Weather and Climate case studies

Question 1

What is the annual average temperature in Cornwall compared to the north of Scotland?

Answer 1

13.6 compared to 9.3

Question 2

What is your storm/depressions case study?

Answer 2

The Great Storm 1987

Question 3

Give an example of an Equatorial climate

Answer 3

Peru- hot and wet all year round

Question 4

Give an example of a tropical savannah climate

Answer 4

Lagos, Nigeria- hot with a wet and dry season: rainfall varies from 22mm to 414mm

Question 5

Give an example of management of a tropical revolving storm

Answer 5

Project Storm Fury

Silver iodide to seed the storm by inducing rainfall

Question 6

Give an example of differing damage of tropical revolving storms in MEDCs and LEDCs

Answer 6

Bangladesh 1991- 131,000 deaths and $1.7 billion

Florida 1992 similar strength- 60 deaths $20 billion damage

Question 7

Tropical revolving storms case study MEDC

Answer 7

Hurricane Katrina 2005

Category 5

Question 8

Tropical revolving storm case study MEDC causes

Answer 8

Formed over Bahamas on the 23rd August 2005
Headed to coast of Mississippi and Louisiana as a Category 4
Intensified to category 5- 280km/h 902mb
Storm surge of 10m high in places accompanied the storm on the 28th August
Levees broke

Question 9

Tropical revolving storm case study MEDC

impacts

Answer 9

80% underwater
1836 killed
300,000 houses destroyed
$300 billion of damage
One of the main routes out of New Orleans was closed as parts of the bridge collapsed
Oil refineries damaged and forced to close having a world wide impact- oil spills 
Years of medical research were lost 
Looting was a problem

Question 10

Tropical revolving storm case study MEDC

responses

Answer 10

Hurricane Pam simulation but 9/11 priority funding cut
2 days before Bush announced state of emergency as warning given from National Hurricane centre
Louisiana superdome prepared for 15,000- 26,000 arrived
President Bush criticised
80% of New Orleans residents evacuated
FEMA mortuary teams with refrigerated trucks to prevent disease spreading
50,000 people rescued by emergency services
Pumps failed to pump water out of the city

Question 11

Storm/depressions case study causes

Answer 11

Depression over Bay of Biscay
Warm wet air from North Atlantic met cold air from the Pole.
Depression deepened due to unusually high sea surface temperatures
PFJS located further south than usual so depression formed over N. France and S. England rather than the N. Scotland.
15th Oct- pressure fell from 970mb to 953mb
Storm hit south coast Cornwall and Devon moved across Midlands and reached Humber estuary

Question 12

Storm/depressions case study impacts

Answer 12

18 people died
13 million homes damaged
Gatwick airport closed
Insurance claims at £1.5 billion
15 million trees uprooted 
Communications broken due to falling trees 
Some historical buildings damaged e.g. Shanklin Pier 
Emergency services overstretched

Question 13

Storm/depressions case study responses

Answer 13

Emergency authorities received four months of calls in one night
Highway agencies, railway companies and electricity boards worked around the clock repairing
Forestry workers- 2 years collecting and replanting
Emergency crews drafted from North
Met office criticised as warnings only given 3 hours before- now improved computer models used and government established a national severe weather warning service
Ministry of Defence only warned assistance may be needed 1am on 16th October

Question 14

What is your tropical revolving storm case study LEDC

Answer 14

Cyclone Nargis 2008

Question 15

Tropical revolving storm case study LEDC causes

Answer 15

27th April 2008 tropical depression formed over Bay of Bengal
Expected it to track over Bangladesh however hit Myanmar- Irrawaddy Delta 2nd May
Intensified to category 4, 215km/h, storm surge 5m, 600mm rain

Question 16

Tropical revolving storm case study LEDC impacts

Answer 16

140,000 killed
450,000 houses destroyed, 350,000 damaged
75% health facilities destroyed
2.5 million left without shelter
Disease and mental health issues
600,000 hectares of agricultural land damaged crops lost 40% of food stores lost
Protection from mangrove was reduced due to Myanmar clearing 83% to make way for rice paddies

Question 17

Tropical revolving storm case study LEDC responses

Answer 17

Myanmar doesn’t have a dedicated monitoring system but were warned by Indian weather agencies- as well as no emergency preparation plans, the warnings sent 48 hours before didn’t reach rural communities
Xenophobic response- possibility of ethnic cleansing of chin people-
Refusal of international aid to begin with
9th May accepted aid but no aid workers
UN refugee agency- 22 tonnes of tents
Muslim Aid- water purification tablets. food
French Navy ship refused despite carrying 1500 tonnes of supplies
3 weeks later aid workers allowed in

