Geography - Extreme weather hazards in the UK + climate change

define extreme weather

weather that is unusual, severe, or not normal for a place. it can cause threats to life and cause damage to properties

what are the 6 types of extreme weather in the UK

• heavy rainfall → floods

• droughts → agriculture yields can ⬇ so £ ⬆, and water rationing

• strong winds → dmg to infrustructure + properties, trees fall

• thunderstorms → lightning can spark fire

• snow and ice → injuries due to slipping, transport disruptions (1st most deadly)

• heatwaves → heatstrokes (2nd most deadly)

what are the impacts of strong winds, give examples

Impacts (SOC/ECO)

• trees uprooted cause dmg, injury, or death

• dmg to properties and transport disruption from trees on roads and rail tracks

example

storm arwen

what are the impacts of heavy rainfall, give examples

impacts (ECO/SOC)

• disrupts transport links when drains become blocked

• can lead to flooding

example

storm Bert in south wales

what are the impacts of snow and ice, give examples

impact (SOC)

• injuries due to slipping and deaths due to cold

• schools and businesses are forces to shut

example

Beast from the East in 2018

what are the impacts of droughts, give examples (

impacts (SOC)

• water supplies run low

• rules may be introduced to manage water

example

from 2010-2012 S + E England only received 75% of their average monthly rainfall

what are the impacts of thunderstorms, give examples

impacts (SOC)

• Lightning can cause fires

• heavy rain and strong winds also occur

example

in 2014 lightning strikes causes power cuts + delays in flights

what are the impacts of heat waves, give examples

impacts (SOC)

• health issues like heat exhaustion or breathing difficulties

• pollution build sup in the air

example

in 2022 temps reaches up to 40.3^oC in Lincolnshire

how is extreme weather in the UK changing

• getting more common

• floods + droughts + heatwaves + storms are more intense (except snow n ice)

• rainfall in the UK in inc by 15% → flooding more frequent

what are our case study for extreme weather hazards

UK 2022 heatwave

what are the facts about the UK 2022 heatwave

• UK got to 40.3^oC in Lincolnshire

• in Cambridge >3 days + >28^oC = heatwave

• with climate change UK will have more extreme hot weather

what was the cause of the 2022 UK heatwave

there was a high pressure heat dome

what were the social impacts of the 2022 UK heatwave

• wildfires ( in Wennington houses got burned down)

• deaths from heatwaves e.g heatstrokes

• tracks get buckled in the heat → ppl late for work

what were the economic impacts of the 2022 UK heatwave

• wildfires (farmers losing crops ⬇ yield)

• some businesses e.g ice cream will earn more money/ hotels bc ppl go to the beach (positive)

• tracks buckled in the heat → costs money to replace

what were the environmental impacts of the 2022 UK heatwave

• wildfires (fire burning releases CO2)

• rivers dried up → fish in the rivers die, biodiversity ⬇ / birds can die bc can’t find water

what were the short term responses to the 2022 UK heatwave

met office issues “red warning” on the 15th July

what were the long term responses to the 2022 UK heatwave

• building heatproof buildings e.g planting plants on buildings + shutters on windows

• fountains (sprays water vapour) in cities e.g London

• painting roofs + roads white (absorbs less heat, reflects light)

what are the facts about the excess deaths in the 2022 UK heatwave

• there was 1134 excess deaths

• temp at night barely exceeds below 27^oC

• the 3 potential causes of death are: dehydration, heatstroke, overheating

• 3 groups at risk are” infants, old people, homeless

What impact does droughts have during the 2022 UK heatwave

Drought orders are made to allow water companies to take actions such as banning the use of hosepipes (SOC impact)

what does quaternary mean

the last 2.6 million years

what are the different ways to gather evidence about climate change

• ice cores

• tree rings

• pollen analysis

• temperature records

• historical records e.g paintings, diaries

• fossils e.g foraminefera (goes back to 66m years ago)

what are the advantages and disadvantages of ice cores

advantages

cores in Antarctica give data going back 1,000,000 years

disadvantages

it is difficult and expensive to access the best sample sites in cold environments

what are the advantages and disadvantages of tree rings

advantages

data goes back over 10,000 years and is very reliable

disadvantages

requires chopping down lots of tres to get an average measurement

what are the advantages and disadvantages of pollen analysis

advantages

comes from the bottom os lakes or peat dogs meaning the data is well preserved

disadvantages

there are more factors than climate that affect pollen counts so this data may be misleading

