Geography paper 1

meteorological- extreme weather events caused by changes in the earth's atmosphere ( cyclones, droughts, floods)

geological- caused by changes to the earths surface (earthquakes, volcanic erruptions, tsunamis)

Direct impact of the natural hazard

indirect effects caused by the primary effects of

a response in the days and weeks immediately after a disaster has happened

responses that go on for months and years after a disaster

higher vulnerability means increased hazard risk. for example if a population has poor access to healthcare they are at higher risk of the hazard affecting the population

if a country has good economic development this means the government has the proper resources to better infrastructure, evacuation centres, emergency services. this reduces hazard risk.

people who live close to tectonic plate margins are at a higher risk of tectonic hazards and people who live within the tropics are at a higher risk of extreme weather events

natural system that comprises a community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment

organism or plant that is able to absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis

organisms that feed on plants or other animals for energy

bacteria and fungi that break down dead plant and animal matter

all conditions that surround any living organisms

living organisms

non living organisms

a line of linkages between producers and consumers

consists of all the food chains in a single ecosystem

measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem

occurs when mineral ions from soil are washed away by rain and run into rivers, lakes and ponds

water that has no dissolved oxygen

harvesting plants and hunting animals can unbalance the flows and cycles within ecosystems tree-felling may lead to soil erosion and a loss of habitat introducing species unbalances the food chain causing native species not being able to get the right resources

changes in temperature or water levels can alter the population's of certain species, this can affect the species that depend on them for food extreme weather can disturb the balance of ecosystems

• weak swash and strong backwash

• strong backwash removes sediment

• waves are steep and close together

• strong swash and weak backwash

• strong swash brings sediment to build the beach

• backwash not strong enough to remove sediment

• waves are low and far apart

the wind blows over the sea, friction with the surface of the water causes ripples to form and these develop into waves.

As a wave nears shore and the depth of water starts to decrease, the frictional effect of the seabed slows the bottom of the wave

the distance the wind blows across the water

water enters the porous/permeable rock, this water then freezes and expands the crack, ice melts and falls further into the crack, this process is repeated until the rock splits

roots enter a small crack in rock, the roots grow and cause the crack to grow, rock then breaks away

rainwater which is slightly acidic very slowly dissolves certain types of rocks

fragments of rock break away from the cliff face often due to freeze thaw weathering

large blocks of rock slide downhill

saturated soil and weak rock flow down a slope

saturated soils slump down a curved surface

power of the waves as they smash against the cliff, air becomes trapped in the cracks and causes the rock to break apart

pebbles grind along a rock platform, the pebbles then become smooth

rocks that the sea is carrying knock against each other, they break apart to become smaller and smoother

sea water dissolves certain types of rocks

particles carried within the water

where small pieces of shingle or large sand grains are bounced along the sea bed

pebbles and larger material are rolled along the sea bed

minerals in rocks are dissolved in sea water and then carried in solution

where waves approach head on, sediment is simply moved up and down the beach but if waves approach at an angle sediment will be moved along the beach in a zig zag pattern

• waves start to slow down and lose energy

• shallow water

• little or no wind

two plates are moving towards each other, the oceanic plate is subducted underneath the continental plate. When the plate sinks into the mantle it melts to form magma. The pressure of the magma builds up , The magma escapes through weaknesses in the rock and rises up through a composite volcano

the plates move past each other causing friction, pressure builds up because the plates are still trying to move. When the pressure is released, it sends out huge amounts of energy, causing an earthquake.

the plates move apart from one another. When this happens the magma from the mantle rises up to make new land in the form of a shield volcano. The movement of the plates over the mantle can cause earthquakes.

An epicenter is the point above the focus of an earthquake where seismic waves originate and are most intense

the place inside Earth's crust where an earthquake originates.

measures the magnitude of an earthquake using a machine called seismometer

this is a more accurate way scientists use to measure the strength of an earthquake

• February 2010

• 8.8 on Richter scale

• occurred at the destructive plate margin where Nazca moved below south american plate

• primary effects: 500 hundred killed, 12000 injured, 220000 homes, 4500 schools destroyed, santiago airport badly damaged, cost of earthquake $30 billion

• secondary effect: coastal towns devastated by tsunami waves, fire at a chemical plant near Santiago

• April 2015

• 7.9 Richter scale

• destructive plate margin indo-Australian collided with Eurasian plate

• primary effects: 9000 died, 20000 injured, 3 million homeless, 7000 schools destroyed, cost of damage $5 billion

• secondary effect: landslides and avalanches on mount Everest killed 19

immediate: temporary repairs made to the important route 5 north-south highway, power and water restored to 90% of homes within 10 days, national appeal raised $60 million

long term: chiles government launched a housing reconstruction plan to rebuild 200,000 homes, chiles economy based on copper exports could be rebuilt without much foreign aid

immediate responses: search and rescue teams arrived quickly from UK and china, field hospitals set up to support overcrowded main hospitals

long term responses: stricter codes on building codes, 7000 schools were rebuilt

• volcanoes can bring benefits such as fertile soils and rocks for building,

• cheaper for people living in poverty,

• tectonic hazards dont happen very often

volcanoes: remote sensing satellites detect heat and changes to volcanoes shape, instruments detect gases released as magma rises

earthquakes: scientists have yet to discover reliable ways to monitor earthquakes

volcanoes: through scientific monitoring scientists are able to predict and upcoming eruption

earthquakes: its impossible due to lack of clear warning signs, however in historical records scientists are able to identify areas at greater risk

volcanoes: its possible to use earth embankments or explosives to divert lava flows away from property

earthquakes: its possible to construct buildings and bridges to resist the ground shaking, in china buildings have reinforced concrete columns to strengthen buildings

volcanoes: hazard maps to identify the areas most at risk can be used to restrict use of certain areas or to plan evacuation of areas

earthquakes: high value land such as hospitals and reservoirs can be protected using maps to show the effects of an earthquake

the movement of air around the world

they are normally found in tropical regions between 5° and 30° north and south of the equator

storm that develops in the tropics, they form above oceans at 27 degrees plus usually formed in the summer

