AQA GCSE Geography - Natural Hazards

Atmospheric hazards

natural hazards associated with Earth's atmosphere, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wind, snow, drought, lightning and rain

Drought

a long, continuous period of dry weather

Earthquake

a sudden or violent movement within the Earth's crust followed by a series of shocks

Fatalities

deaths caused by disasters or accidents

River flood

where river discharge exceeds river channel capacity and water spills onto the floodplain

Geological hazards

natural hazards associated with Earth's geological processes, such as volcanoes, landslides, mudflows, avalanches and earthquakes

Hazard risk

the probability or chance that a natural hazard may take place

Landslides

the movement of rock, earth or debris down the slope of a hill

Mudflow

when saturated soil and weak rock flow down a slope

Natural disaster

when a natural event, or hazard, impacts on human activities

Natural hazard

a natural event that a poses a threat to humans and/or property

Poverty

deprivation in well-being, such as lack of access to wealth, food, shelter, water and education

Social impact

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

Tropical storm (hurricane, cyclone, typhoon)

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

Tsunami

huge waves caused by earthquakes

Urbanisation

when an increasing percentage of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities

Volcano

a large landform, typically conical in shape, formed by a series of volcanic eruptions over a long period of time