Weather Hazards And Climate

Question 1

When is the quaternary period?

Answer 1

The last 2.6 million years

Question 2

Whats happened the quaternary period?

Answer 2

•60 cold periods w ice advances lasting 100,000 years
•warmer interglacial periods lasting 15,000 years

Question 3

What are the natural causes of climate change? (MILANKOVITCH CYCLES)

Answer 3

•Axial tilt: greater tilt = hotter
•Eccentricity: circle = cold. oval = hot
•Precession cycle: changing in axis direction effect differences between seasons

Question 4

How often do the milankovitch cycles happen?

Answer 4

Axial tilt: every 40,000 yrs
Eccentricity: changes every 100,000 yrs
Precession cycle: wobbles every 24,000 yrs

Question 5

What was the average temperature in the middle of the last ice age?

Answer 5

5°c

Question 6

What are the natural causes of climate change?

Answer 6

•solar radiation variation
•volcanoes -ash blocks sun = cold
•surface impact (asteroids/comets) Ash and dust from impact

Question 7

How has industry caused climate change?

Answer 7

Burning fossil fuels

Question 8

How has energy caused climate change?

Answer 8

Technology/electronics and consumerism increases energy use

Question 9

How does farming increase climate change?

Answer 9

Increased demand for food from population increase. Greater desire for Western diet (meat) increasing methane levels. Deforestation to make way for farming.

Question 10

How has transportation caused climate change?

Answer 10

Rising car ownership, increased air travel. Meaning higher amount of greenhouse gasses.

Question 11

What percentage of the population have a personal computer?

Answer 11

76%

Question 12

How many vehicles are on the world’s roads?

Answer 12

1.2 billion

Question 13

In 2012 how many power stations was China building?

Answer 13

3 per week:(

Question 14

How do ice cores snow climate change?

Answer 14

Trap volcanic ash, microbes and air bubbles. Revealing info on climate when ice formed.

Question 15

How does preserved pollen show climate change?

Answer 15

Provides info on warm and cold growing conditions

Question 16

How do tree rings show climate change?

Answer 16

Show growing conditions:
•Wide rings = warmer wetter environment.
•Thinner rings = colder drier environment

Question 17

How do historical sources show climate change?

Answer 17

Diaries, art, clothes and houses

Question 18

How does maritime influence UK climate?

Answer 18

Air reaching UK contains lots of moisture meaning rainfall all year round

Question 19

How does prevailing wind impact uk climate?

Answer 19

Prevailing wind comes from south west bringing moisture from the Atlantic.

Question 20

How does the north Atlantic drift impact UK climate?

Answer 20

Ocean currents bring warm water from South to UK. Making UK 5 degrees warmer than it should be at its latitude.

Question 21

How does atmospheric circulation impact UK climate?

Answer 21

Near boundary between ferrel cell and polar cell. This is where warmer air from south and cool from north meet resulting in unsettled weather.

Question 22

How does altitude impact UK weather?

Answer 22

Higher the area the cooler and damper it gets. Gets 1°c cooler ever 100m up

Question 23

Where is the uk located?

Answer 23

Between 50 and 60 degrees north

Question 24

When was the medival warm period?

Answer 24

950 to 1100. This was due to solar radiation.

Question 25

Why was there the little ice age from 1600 to 1685?

Answer 25

Volcanic activity and decreased solar radiation. It was so cold that Thames froze:o

Question 26

Whats the impact of ice sheets melting and glaciers retreating?

Answer 26

Make sea levels rise and artic melting would cause the gulf stream to love making western Europe very chilly:(

Question 27

Whats the impact of riding sea levels?

Answer 27

Cause coastal flooding increasing soil salinity (saltiness) causing plants to die oh no

Question 28

Whats the impact of drought?

Answer 28

Lower crop yield so no food:/.

Question 29

Whats the impact of flooding?

Answer 29

Low lying areas get submerged. Maldives will disappear underwater.

Question 30

What are the characteristics of tropical cyclones?

Answer 30

•very low pressure
•400km wide and 10km tall
•form a cylinder of rising, spiralling air surround the eye
•cloud banks called thr Eye Wall surround eye

Question 31

When are tropical cyclones in the northern tropics?

Answer 31

June to November

Question 32

When are tropical cyclones in southern tropics?

Answer 32

November to April

Question 33

Where to tropical cyclones form?

Answer 33

Between 5 and 30 degrees north/south

Question 34

How fast can tropical cyclones travel?

Answer 34

Travel 600km a day. At 40 mph

Question 35

What are the hazards associated with tropical cyclones?

Answer 35

High winds, storm surges, landslides, coastal flooding and intense rainfall

Question 36

What is an arid environment?

Answer 36

•Permanent low precipitation
•10 to 250mm precipitation a year
•high pressure conditions
•located in tropics

Question 37

What is drought?

Answer 37

•TEMPORARY low precipitation
•high pressure conditions with no rainfall

Question 38

What is drought defined as in the UK?

Answer 38

15 days with no rainfall

Question 39

What are the causes of drought?

Answer 39

Meteorological, hydrological and human

Question 40

Whats meteorlogical?

Answer 40

When area receives less precipitation high pressure systems force away low pressure system.

Question 41

How do humans cause droughts?

Answer 41

Deforestation, trees add to atmospheric moisture level thru transpiration. Dam building calsk restrict river flow.

Question 42

Why are some areas more vulnerable to drought?

Answer 42

Global circulation. Where hadley and Ferrel cells are, descending dry air means little precipitation.