what are the advantages and disadvantages of temperature records

advantages

being measured with thermometers makes this data more accurate

disadvantages

these only go back around 170 years ago so do not give much data

what are the theories about the natural cause of climate change

• volcanic eruptions

• orbital changes

• solar output

how can volcanic eruptions potentially contribute to climate change

• releases ash

• blocks the sun

• therefore temp ⬇ e.g Mt. Pinatubo 1991 → temp ⬇ 0.5^oC

• releases GHG e.g CO2 + sulfure dioxide

• temp ⬆

how can orbital changes potentially contribute to climate change

• over 96,000 years the path it takes changes from circular to oval

• when earth is closer to the sun, temp was higher

• when earth is further away, temp was lower

How can solar output e.g sun spots potentially contribute to climate change

• Cooler areas on the sun’s surface are called sun spots

• they are black spots that cause solar flares

• solar flares are sudden explosives of energy

• more solar flares = higher temp

explain the greenhouse effect

• when the sun’s light rays hit the earth and turn into heat energy

• some light and heat are reflected into space

• some are trapped in the earth’s atmosphere due to GHG e.g CO2

• therefore temp ⬆

explain the enhanced greenhouse effect

• Human release more GHG into the atmosphere

• less heat escapes into space

• more heat in our atmosphere

• therefore global warming occurs

what are the human causes of climate change

• deforestation

• agriculture

• burning FF

explain how deforestation contributes to climate change

• forest cleared = less CO2 removed

• burn releases CO2

• land use change → forest cleared for commercial farming

explain how agriculture contributes to climate change

• cattle farming 2bn cows = 2 tons of CO₂^e + methane

• demand for food ⬆ so more livestocks needed

• chops down forests for land → livestocks + soybeans

explain how burning FF contributes to climate change

• when burned releases CO2

• coal, oil, gas

• done to generate power (electricity)

• Transpo

how does climate change affect animal migrations

• more mosquitoes that carry diseases e,g malaria moving to e.g UK

• polar bears are at risk of extinctions → going into town to scavange for food

• more jellyfish e.g barrel jellyfish

• processionary moths

what are the different ways climate change can affect the people and environment

• changes in animal migrations

• heatwaves

• stronger storms

• thawing permafrost

• rising sea levels

• damaged corals

• more droughts + wildfires

how does climate change affect heatwaves

• 2022 UK 40^oC

• hotter → evaporation ⬆ → dryer → wild fire e.g Australia + fire risk ⬆ e.g house burned down leading to insurance ⬆ or not available

how does climate change affect stronger storms

• UK floods e.g Wales

• more tropical storms

how does climate change affect damaged corals

• warmer temp + more acidic oceans → coral bleaching

• corals die therefore fishes that depends on them for shelter dies

how does climate change affect rising sea levels

• melting ice in Antarctica + Greenland → thermo expansion

• aprox 4.5mm per year → scientists predict 1m rise in the next 100 years

→ e.g Tuvalu will disappear completely

→ e.g Bangledash 20% less than 2m → if cyclone sea lvl ⬆ leading to climate refugee

→ e.g new York, Lagos, Shanghai will flood

how does climate change affect thawing permafrost

• permafrost = permanently frozen ground

• traps millions of methane → starting to melt therefore all those methane are being released

• contributes to C.C

how does climate change affect droughts

• farmers make less money

• crops have lower yields → prices ⬆ → leads to hunger (ppl not being able to afford)

what are the 2 strategies for C.C

what are the different mitigation methods for C.C

• alternative energy production

• afforestation

• international agrrem

what are the different adaptations for C.C

• coping with rising sea levels

• managing water supply

• changing agricultural systems

explain how alternative energy production works + problems

How to works

replaces FF with nuclear + renewable (solar, wind, hydro-electric) energies

In 2025 UK >50% renewable + nuclear for electricity

problem

wind → intermitant

solar → only at day time

hydro-e → needs mountains

nuclear → expensive, accidents, waste

explain how afforestation works + problems

how it works

plants trees

Trees take in 28kg pa of CO2 when adult

Problems

• slow to grow

• many trees die before adulthood

• we need farm land - can’t replace for trees

explain how international agreement works + problems

how it works

EVERY country signed the Paris Agreement aiming to limit global warming

trying to prevent temp to rise above 1.5^oC or 2^oC, each country has to make and share plans

made in 2015/16 aim to limit global warming

problems

• some plans are very weak → lack commitment

• USA has pulled out

• we are already heading towards failure (1.4^oC)

explain how carbon capture works + problems

how it works

(see pic)

less then 1% is captured and stored

problems

• expensive!!

• leaks

explain how coping with rising sea levels works + problems

how it works

hard engineering defences try to stop the sea e.g sea walls (concrete), embankments (dirt) , barriers (thames barrier)

sea lvl rising by 4.5mm per year → accelerating, 100yrs → 1m

problems

EXPENSIVE

explain how managing water supplies works

how it works

as dry places get dryer, places like Cambridge need to conserve water

Eddington grey water

explain how changing agricultural systems works

how it works

farmers change what they grow e.g flood resistant crops

Kent farm hops to grapes