1. strong air draws water vapour up from the ocean surface

2. evaporated air cools and condenses to form thunderstorm clouds

3. as the air condenses it releases heat which powers the storm and draws more water from the ocean

4. once it reaches 75 mph it is a tropical storm

5. the storm is carried across the ocean by prevailing winds

distribution: over the last few decades sea surface temps have increased by 0.25 degrees, this will cause the distribution to change

frequency: six of the ten most active years since 1950 have happened since the mid 90’s, frequency may decrease but intensity will increase

saffir- Simpson scale, categories ranging from 1-5

• 6300 killed

• 600000 displaced

• 30,000 fishing boats destroyed

• 6 million lost their source of income

• power supplies cut off for a month

• outbreaks of diseases due to water shortages

• international government aid

• US aircraft George Washington assisted with search and rescue

• 1200 evacuation centres set up

• rebuilding of roads and buildings

• ‘cash for work’ programmes set up fir people to be paid while helping clear debris

• rice farming quickly re-established

in north Atlantic there are two levels of warning issued by the national hurricane centre

• hurricane watch- advises that hurricane conditions are possible

• hurricane warning- advises that hurricane conditions are expected and that people should take immediate action

• windows, doors and roofs reinforced to strengthen buildings

• storm drains constructed in urban areas to prevent flooding

• sea walls built to protect properties from storm surges

its mostly about raising individual and community awareness, in USA there is a national hurricane preparedness week which focuses on educating people about potential dangers

weather is a description of the day to day conditions of the atmosphere, climate is the average weather over a log period of time

thunderstorms- July 2014 dramatic electrical storms following a period of hot weather

prolonged rainfall- during the very wet winter of 2014 flooding was widespread across southern England

drought/extreme heat- rivers and reservoirs can dry up impacting water supplies

it is the meeting point of several different types of weather from different directions

• wettest January since records began in 1910, 350 mm of rain fell in January

• high tides swept water up the rivers from the Bristol channel

• rivers had not been dredged for at least 20 years

social: 600 homes flooded, 16 farms evacuated, power supplies cut off

economic: cost of flood damage more than 10 million, local roads cut off, railway line closed at bridge water

environmental: floodwater heavily contaminated, huge amounts of debris, stagnant water had to be re oxygenated before being pumped back into rivers

immediate: villagers used boats to go shopping, volunteers gave support

long term: 20 million flood action plan had been launched , 8 km of the rivers tone and parratt were dredged, road levels increased

scientists believe its due to global warming

• more energy in the atmosphere could lead to more intense storms

• atmospheric circulation may be affected

• glaciers and ice caps are shrinking

• arctic sea ice is less extensive affecting polar bears

• low lying islands are under threat from sea level rise

scientists use indirect data stored as a fossil record, when layers of sediment become buried they trap and preserve evidence of the global temp at that time, scientists compare this to today’s global temp

• changes in the earths orbit

• variations in heat output from the sun

• volcanic activity

the atmosphere allows most of the heat from the sun to pass straight through it to warm up the earths surface, however when the earth gives off heat in the form of long wave radiation some gases are able to absorb it causing the earth to get warmer

global concentration of carbon dioxide has increased by 30% since 1850 from car exhausts and the burning of fossil fuels

methane accounts for 20% of the enhanced greenhouse effect by farm livestock and decaying organic matter in landfill sites

nitrous oxides are released into our atmosphere from agricultural fertilizers and sewage treatment

the burning of fossil fuels contributes to 82% of all human produced co2 emissions, to reduce this countries are turning to wind, solar or nuclear power

uses technology to capture co2 before it is released into the atmosphere, in recent advancements people are reusing these co2 emissions and producing diamonds as a form of recycling

trees act as carbon sinks removing co2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, they also release moisture into the atmosphere which has a cooling effect by producing more clouds, reducing incoming solar radiation

in the Himalayas most of the 16000 glaciers are receding rapidly, so they collect water in the winter through a system of diversion canals and it freezes in the spring when it melts it will provide water

in the Maldives construction of sea walls is being constructed around the capital, building houses that are raised on stilts, construction of artificial islands so that people most at risk are able to be relocated

tropical rain forest- near the equator, high temperature and heavy rainfall , quarter of all medicines come from these rain forests

desert- 30 degrees north and south of the equator, high daytime temps low night time temps

polar- arctic/antarctic, very low an dry conditions

grassland- 30- 40 degrees north and south of the equator, warm dry summers with cold winters

Mediterranean- 40 degrees north to the equator mild winters with warm summers

tropical grassland- 15- 30 degrees north and south of the equator, wet and dry seasons

tundra- 60 degrees north, windy and dry climate

Lianas - these are woody vines that have roots in the ground but climb up the trees to reach the sunlight.

Tree trunks tall and thin to allow trees to reach the sunlight. The bark on these trees is smooth to allow water to flow down to the roots easily.

The sloth uses camouflage and moves very slowly to make it difficult for predators to spot.

The spider monkey has long, strong limbs to help it to climb through the rainforest trees.

logging: Malaysia becomes the worlds largest exporter of tropical wood in the 1980’s, this has led to the total destruction of forest habitats

mineral extraction: its rainforest has been cleared for mining and road construction

commercial farming: largest exporter of palm oil in the world, during the 70’s large areas of land were converted to palm oil plantations, owners receive 10 year tax incentives