tropical rainstorms Flashcards
what is circulation
circular air movements called cells
these cells all join together to form the overall circulation of the earths atmosphere
what is global atmospheric circulation
movement of air around the earth to try and balance the temperature
what does high pressure system mean
air sinks and air pressure rises
clear sky and sun
what does low pressure system create
air rises and forms clouds
this will bring precipitation (rain, hail, sleet, snow)
what happens in a hadley cell
at equator, the sun warms the earth causing air to rise
air rising means low pressure bringing clouds and rain
as it rises and cools, it moves to 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator (tropic of cancer and capricorn)
this creates the hadley cell
global atmospheric circulation
at equator, the sun warms the earth causing air to rise
air rising means low pressure bringing clouds and rain
as air rises and cools, it moves 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator (tropic of cancer and capricorn) —> this creates the hadley cell
the cool air sinks creating high pressure
high pressure —> cloudless skies and low rainfall
cool air reaches the surface and moves as surface winds either back to the equator or poles
towards equator —> trade winds
towards poles —> westerlies
at 60 degrees north and south of the equator, the equator surface winds meet colder air from the poles. this is less dense so it rises
at the poles, the cool air sinks cresting high pressure
high pressure air is drawn back towards the equator as surface winds
what is the atmosphere
air above our heads: a mass of swirling liquids and solids such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, water vapour and droplets and ash
what do surface winds do
transfer heat and moisture from one place to another
Name the 3 main cells in the global atmospheric circulation model?
- Hadley Cell
- Ferrell Cell
- Polar Cell
Where do surface winds blow from and to?
Winds blow from high pressure areas to low pressure areas
What is a tropical storm?
Tropical storms are also known as hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones. They are huge storms that form between the tropics.
Describe the global distribution of tropical storms
• In a band around the equator
• Within the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn
• They are rare in the South Atlantic
Why do tropical storms form between the tropics?
• The ocean temperatures are warm enough (27°C)
• There is enough intense heating of the ocean to cause warm air to rise rapidly
Tropical storms in the North Atlantic region are known as?
hurricanes
Tropical storms in southeast Asia and Australia are known as?
cyclones
Tropical storms in Japan and the Philippines are known as?
typhoons
What are the conditions required for a tropical storm to form?
• Warm water (above 27°C)
• 60 meter deep water
• Coriolis effect
• Low pressure so air can rise —> form clouds
- Between 5 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator
Which force causes tropical storms to spin?
Coriolis
What are conditions like the the eye of a tropical storm?
calm
Which part of a tropical storm has the most severe winds?
eye wall
How wide can tropical storms be?
up to 300km
sequence of tropical storm formation
- 27 degrees ocean water warms the air directly above it
- Air rises and condenses to form clouds —> this leaves room for more air to rise
- Coriolis effect causes air to spin anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere
- Storm travels west then north in the northern hemisphere
- The storm slows down when jr gets to land because the energy supply from water is cut off
characteristics of a tropical storm
characteristics of a tropical storm
eye wall —> very strong winds, heavy rainfall
centre of storm called the eye —> up to 50km —> light wind, no rain
cloud top height can be up to 15km
when was typhoon haiyan and where
8th november 2013 in the philippines
category 5 storm
fact about typhoon haiyan
one of the most powerful storms ever recorded
wind speeds up to 300km per hour
primary effects of typhoon haiyan
• 6,300 deaths
• 600,000 people forced to leave their homes
- 90% of city of Taclocan destroyed
• 30,000 fishing boats destroyed
secondary effects of typhoon haiyan
• Flooding caused landslides and meant blocked roads cutting of aid
• Outbreaks of disease due to poor sanitation
• Looting and violence broke out —> 6million lost jobs —> desperate
immediate responses of typhoon haiyan
• 1200 evacuation shelters were set up
• The UK provided Shelter Boxes which provided equipment to set up temporary housing
• The Philippines Red Cross delivered basic food packages
long term responses to haiyan
• Charities like oxfam helped to replace fishing boats which is a crucial source of income for many citizens
• ‘Cash for Work’ programmes paid people to clean up debris
• Homes rebuilt away from flood prone areas
How are tropical storms monitored and predicted?
• Predicting the track of a tropical storm is very difficult.
• Satellite images are used to identify the distinct pattern of clouds associated
with tropical storms forming over the ocean.
How do people protect themselves from tropical storms?
• Buildings built on stilts so they’re safe from floodwater
• Flood defences can be built to hold back storm surges
How do people plan for tropical storms?
Increasing citizens awareness and knowledge of what to do in the event of a tropical storm
e.g. family evacuation plans / emergency kits
Educating people on the dangers of tropical storms and how best to prepare.
How might climate change affect tropical storm distributon, frequency and intensity?
Distribution: More tropical storms may happen outside of the current areas as sea temperatures increase
Frequency: will become more intense but may not become more frequent
Intensity: warmer seas means more energy to increase intensity of tropical storms// rising sea levels means risk of coastal flooding from storm surges will be greater —> more people living in coastal communities in the future so more people will be affected
What kinds of weather hazards affect the UK?
