Global hazards

Cards (35)

  • Hurricane Irma in 2017 had wind speeds of 300km/h due to the high pressure gradient of 274mb between the eye and eye wall
  • Highest wind speed recorded in Wellington, New Zealand was 258km/h
  • What is a Richter scale?

    measures the size of earthquakes based on seismometers. For every whole number increase, amplitude increases 10x and energy 32x
  • Response to the Big Dry
    Multi million dollar desalination plant built in Sydney.
  • Extreme weather, UK case study
    Boscastle flash flood, August 2004
  • How was rainfall a physical cause of the Boscastle flood?
    70mm of rain fell in 2 hours
  • Method of preparation for earthquakes

    In Japan National Earthquake awareness day is on 1st September
  • Place where protection was used to mitigate impacts of a volcano
    Heimaey, Iceland 1973
  • Technological developments used to mitigate impacts of a tectonic hazard
    Taipei 101 in Taiwan. Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) used 80 seismometers and 120 GPS antennas
  • How is the severity of a volcanic eruption measured?
    Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
  • Tectonic hazard case study
    Eyjafjallajokull (E15) by the South coast of Iceland
  • Causes of E15 eruption
    North American and Eurasian plate boundary is constructive, creating fissures on a composite volcano which erupted on 20th March 2010. Erupted again on 15th April.
  • How was the global circulation system a physical cause of the Boscastle flood?
    Boacastle is at the meeting point of the Ferrel and Polar cell
  • Hottest air temperature ever recorded
    Al-Aziziyah in Libya, 57.8 degrees celsius
  • Where are volcanoes and earthquakes formed?
    Earthquakes formed on all plate boundaries, volcanoes formed on all except conservative
  • Volcano found at destructive plate boundaries
    Composite
  • volcano found at constructive plate boundaries
    Shield and fissure
  • Volcanic gases
    Carbon dioxide and monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, chlorine
  • Physical cause of the Big Dry

    El Niño
  • Human cause of the Big Dry
    Farmers along the Murray-Darling river took too much water, was allowed by New South Wales Government
  • Consequences of the Big Dry
    Water bills rose by 20% in 2008 since there wasn’t enough water in the Murray-Darling basin. 10,000 people employed in the cotton growing industry were affected. Eutrophication in the Murray-Darling basin
  • How is a dam a human cause of droughts?
    Gibe III on the River Omo in Ethiopia stopped water getting to Lake Turkana in Kenya
  • Human causes of droughts
    Dams, overgrazing
  • Physical cause of droughts
    Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) - an area of rain
  • Extreme weather, non Uk case study
    Big Dry, Australia. Drought period from 2002 to 2009. Driest period in 125 years. Mainly affected Queensland and New South Wales
  • Climate in Bundarra, New South Wales during El Niño compared to normal

    In January temperature is usually 30 degrees, in El Niño it’s 36 degrees. Usually 50-80mm of rainfall per month, in El Niño there’s 10mm
  • Environmental consequence of Boscastle flash flood
    84 cars recovered from streets and harbour. 32 never found. Petrol and coolant could affect the sea life
  • Economic consequence in Boscastle
    90% of economy dependent on tourism. More than 20 hotels and B&Bs forced to shut. Multiplier effect
  • responses to the Boscastle flood
    7 helicopters from the RAF and Royal Navy saved 120 people. Sandbags used in shops and houses to absorb water. Environment Agency spent over £10 million on improvements
  • Physical causes of Boscastle flood
    Topography - land was 80m high. Global circulation system - meeting of Polar and Ferrel cell. Rainfall - 70mm fell in 2 hours
  • Responses to E15
    Route 1 damaged so National Emergencry Agency replaced bridges with prebuilt structures to reopen this major road. Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) used 80 seismometers and 120 GPS antennas to issue warnings
  • Primary effect of E15 that caused international problems
    95,000 flights cancelled for a two week period
  • Secondary effect of E15 that caused local problems

    Local water supplies contaminated with fluoride
  • Secondary effect of E15 that caused national problems

    Flooding due to glacial meltwater destroyed Route 1
  • Proposals made by Environmental Agnecy for flood defences
    Trees to be removed on B3263. River bed to be lowered 0.75 metres and widened