Weather Hazards And Climate Change

Question 1

What is Atmospheric circulation?

Answer 1

the movement of air around the Earth to try and balance the temperature

Question 2

What happens to cool air and warm air

Answer 2

• Cooler air sinks
• High pressure (lots of air pushing on the floor)

• Warmer air rises
Low pressure
• (not much air pressing down on the ground)

Question 3

What are three Factors impacting on wind direction and air movement

Answer 3

• Coriolis Effect
• Jet Streams
• Ocean Circulation

Question 4

What is the coriolis effect

Answer 4

coriolis effect makes things that are moving across the Earthis surface appear to bend to one side. In the northen hemisphere it bends to the right la southern nemisphere it bends to the left. Due to the
earths rotation.

Question 5

What is the global ocean conveyor belt

Answer 5

Energy is moved from areas of surplus to those of deficit, with warm currents transporting warm water pole-wards and cold currents taking colder water to lower latitudes.

Water is transferred around the world as part of what is known as the ocean conveyor belt system or the thermohaline circulation system.

Question 6

Additional info on ocean currents

Answer 6

• The ocean = 67% of earth surfaces = 67% of the suns energy
• Water holds heat longer then land
• Ocean currents moves the heated water around from the tropics to higher latitudes.

Question 7

What is the Quaternary Period

Answer 7

The Quaternary period covers the last 2.6 million years, when there have been:
• More than 60 cold periods with ice advances, lasting about 100,000 years.
• Warmer interglacial periods lasting about 15,000 years.

Question 8

Recent Temperature Changes:

Answer 8

In the last 250 years, Earth’s temperature has risen significantly compared to before. The average temperature in the middle of the last Ice Age as about 5°C below today’s average temperature.

Question 9

Evidence of climate change:

Answer 9

• Historical sources (diaries)
• Ice cores (trap volcanic ash, microbes or air bubbles. They revel information on climate when the ice was formed. )
• Preserved pollen (Provides evidence on warm and cold growing conditions.)

Question 10

What are the Milankovitch Cycles:

Answer 10

These are long-term changes to the Earth’s orbit and position, changing how much solar radiation the Earth receives which results in changes to the climate.

Question 11

What is the Eccentricity cycle:

Answer 11

The Earth’s orbit changes approximately over 100,000 years.
More circular orbit= cooler periods.
More elliptical orbit= warmer periods.

Question 12

What is the Axial tilt cycle:

Answer 12

roughly every 40,000 years the tilt of the Earth’s axis varies. Greater angle of title= hotter summer and colder winter.

Question 13

What is the Precession cycle:

Answer 13

the Earth ‘wobbles’ on its axis roughly every 24,000 years. This changes the direction the axis is facing. This can affect the differences between seasons.

Question 14

natural causes of climate change:

Answer 14

Solar radiation levels vary, Lower solar radiation makes glacial periods more likely. Higher solar radiation leads to interglacial periods.
Note: A large scale volcanic eruption can eject ash and dust into the atmosphere. This acts as blanket over the Earth which blocks out solar radiation, causing temperatures to fall for a time.

Question 15

Negative impacts of climate change on the environment:

Answer 15

• Melting ice sheets and retreating glaciers add water to oceans which makes sea levels rise. Artic melting could cause the Gulf Stream to move further south leading to colder temperature in western Europe.
• Rising sea levels will cause coastal flooding. Soils will become contaminated with salt, causing plants to die.

Question 16

Negatives impacts of climate change on people:

Answer 16

• Changes in climates near the Equator such as Africa’s Sahel could mean longer periods of less rainfall so lower crop yields.
• Many low lying islands like the Maldives face greater flood risk from rising sea levels. There will be more coastal flooding loss of beaches and loss of coral reefs. Some islands will have to be evacuated.

Question 17

Human causes: industry

Answer 17

rising demand for consumer goods increases production, burning more fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases.

Question 18

Human causes of climate change : Energy

Answer 18

new technologies and population growth increase demand for electricity produced from coal, oil and natural gas which all produce greenhouse gases.

Question 19

Human causes of climate change: farming

Answer 19

global population growth increases demand for food.
Mechanization burns more fuel, and the demand for meat for Western-style diets increase methane levels.

Question 20

Human causes of climate change: transport

Answer 20

rising affluence increase car ownership and air travel, releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Question 21

Past uk climate changes:

Answer 21

• During the Medieval Warm Period (950-1100) higher temperatures meant greater crop yields and a growing population. This was due to increases solar radiation.
During the Little Ice Age (1600-1685)
temperatures were low enough to freeze the Thames, due to increased volcanic activity and decreased solar radiation.

Question 22

The UKs climate today:

Answer 22

Today the UK has a temperate, wet climate.
Extreme weather is rare but the meeting of major air masses makes frontal rainfall common.

Question 23

Impact of the UK’s location:

Answer 23

The UK is located between 50° and 60° N, this and other factors have an impact on climate.

Question 24

Maritime influence: uk

Answer 24

most of the air reaching the Uk contains lots of moisture as we are surrounded by sea, leading to rainfall all year.

Question 25

Prevailing winds: uk

Answer 25

the main or prevailing wind for the UK comes from the south-west. This air travels long distances over the Atlantic Ocean, bringing moisture leading to more rainfall.

