widespread flooding (over 80% of the city was underwater).

55
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Impacts on people

A

• More than 1800 people were killed.
• 300,000 houses were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless.
• 3 million people left without electricity.
• Roads were damaged and some bridges collapsed.
• 230,000 jobs were lost from damaged businesses.

56
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Impacts on the environment

A

• Coastal habitats such as sea turtle breeding beaches were damaged.
• Some coastal conversation areas were destroyed.
• Flooding damaged oil refineries in Louisiana, causing massive oil spills.

57
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Predict

A

• It was possible to track the typhoon with data from Japan.
• Also the PAGASA, the Philippines meteorological agency tracked Haiyan.

58
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Prepare

A

• People were warned of the typhoon using the PSWS (Public storm warning system).
• Due to the accurate tracking by the PAGASA, 2 days before Haiyan hit, approximately 750,000 residents were evacuated.
• The military were sent to high risk areas in preparation, to be ready to help with the aid effort.
- Emergency shelters were put in place, but not on high enough ground to escape the 5m storm surge.
- Many people did not understand what a storm surge was, and sought refuge in areas they thought were safe. The government were criticised for not communicating effectively.

59
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Protect

A

• Many of the storm protection shelters did not survive the storm because they were poorly constructed.
• No storm surge defences.

60
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Impacts on people

A

• Over 7,000 died.
• 1.9 million were left homeless, 6 million were displaced.
• 5.8 billion dollars in damage.

61
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Impacts on the environment

A

• 71,000 hectares of farmland was affected.

62
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Key facts

A

• 2013
• Winds up to 195mph
• One of the strongest tropical storms on record. Category 5 on the SS scale.
• 5 metre storm surge, with waves up to 15m high.

63
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Key facts

A

• 2005
• Category 3 on the SS scale.
• Damage was approx 108 billion.
• 4m high storm surge.
• River levees collapsed during the storm surge.

64
Q

Typhoon Haiyan Philippines:
Responses

A

• The Philippines formally declared a state of national calamity and asked for international help, one day after Typhoon Haiyan hit the country.
• The storm damaged infrastructure making response difficult.
• Millions of people received little or no official aid. Many people starved because of lack of aid.
• The government was accused of being corrupt because it didn’t distribute aid fairly, only to districts that voted for them. As a result, a lot of money didn’t make it to the most needy.
• The UK government provides food, shelter, clean water, medicine and other supplies for up to 800,000 victims.
• The United Nations launched an international aid appeal in December 2013 for £480m to finance the humanitarian relief effort for 2014.

65
Q

Hurricane Katrina USA:
Response

A

• There was much criticism of the authorities for their handling of the disaster. Although many people were evacuated, it was a slow process and the poorest and most vulnerable were left behind.
• President Bush was criticised for not responding with immediate aid fast enough.
• The mayor was criticised for leading the evacuation order to late.
• $50 billion in aid was given by the government.
• The UK government sent food aid during the early stages of the recovery process.
• The National Guard was mobilised to restore and maintain law and order in what became a hostil and unsafe living environment.

66
Q

Structure of the earth:
Core

A

• The core is a ball of solid (inner) and liquid (outer) iron and nickel.
• At the centre, its very dense. It becomes less dense further out.
• The temperature inside the core ranges from 4400-6000°C

67
Q

Structure of the earth:
Mantle

A

• The mantle is made up of silicone based rocks.
• The part of the mantle nearest the core is quite rigid.
• The layer above this, called the asthenosphere, is semi-molten (it can flow).
• And the very, very top bit of the mantle is rigid.
• The temperature of the mantle is between 1000 and 3700°C. It’s hotter towards the core and cooler towards the earth surface.

68
Q

Structure of the earth:
The crust

A

• The crust is also made up of silicone based rocks.
• There are 2 types of crust - continental and oceanic.
Continental - thicker and less dense
Oceanic - thinner and more dense

69
Q

How do tectonic plates move?

A

• The tectonic plates float on the mantle.
• Radioactive decay of some elements in the mantle and core generates a lot of heat.
• When lower parts of the asthenosphere heat up they come less dense and slowly rise.
• As they move towards the top of the asthenosphere they cool down, become more dense, and slowly sink.
• These circular movements of semi-molten rock are called convection currents.
• Convection currents in the asthenosphere create drag on the base of the tectonic plates - and this causes them to move.

70
Q

Convergent boundaries

A

• Convergent boundaries are where two plates are moving towards each other.
• Where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate is forced down into the mantle and destroyed. This often creates volcanoes and ocean trenches. - Destructive margin
• Where 2 continental plates meet, the plates collide, and the ground is folded and forced upwards to create mountain ranges. - Collision margin

71
Q

Divergent boundaries

A

Divergent boundaries are where 2 plates are moving away from each other. Magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap and cools, creating new crust.

72
Q

Conservative boundaries

A

Where 2 plates are moving sideways past each other, or are moving in the same direction but at different speeds. Crust isn’t created or destroyed.

73
Q

Hotspots

A

Some volcanoes form in the middle of tectonic plates over hotspots:
1. They occur where a plume of hot magma from the mantle moves towards the surface, causing an unusually large flow of heat from the mantle to the crust.
2. Sometimes the magma can break through the crust and reach the surface, when this happens there is an eruption and a volcano forms.
3. Hotspots remain stationary over time, but the crust moves above them. This can create chains of volcanic islands.

74
Q

Composite volcanos

A

• Occur at convergent destructive plate boundaries.
• When the oceanic plate sinks into the mantle and melts, it forms magma, magma mixed with sea water rises up through the cracks in the Earth’s crust and erupts at the surface - forming volcanos.
• Steep sides, and are made up of alternate layers of ash and lava.
• The lava is sticky so it doesn’t flow far.
• It’s also acidic.
• Eruptions can be violent - expelling steam, ash, lava and rock - but they don’t happen very often.

75
Q

Shield volcanoes

A

• They’re found at divergent plate margins.
• As the 2 plates move apart, magma rises up from the mantle. Some magma is forced to the surface through a vent - forming a volcano.
• Shield volcanoes have a wide base and gently sloping sides.
• The lava is runny and flows a long way. It’s also basic (opposite of acidic).
• There can be frequent eruptions, but they’re not to violent.

76
Q

Focus

A

The point of rupture in the earths crust from which energy is released.

77
Q

Epicentre

A

The point on the ground surface directly above the focus where the greatest energy is felt.

78
Q

How to measure earthquakes?

A

Seismometers measures the seismic (shock waves) from the earthquake and then its magnitude is worked out.

79
Q

Richter scale and moment magnitude scale

A

• Both measure magnitude between 1 and 10 where each number is 10 times greater than the previous.
• The moment magnitude scale is used more frequently now as its more accurate at higher magnitudes.

80
Q

Secondary hazards of earthquakes?

A

• Landlsides.
• Tsunamis.

81
Q

How are tsunamis caused?

A

• On a convergent boundary where the Eurasian plate meets the pacific plate.
• The oceanic plate subducted underneath the continental plate and friction/pressure built up as the continental plate is dragged downwards.
• When the pressure was released, the continental plate thrust upwards and water was displaced creating a wave.
• As it travelled to the shallower sea, the wave got bigger, causing mass destruction.

82
Q

Japan earthquake

A

• 11th March 2011
• 9 magnitude
• Convergent plate margin
• Focus was 30 km deep.
• Epicentre was 70km outside Sendai bay.

83
Q

Primary impacts of Japan earthquake

A

• 1 dam collapsed and 2 nuclear power stations fractured.
• An oil refinery set on fire due to damaged gas pipes.
• Over 300,000 buildings, 200 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways were destroyed or damaged.
• 300 hospitals damaged and 11 totally destroyed.
• $235 billion dollars of damage.

84
Q

Secondary impacts of Japan earthquake

A

• 15,900 people died - 93% drowned.
• 350,000 people left homeless.
• 2 nuclear reactors went into meltdown because flooding damaged the cooling systems.
• Homelessness and disrupted schooling and unemployment continued for years after as the government struggled to deal with it.

85
Q

Predicts prepare and protect Japan earthquake

A

• Impossible to ‘predict’ but Japan has spend over 70 million on lasers used to monitor and have a network of seismometers all over the country.

• Most advanced early warning system in the world. It sends nation wide warnings to cell phones as well as factories and schools when P waves are detected.
• Tsunami warning system.
• Every 1st of September the whole country has an earthquake and tsunami drill to make sure civilians, rescue and emergency services know what to do.

• Billions of pounds have been spent on making buildings more resistant to earthquakes. They have strict building regulations.
• Gas supplies are automatically shut off to reduce risk of fire.
• 12m tsunami barriers have been replaced with 18m ones.

86
Q

Japan earthquake short term relief.

A

• Rescue services and army were mobilised. They were able to clear roads and create access paths very quickly.
• The army helped to build many temporary shelters quickly and the building of the worst affected areas happened immediately.
• The Japanese Red Cross received over $1 billion in donations and they gave out over 300,000 emergency relief kits and 14,000 sleeping kits.

87
Q

Haiti earthquake

A

• 12th January 2010
• 7 magnitude earthquake
• Conservative plate margin
• Focus was about 13km deep.
• Epicentre was 25km outside capital city Port au Prince.

88
Q

Primary impacts of Haiti

A

• 316,00 people were killed and 300,000 injured.
• Main port was badly damaged.
• 8 hospitals collapsed.
• 100,000 houses were destroyed and 200,000 were damaged.
• 1.3 million people became homeless.
• Landslides happened all over the country.

89
Q

Secondary impacts of Haiti

A

• 2 million people were left without food or water.
• Crime increased - looting became a problem.
• By November 2010 there were outbreaks of cholera.
• Haitis clothing factories were damaged so 1/5 of jobs were lost.

90
Q

Haiti predict, prepare and protect.

A

• Forecasts were made by scientists but national or international action wasn’t made

• Haiti was unprepared - it was difficult to implement an early warning system.
• No education about earthquakes.
• No stockpiling of emergency resources.

• Buildings were poorly built and collapsed easily.
• Since the earthquake they have used earthquake resistant techniques to build homes.

91
Q

Haiti short term relief

A

• Crucial aid was slow to arrive due to the damaged port.
• USA sent rescue teams and 10,000 troops.
• Temporary field hospitals were set up.
• The UK’s disaster committee donated 100 million which was used to provide emergency shelters, medication, bottled water and purification tablets.
• Search and rescue teams flew from all over the world.