• Flooding
• Storms
• Drought
• Extreme heat / cold
model answer
when was beast from the east and what was it
heavy snowfall between 27th - 29th february 2018
jet streams (strong winds) shifted south
storm emma was coming up from europe and made the beast worse as 2 storms met
social impacts of beast from the east
10 people died —> 60 year old man fell into frozen lake whilst trying to save his dog
thousands of schools were closed for more then 1 day
hundreds of people stranded across the UK as roads became impassable
supermarkets across the UK ran out of food as people panic bought supplies
economic impacts of beast from the east
local businesses lost money
farmers busy with lambing season lost their stock
flights and train services were delayed or cancelled
environmental impacts of beast from the east
snow drifts in excess of 7m in places
immediate responses of beast from the east
the met office issues a red weather warning to prevent unnecessary travel
gritters and tractors used to try and clear the roads
red cross issues blankets to people stranded at glasgow airport
churches opened their doors for the homeless
armed forces rescued stranded drivers and transported NHS workers
long term responses to beast from the east
repairing roads and filling pot holes
government is reviewing emergency plans so we are better prepared in the future
was the UK prepared for the beast from the east
we’re a HIC with a HDI of 0.909
we have some of the best forecasting technology in the world
we use social media to communicate
we have well built homes which can withstand the extreme conditions
what’s the greenhouse gas effect
natural process and without it life on earth would be impossible
atmosphere would be at least 16 degrees colder
what is the enhanced greenhouse effect
caused by human activity such as deforestation and cars —> human activity releases a range of pollutants —> these greenhouse gases trap more heat than normal in the atmosphere —> earth gets warmer due to extra heat
impacts of climate change around the world
australia —> high temperatures —> drought —> wild fires —> animal extinction —> loss of biodiversity// crops die —> hunger —> death
maldives —> rising sea levels —> less tourism —> less money generated
artic —> ice melting —> sea levels rising —> animal extinction
what is mitigation
action taken to reduce the effects of something from happening
what is adaptation
actions taken to adjust to natural events such as climate change
4 ways to mitigate
carbon capture
planting trees
international agreements
alternative energy production
how does carbon capture work
carbon is captured and stored underground by technology
it can remove almost 90% of the CO2 that would otherwise enter the atmosphere
how does planting trees work
trees remove co2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis
natural causes of climate change
volcanic activity
asteroid collision theory
sunspot theory
orbit changes
how does volcanic activity affect climate change
volcanic eruptions produce gas and ash —> winds move gas and ash around the sun —> stops sunlight reaching earths surface —> planet cools
how does asteroid collision theory affect climate
around every 500,000 years, an asteroid strikes earth —> throws ash and dust in the atmosphere —> blocks out sun —> earth cools
how does alternative energy production mitigate against climate change
Most of the carbon dioxide emissions come from fossil fuels. Switching to renewable forms of energy such as solar power and hydroelectric power means CO2 emissions will reduce
how does international agreements help mitigate against climate change
paris agreement —> aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
signed by 195 parties
each country submitted a pledge which indicates how much they will try to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions
UK agreed to reduce their emissions by at least 40% from their 1990 levels by 2030
3 ways to adapt
changing agricultural systems
managing water supply
coping with rising sea levels
Explain how changing agricultural systems can adapt against the effects of climate change?
changing rainfall patterns and higher temperatures will affect the productivity of existing systems
plant new crop types that are more suited to the new climate conditions
Explain how managing water supplies can adapt against the effects of climate change?
dry areas are predicted to get drier leading to more water shortages so people need to use water resources more efficiently
rainwater and wastewater can be collected and recycled
Explain how coping with rising sea levels can adapt against the effects of climate change?
constructing sea walls
building houses on stilts
relocating most vulnerable people to new places
how do sunspots cause climate change
Over a period of 11 years, sunspots increase and decrease on the sun —> suns energy output isn’t constant
The more sunspots, the more solar radiation given —> warmer
how does orbital change cause climate change
orbital change affects how much solar radiation the earth receives
different ways the earth orbits the sun:
stretch- earths orbit around the sun varies from circular to elliptical (oval shaped) —> during elliptical, sun and earth at biggest distance —> cooled periods
tilt- the earths axis is tilted at an angle as it orbits the sun
wobble- the earth has a natural wobble —> places facing away from the sun experience longer days and nights at certain points of the year
evidence for climate change
tree rings —> each year trees develop a new ring —> thickness of each ring shows what the climate is like
sea levels rising —> average global sea level has risen 10-20cm in the past 100 years
increased co2 levels —> burning fossil fuels and chopping down trees
human activities that cause climate change
burning fossil fuels
deforestation
farming
how does burning fossil fuels cause climate change
accounts for over 50% of greenhouse gases on earth
co2 is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas are burnt
how does farming cause climate change
farming livestock produces a lot of methane —> these greenhouses gases trap more heat than normal in the atmosphere —> earth gets warmer due to extra heat
how does deforestation cause climate change
trees cut down —> no co2 taken in —> increase in co2 —> greenhouse gas trap heat in the atmosphere —> earth gets warmer
