Section A

• Adaptation is the process of responding to climate change by coming up with ways to live and cope with the effects.
• Atmospheric circulation refers to the general movements of air around the Earth due to pressure and temperature.
• An atmospheric hazard is a hazard caused by the weather and processes in the atmosphere.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide that would normally be emitted into the atmosphere and storing it underground in reservoirs.
• Climate change is a distinct change in global or regional patterns of climate, such as changes in temperature or precipitation patterns.
• A conservative plate margin is a plate margin where two plates are moving alongside each other.
• A constructive plate margin is a plate margin where two plates are moving away from each other.
• Continental crust is the thicker, less dense crust that makes up the continents.
• A convection current is the movement of a fluid caused by a difference in temperature or density.
• The Coriolis Effect is the effect of the Earth’s rotation on wind movements.
• A cyclone is a tropical storm that hits Oceania or Madagascar.
• A destructive plate margin is a plate margin where two plates are moving towards each other.
• Eccentricity is the changing of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun from a circular shape to an ellipse.
• An eye is an area of a tropical storm with extremely low pressure and calm conditions.
• An eyewall is an area of a tropical storm with the most intense, powerful winds and torrential rain.
• A Ferrel Cell is an area of the atmosphere around 60° either side of the equator where moist air rises, travels to lower latitudes at around 30° and sinks.
• Fossil fuels are fuels made up of the remains of organic material, such as oil, coal and gas.
• A geological hazard is a hazard caused by processes on the land.
• Greenhouse Gases are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that trap energy in the Earth’s system and contribute to the greenhouse effect (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and nitrous oxides).
• A natural hazard is a naturally occurring event that is a threat to a population.
• Natural hazards negatively affect a population by causing loss of life, injuries, and damage to important infrastructure that people rely on.
• A Hadley Cell is an area of the atmosphere at the equator where hot moist air rises, moves to higher latitudes (30°) and sinks.
• Hazard risk is the probability that a natural hazard will negatively affect a population.
• An example of a natural hazard is the severe earthquake that hit Nepal in April 2015.
• The Nepal 2015 earthquake killed nearly 9000 people, injured thousands and destroyed many homes.
• A hotspot is an area where unusually hot magma breaks through the middle of a plate and travels up to the surface, creating a volcano.
• A hurricane is a tropical storm that hits the USA, Latin America or the Caribbean.
• A natural event can only be classed as a natural hazard when there is a threat to people.
• A hydrological hazard is a hazard caused by the movement of water on the land.
• An ice core is a cylinder of ice extracted from an ice sheet or glacier, which is used to analyse past environmental conditions.
• If there was a volcano or an earthquake on a desert island with no people on it, it would not be classed as a natural hazard as there is no threat to human life or property.
• Immediate responses are actions taken as soon as the hazard happens and in its immediate aftermath (hours, days, and potentially a week or so after the event).
• There are many different types of natural hazards, but in general they can be divided into three main groups: Geological hazards, Hydrological hazards, and Atmospheric hazards.
• Hazard risk is the probability (i.e., the likelihood or the chance) that a natural hazard will actually affect a population.
• Tectonic hazard is a natural hazard caused by the physical processes and movements of tectonic plates.
• Secondary effects are the effects that are a result of the primary effects.
• Tectonic plates are large slabs of the Earth’s crust that sit and move on top of the liquid mantle.
• Obliquity (or axial tilt) is the tilt of the Earth’s axis, which changes from 21.5° and 24.5°.
• Long-term responses are actions taken after the immediate responses when the effects of the hazard have been minimised, typically lasting for weeks, months, or years after the event.
• Marine sediment core is a cylinder of ocean sediments removed from the ocean floor, which is used to analyse past environmental conditions.