Topic 1 - Hazardous Earth

Question 1

What are the three global atmospheric cells called?

Answer 1

Polar (top), Ferrel (middle) and Hadley (bottom).

Question 2

What does warm and cool air do?

Answer 2

Warm air rises and cool air falls.

Question 3

What does air do in terms of pressure?

Answer 3

Warm air rising a creates a low pressure belt, and cold air falling creates a high pressure belt.

Question 4

What are ocean currents?

Answer 4

Large scale movements of water that transfer heat energy from warmer to colder regions.

Question 5

How does the tropical climate form?

Answer 5

Rising air from the two hadley cells meeting causes low pressure and lots of rainfall, temperature is hot all year round.

Question 6

What is climate change?

Answer 6

Any significant change in the Earth’s climate over a long period of time.

Question 7

Give an example of a natural cause of climate change.

Answer 7

Volcanic activity - eruptions eject masses of material such as ash, particles reflect sun’s rays and Earth’s surface cools.

Question 8

When do tropical cyclones develop?

Answer 8

When the sea temperature is over 26.5^oC and the difference in wind speed is low.

Question 9

What is a storm surge?

Answer 9

A large rise in sea level caused by low pressure and high winds.

Question 10

How do people measure windspeeds of cyclones?

Answer 10

Using the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Question 11

When and where was Hurricane Katrina?

Answer 11

29th of August, 2005, South east USA.

Question 12

What category was Hurricane Katrina? and Statistics?

Answer 12

It was category 3 at landfall. More than 1800 people were killed, and 300,000 houses were destroyed.

Question 13

What is the core made out of?

Answer 13

Iron and nickel, inner (solid) and outer (liquid) - temp. ranges from 4400 - 6000^oC

Question 14

What are both the mantle and the crust made out of?

Answer 14

Silicon-based rock

Question 15

What are the two types of crust?

Answer 15

Oceanic and Continental.

Question 16

What happens at a convergent plate boundary?

Answer 16

Oceanic meets continental, the denser oceanic is forced down then destroyed by mantle - often forming volcano.

Question 17

What happens at a divergent plate boundary?

Answer 17

Two plates moving away from each other and magma rises.

Question 18

What happens at a conservative plate boundary?

Answer 18

Two plates moving sideways past eachother - crust is neither created or destroyed.

Question 19

Name three characteristics of composite volcanoes?

Answer 19

Occur at convergent plate boundaries, volcanoe is steep, explosive, layer of ash, thick and sticky lava.

Question 20

Name three characteristics of a shield volcano?

Answer 20

Not explosive, lava is runny, wide and stumpy, only occur at divergent or hotspots.

Question 21

How do people monitor or predict an earthquake?

Answer 21

Seisometers - monitor vibrations in the earth’s crust.

Question 22

How do people predict an eruption of a volcano?

Answer 22

Thermal imaging cameras - detect changes in temperature, if temp. increases, it will erupt.

Question 23

Give two examples of long-term planning for a tectonic hazard?

Answer 23

Buildings can be designed to withstand earthquakes, people can be educated to know what to do, planned evacuation routes.

Question 24

Give two examples of short-term relief after disaster?

Answer 24

Provide temporary supplies, food and water, rescue people, recover dead bodies to prevent the spread of disease.

Question 25

What is a hotspot?

Answer 25

Found away from plate boundaries, hotspots are where volcanoes can form in the middle of tectonic plates.

Question 26

How are earthquakes measured?

Answer 26

The moment magnitude scale, which measures the energy released by an earthquake.

Question 27

How are earthquakes caused?

Answer 27

Earthquakes are caused by tension that builds up at all three plate boundaries.

Question 28

How are tsunamis formed?

Answer 28

Underwater earthquakes cause the seabed to move, which displaces water. Waves spread out from the epicentre of the earthquake.

Question 29

What are the two countries that you have studied, in terms of tropical cyclones?

Answer 29

Hurricane Katrina - USA, good prediction, defences failed, 1800 killed, 300,000 houses destroyed.

Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar, no prediction, warning only 48hours before, no defences, 140,000 killed, 450,000 homes were destroyed.