weather hazard and climate change Flashcards
What is Atmospheric Circulation?
The general movements of air around the Earth due to pressure and temperature.
What is Climate Change?
A distinct change in global or regional patterns of climate, such as changes in temperature or precipitation patterns.
What is a Convection Current?
The movement of a fluid caused by a difference in temperature or density.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
The effect of the earth’s rotation on wind movements.
What is a Cyclone?
A tropical cyclone that hits Oceania or Madagascar.
What is a Drought?
A prolonged dry period in the natural climate cycle that can occur anywhere in the world.
What is the Eye of a tropical cyclone?
An area of a tropical cyclone with extremely low pressure and calm conditions.
What is the Eyewall?
An area of a tropical cyclone with the most intense, powerful winds and torrential rain.
What is a Ferrel Cell?
At around 60° North and South of the equator, moist air rises, and travels to lower latitudes at around 30°. Here, it sinks along with air travelling from the equator.
What are Fossil Fuels?
Fuels made up of the remains of organic material, such as oil, coal and gas.
What are Greenhouse Gases?
Gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap energy in the Earth’s system and contribute to the greenhouse effect.
What is a Hadley Cell?
Warm, moist air rises near the equator and then cools as it travels to higher latitudes (30°) where it sinks.
What is Hazard Risk?
The probability that a natural hazard will negatively affect a population.
What is a Hurricane?
A tropical cyclone that hits the USA, Latin America or the Caribbean.
What is Hydrological Drought?
When reduced precipitation impacts water supply.
What is an Ice Core?
A cylinder of ice extracted from an ice sheet or glacier, which is used to analyse past environmental conditions.
What are Immediate Responses?
Actions taken as soon as the hazard occurs and in its immediate aftermath.
What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?
An area surrounding the equator where global winds converge, causing an area of low pressure with rainy conditions.
What are Long-term Responses?
Actions taken after the immediate responses when the effects of the hazard have been minimised.
What is Meteorological Drought?
When the amount of precipitation received in an area is below average.
What are Milankovitch Cycles?
The cyclical variations in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
What are Ocean Currents?
The predictable, continuous circulation of ocean water which transfers heat around the globe.
What is a Polar Cell?
At 60° north or south of the equator, moist air rises, and travels to the poles (90°), where it sinks.
What is a Pressure Belt?
A region of the Earth which is generally under the same pressure.
What are Primary Effects?
The effects that are directly caused by the hazard itself.
What is the Quaternary Period?
The geological time period which began 2.6 million years ago and extends into the present.
What are Secondary Effects?
Impacts that are a result of the primary effects of a hazard.
What is a Storm Surge?
When a tropical cyclone pushes a large amount of sea water onto the shore, causing a rise in sea level.
What is Subduction?
A process that occurs at a destructive plate boundary when a plate is pushed below another plate.
What is The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
A process where the Earth’s surface is heated by the greenhouse effect at an increased rate due to larger greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.
What is The Greenhouse Effect?
A natural process where greenhouse gases trap the energy from the Sun inside the Earth’s atmosphere, warming the Earth’s surface.
What is a Track in relation to tropical cyclones?
A typical pathway that a tropical cyclone takes which is driven by global wind circulation.
What are Tree Rings?
A ring in a tree trunk that grows annually, indicating the conditions in the year it grew.
What is a Tropical cyclone?
A very large, spinning storm with high winds and torrential rain that forms in the tropics.
What is a Typhoon?
A tropical cyclone that hits India, Japan or the Philippines.
