Topic 7 - Global Hazards Flashcards
what is a disaster
when population is impacted by a hazard that can endanger people (causing death, injuries or damage) or buildings
what is a hazard
extreme events that causes threats to peoples lives and property
what is weather
refers to the day to day conditions of the atmosphere
what is climate
the average wether recorded over a period of at least 30 years
what is a Ferrel cell
- An atmospheric cell lying between the Polar cell and the Hadley cell
- It transfers warm air to high latitudes and shifts cold air back to the subtropics, where it is warmed
what is a Hadley cell
- low-latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30° latitude
what is a polar cell
- the smallest and weakest cells
- Air in these cells sinks over the highest latitudes and flows out towards the lower latitudes at the surface
what is the albedo effect?
how much a surface reflects or absorbs the sun rays
- e.g polar ice (reflects more heat and making the poles colder)
what is cloud cover?
- clouds affect sun rays, although potential isolation is stronger than the equator
- thick clouds reduce temperature
what is wind?
- surface winds move heat around the world, from a high to low pressure
what are ocean currents?
- because water is a fluid, ocean currents move heat easily
- Uk is much warmer than other countries at the same lattitude becuase it is warmed by the North Atlantic Drift
what is the north atlantic drift
is a warm ocean current that originates in the carribean
what is the hottest place in earth
Lut desser in iran (70*C)
what is the coldest place in earth
antartica (-89.2)
what is convectional rainfall
when the heated air from the earth’s surface rises upwards along with the water vapour and gets condensed when it reaches a higher altitude
what is frontall rainfall
-occurs when a warm front meets a cold front.
- The heavier cold air sinks to the ground and the warm air rises above it. When the warm air rises, it cools. The cooler air condenses and form clouds. The clouds bring heavy rain.
what is relief rainfall
occurs when warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean rises up over mountains. When the warm air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds, which brings rain. Once the air has passed over the mountains, it descends and warms.
what is the el nino effect
- related to weaker trade winds and lead to warmer than usual sea surface in the Pasific ocean
- cause drought in areas like asia and australia
what is la nina effect
- related to stronger trade winds and lead to cooler than usual sea surface temperatures in the Pasific ocean
- can drought areas in california and peru
casestudy: Typhoon Haiyan consequences
primary consiquences:
- heavy rainfall led to flash flooding and landslides
- strong winds caused damage to buildings
- people were drowned and killed or injured by falling debris
- infranstructure, trees, crops were damaged
secondary consiquences:
- people didnt have shelter, clean water or electricity
- roads were blocked by trees and 453 flights were cancelled
- many people lost friends or family members
casestudy: Typhoon Haiyan responces
long term responses:
- cleaning debris and managing waste
- repairing infranstructure
- replanting mangroves around the coast to provide a buffer against future storm surges
imeediate repsonses:
- the united nations appealed for 190 million for emergency aid
- the world health organisation helped to manage the healthcare
- many countries sent aid, australia put in £28 million pacage including medicine staff
Casestudy: Typhoon Haiyan key dates and place spersific
key dates:
- 2nd nov: storm forms in area of low pressure
- 5th nov: storm becomes tropical storm
- 6th nov: storm reaches catagory 5
- 7th nov: 8:40 (315km/h) then decreases wind speed to 10th nov
Place spersisifc:
- phillipines in november 2003
- typhoon became so strong that it reached eastern sammar
- began in persfic ocean but developed into topical storm in the phillipines
what are some causes of droughts:
- less rain
- warmer temperatures
- dry soils
- high water usage
consiquences of droughts
- social: homeworkers turn on tap water - banned
- enviro: moorland catch fire easily, river water was used to boost water supply
- eco: kills crops and livestock lose money
what are the sections of the earth structure
- inner core
- outer core
- mantle
- continental crust
what are the causes of earthquakes
- when plates break free or one plate give way, the energy released causes an earthquake beneath surface
backup casestudy: Nepal in the Himilayas landlocked
emergency repsonces:
- 10 tonnes of blankets
- 50 tones of water and 22 tones of food
- doctors and 2 tonnes of medical supplies
long term responses:
- help nepal repair and rebuilt
- “cash for work” projects - survivors were paid to rebuild in their communites
consiquences:
- eco: £10 billion damage caused
- buisnesses are destoryed
- shops closed
- enviro: landslides in mountains, burried houses and cut off roads
- over 180 buildings were reduced to rubble
- aftershocks threatened to destory weakend buildings
- social: 19009 people injured
- schools, healthcare had to close
- 8635 people dead
- historical and religious buildings destroyed
- thousands of homeless people
- many people struglled to return to familys in rural areas