Question 26

North Atlantic Drift: uk

Answer 26

this ocean current brings warm water north to the UK. In the winter this makes the UK climate milder than would be expected for its latitude.

Question 27

Atmospheric circulation: uk

Answer 27

the UK is near the ‘boundary’ between the Northern Ferrell and Polar circulation cells. This is where warmer air from the south and cooler air from the north meet, causing unsettled weather.

Question 28

Altitude: uk

Answer 28

the higher the area is the cooler and weather it is, so areas in the UK vary.

Question 29

Tropical cyclone characteristics:

Answer 29

• Very low pressure
• Form a cylinder of rising, spiraling air surrounding an eye of descending high-pressure air.
• Cloud banks called the eye wall surround the eye.
• Often 400km wide and 10km high.

Question 30

Frequency of tropical cyclones:

Answer 30

Tropical cyclones are more likely to happen:
-June-November in the northern tropics.
-November-April in the southern tropics. They are more likely to happen in cooler years, but numbers are hard to predict.

Question 31

How Tropical cyclones form:

Answer 31

Tropical cyclones need a source of warm, moist air and warm ocean temperatures 27C plus)
1. Rising warm air causes thunderstorms, which group together making a strong flow.
2. An Area of very low pressure forms at the centers of the converged storms.
3. The storms rotate, accelerating in and up, forming a tropical cyclone.
Tropical cyclones form in tropical areas where a rotation force, created by the Coriolis effect, forms part of the global circulation of the atmosphere. The rotation is due to deflection of winds moving north and south of the equator.

Question 32

Tropical cyclone movement:

Answer 32

-Cyclone movement is determined by the prevailing winds and ocean currents.
- The cyclone’s track is influenced by how fair it travels over the ocean: it will collect more moisture
increasing its strength.
- Tropical cyclones can travel 600km a day at
40km/h.
- Cyclone movement can be forecast using satellite images.

Question 33

Tropical cyclone Hazards

Answer 33

• Storm surges- large mass of water to hit land causes damage to beaches and coastal habitats
• High winds- winds as high as 240 km/h can uproot trees and buildings causing injuries and life loss.
• Land slides- intense rainfall cause soil saturation which slides downhill
• Coastal flooding- damage to property and lives
• Intense rainfall- can lead to flooding, damage to property and leave people stranded

Question 34

Hurricane Sandy impacts

Answer 34

• Social- 150 deaths, areas left without electricity, homes/businesses damaged, schools closed for days
• Economic- property damage caused US$65 billion.
Government had to pay petrol to be brought in as supplies ran out, income from tourism affected by cancellation of new York marathon
• Environmental - storm surge cause significant damage to coastal nature reserves (prime hook national wildlife refuge in Delaware), raw sewage leaked into waters damaging habitats

Question 35

Hurricane sandy Response:

Answer 35

• Individuals- concert for sandy relief with artists such as
Bon Jovi
• Organizations- American red cross helped provide relief to victims
• Government- billions of dollars voted through legislation to help rebuild and support victims, new York set up local government office to support rebuilding

Question 36

Typhoon Haiyan impacts

Answer 36

• Social- about 6000 killed and many missing, loss of power, 600,000 displaced from their homes, many homes destroyed
• Economic- damage caused US$2 billion, damage to infrastructure blocked transport preventing aid and support making it difficult and expensive
• Environmental- mangroves damaged, trees uprooted, oil spills

Question 37

Typhoon Haiyan Response:

Answer 37

• Individuals- people gave individual donations from countries such as UK and Canada for relief
• Organizations- the WHO coordinated international response to help government with healthcare services
• Governments- Philippines put in state of national calamity, aid from loans and grants provided by countries (£10 million) including emergency shelter, water and household items

Question 38

Natural causes of drought:

Answer 38

• Meteorological- area receives less than average rain, high pressure means no rain falls
• Hydrological- hydrological cycle receives less rainfall than normal, less precipitation means groundwater supplies+ reservoirs not refilled, leading to drought conditions

Question 39

Global circulation and drought:

Answer 39

• Global circulation makes some areas more vulnerable to drought
• Where Hadley and Ferrel cells meet descending air means little precipitation
• Rainfall occurs during a wet season if rain does not come the area had drought conditions

Question 40

California drought impacts

Answer 40

• Central valley worst effected
• Water diverted so wetlands and rivers get less natural environment
• Costs US$2.7 billion a year so less money to spend on services
• Increased extraction from groundwater causing subsidence (damages builings)
• Warm and windy weather led to
wildfires(environmental, pollution, property)
• 542,000 acres taken out of crop production (less food/income)

Question 41

California drought Responses:

Answer 41

• Government- public education campaigns+ state laws cut water use
・
Organizations- university of California research
・
project for effectively managing groundwater
Individuals- farmers encouraged to use drip irrigation+ homeowners encouraged to check for leaks
• Protests against companies selling bottled local water

Question 42

California drought facts

Answer 42

• January 2014
• 3rd year of drought
• state of emergency
• lower than normal rainfall/snowfall + dependence on Colorado river caused supplies to drop

Question 43

California drought hazards

Answer 43

• Subsidence- groundwater levels dropped, causing land to settle at lower levels
• Contamination- of land+ drinking water by seawater(drawn inland by lack of pressure)
• Wildfires- spread quickly as vegetation was too dry