Question 18

Compare Katrina and Nargis

Answer 18

Damage more expensive Katrina but loss in Nargis perhaps more significant e.g. fishing boat lost= little economic impact but someone’s means of food and business lost
Myanmar and Louisiana had built on delta- Myanmar cleared natural defence- Louisiana built levees
Dissemination of warning appropriate in US
Myanmar government made it worse
Those affected most were those who started most vulnerable

Question 19

Red alert air pollution

Answer 19

Beijing, China December 2015
200-300 reading on air quality index
These levels seen to affect even healthy people
In some areas levels have been over 900

Question 20

Photochemical smog

Answer 20

LA
High density vehicles, frequent sunshine, located in a bowl with San Gabriel and San Berdino mountains on one side and Pacific ocean on the other which help trap photooxidant gases
London
1952- 1200 deaths caused by smog called pea soupers

Question 21

Air quality improvements initiatives

Answer 21

Congestion charges London 2003- reduced traffic and emissions in congestion zone by 15%.
Metro link Manchester cost £1 billion but is thought to have taken 2.6 million cars off the road.
Pedestrianisation London, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff.
Alternative fuels- biofuels
UK clean air acts of 1956 and 1968 introduced smoke control areas where only smokeless fuels could be burned, reduced industrial pollution but introducing tall chimneys.
Road vehicles Regulations- emissions test on MOT
Mexico City reg plates
Paris March 2014- car ban odd/even reg plates
Birmingham, Bristol and London- car sharing schemes

Question 22

Impacts of global warming

Answer 22

Desert conditions in Spain
Russia and Canada more suitable for agriculture
Rising sea levels threaten Bangladesh and Netherlands
Rain flood in India
Drought in Niger
Agriculture less in Africa and Australia

Question 23

Impacts of global warming on the UK

Answer 23

Southern England temp increase 3.9C by 2080
Flooding in Hull, Cardiff, London
Low lying areas Norfolk
Patterns of agriculture beans, peas, courgettes
Comma butterfly move north
Competing species better adapted for warmer climates
Water holding capacity of soils, soil moisture deficits
Stability of building foundations
Water resources
Energy use- heating air con

Question 24

Impacts on tropical areas- Africa- African Savanna

Answer 24

Savanna islands an increase in temp of 1.5C by 2050
More frequent drought and flooding- during wet season 25-50% more rainfall expected
Sea level rise of 25cm by 2050 low lying areas affected and coral reefs may be lost due to coral bleaching
Increase growth of trees that was previously grass- increased evapotranspiration may result in lower annual discharge in rivers such as the Nile
Increased water borne diseases but more agricultural productivity from more rainfall

Question 25

Responses to GW at a local level

Answer 25

Recycling
Using cars less
Buying local produce
Choose energy efficient appliances 
Insulating homes properly

Question 26

Responses to GW at national level

Answer 26

Changing energy mix
In UK 40% emission reductions will be by changing energy mix 30% renewable by 2020
Solar panels
More wind farms
Carbon capture and storage could reduce emissions by 90%
Homes have to have an Energy Performance Certificate
Road tax is free for cars emitting up to 100g co2/km
Climate change bill 2008- carbon credits

Question 27

Responses to GW at international scale

Answer 27

1992 earth summit Rio de Janeiro
1997 Kyoto protocol
Gleneagles Action plan
2015 Paris conference

Question 28

1992 Earth summit plans

Answer 28

The Earth summit in 1992 took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil resulted in most of the world’s countries agreeing to Agenda 21 being passed. One of these aims was to cut environmental pollution, to conserve resources and to protect natural habitats and wildlife.

Question 29

1997 Kyoto Protocol

Answer 29

The Kyoto Protocol was an international agreement signed by more than 100 countries in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 whose aim was to halt climate change. Countries made pledges to cut down their carbon emissions by agreed amounts by 2010. By 2006, it had been signed by 162 countries, but the USA was criticised for refusing to adhere to it.

Question 30

Paris Conference 2015

Answer 30

In 2015, a major UN summit at which more than 190 nations will attempt to agree a new international deal to tackle climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions took place in Paris, France. The plan is to put efforts into preventing global warming exceeding 2C above pre-industrial levels this century.

Question 31

Gleneagles Action plan

Answer 31

Increasing energy efficiency in buildings, cleaner fuels, renewable energy and promotion of research and development of cleaner technology.