Weather Hazards and Climate Change

Question 1

Economic impact

Answer 1

The effect of an event on the wealth of an area or community.

Question 2

Environmental impact

Answer 2

The effect of an event on the landscape and ecology of the surrounding area.

Question 3

Extreme weather

Answer 3

This is when a weather event is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern, and is especially severe or unseasonal. This may take place over one day or a period of time. A severe snow blizzard or heat wave are two examples of extreme weather in the UK.

Question 4

Global atmospheric circulation

Answer 4

The worldwide system of winds, which transports heat from tropical to polar latitudes. In each hemisphere, air also circulates through the entire depth of the troposphere which extends up to 15 km.

Question 5

Immediate responses

Answer 5

The reaction of people as the disaster happens and in the immediate aftermath.

Question 6

Long-term responses

Answer 6

Later reactions that occur in the weeks, months and years after the event.

Question 7

Management strategies

Answer 7

Techniques of controlling, responding to, or dealing with an event.

Question 8

Monitoring

Answer 8

Recording physical changes, such as tracking a tropical storm by satellite, to help forecast when and where a natural hazard might strike.

Question 9

Planning

Answer 9

Actions taken to enable communities to respond to, and recover from, natural disasters, through measures such as emergency evacuation plans, information management, communications and warning systems.

Question 10

Prediction

Answer 10

Attempts to forecast when and where a natural hazard will strike, based on current knowledge. This can be done to some extent for tropical storms (and volcanic eruptions, but less reliably for earthquakes).

Question 11

Primary effects

Answer 11

The initial impact of a natural event on people and property, caused directly by it, for instance buildings being partially or wholly destroyed by a tropical storm.

Question 12

Protection

Answer 12

Actions taken before a hazard strikes to reduce its impact, such as educating people or improving building design.

Question 13

Secondary effects

Answer 13

The after-effects that occur as indirect impacts of a natural event, sometimes on a longer timescale, for instance impact on access to potable water can lead to spread of disease.

Question 14

Social impact

Answer 14

The effect of an event on the lives of people or community.

Question 15

Tropical storm (hurricane, cyclone, typhoon)

Answer 15

An area of low pressure with winds moving in a spiral around the calm central point called the eye of the storm. Winds are powerful and rainfall is heavy.

Question 16

Adaptation

Answer 16

Actions taken to ADJUST to natural events and limit the impacts e.g building away from coasts to reduce potential damage from extreme storms or storm surges.

Question 17

Climate change

Answer 17

A long-term change in the earth’s climate, especially a change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature.

Question 18

Mitigation

Answer 18

Actions taken to REDUCE the CAUSES of the hazard. The aim is to reduce the long-term risk to human life and property from natural hazards, such as building earthquake-proof buildings or reducing carbon emissions by using more renewable energy.

Question 19

Orbital changes

Answer 19

Changes in the pathway of the Earth around the Sun. These can naturally cause the onset of glacial (cold) or interglacial (warm) periods.

Question 20

Quaternary period

Answer 20

The period of geological time from about 2.6 million years ago to the present. It is characterized by the appearance and development of humans and includes the Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs.