GCSE AQA Geography- Challenge of Natural Hazards

Everything that you need for the GCSE AQA Challenge of Natural Hazards Section of the GCSE (besides case studies).

What is a natural hazard?

A natural event that affects property and life

What are the four types of natural hazard?

Atmospheric, Tectonic, Geological and biological

What type of hazard is a tropical storm?

Atmospheric Hazard

What type of hazard is an earthquake?

Tectonic Hazard

What type of hazard is a landslide?

Geological Hazard

What type of hazard is a forest fire?

A biological hazard

What are the four hazards that affect hazard risk?

Magnitude, Location, Wealth and Quality of buildings

Give 7 reasons why people live in areas at risk at Tectonic Hazards

Naivity, farming, poverty, family, natural beauty, tourism and geothermal energy

What are the four layers of the earth?

Inner Core, outer core, mantle and crust

What are convection currents?

A movement within the Earth’s mantle caused by radioactive decay in the core.

What do convection currents cause?

Tectonic plates to move

Give the five stages of Convection Currents

1. The heat from the core is transferred to the mantle

2. Magma close the core is heated and rises

3. It reaches the crust and is forced sideways

4. Friction causes the tectonic plate to move.

5. Magma cools and sinks back to the core

Where are volcanoes typically found?

Along plate boundaries.

What are the collection of volcanoes found on the pacific plate margin called?

The ring of fire

Where are earthquakes typically found?

Along plate boundaries

Why might some earthquakes not follow this pattern?

Due to human activity (underground mining)

What are the two types of crust called?

Oceanic and continental crust

What is this plate boundary?

A destructive plate boundary

What is this plate boundary?

A constructive plate boundary

What is this plate boundary?

A conservative plate boundary

Explain the steps at a destructive plate boundary (O→←D)

1. The oceanic plate and the continental plate move towards one another

2. The Oceanic Plate subducts as it is denser

3. The Oceanic Plate melts to form magma

4. The magma escapes through weaknesses in the rock

5. This forms a composite volcano

What is a collision Margin?

A Plate Boundary where two continental plates collide forming fold mountains.

Describe the steps at a constructive plate boundary

1. Two plates move apart from one another

2. Magma from the mantle rises up

3. This causes a shield volcano

Describe the steps at a conservative plate boundary

1. Two plates move past each other, or are side by side at different speeds

2. As they move, friction occurs and plates become stuck.

3. Pressure builds as the plates still try to move

4. As the pressure is released huge amounts of energy are released through seismic waves.

5. This is called an earthquake

True or False: Earthquakes can occur at all plate boundaries

True

Which plate boundaries form volcanoes?

Constructive and Destructive Plate Boundaries.

What are our two case studies for Tectonic Hazards? (This may vary from school to school)

Chile and Nepal

Give two ways that volcanoes can be monitored (there are more)

Remote Sensing and Hydrology

How does Remote Sensing work? (Think volcanoes!)

Satellites detect heat and changes to the volcano shape

How does Hydrology work? (Think Volcanoes!)

Scientists measure the gases dissolved in the water to detect eruptions

True or False: Earthquakes often occur with lots of warning

False

How can volcanoes be predicted?

Through scientific monitoring

How can earthquakes be predicted?

They can’t, but we identify areas at greatest risk.

How can we prepare for volcanoes?

Use earth embankments and explosives to divert lava away from property, but otherwise, not a lot.

Give 3 ways we can prepare for earthquakes

Constructing infrastructure that is earthquake resistant, open areas for evacuation and tsunami walls

How can we plan for volcanoes?

Hazard maps and evacuation routes

How can we plan for earthquakes?

Maps to identify areas that are at most risk of damage.

What are the three E’s for planning for any Natural Hazard?

Emergency kits, Education and an evacuation Plan

What is global atmospheric circulation?

The overall circulation of the earth formed by a number of cells (circular air movements)

What is a high pressure system?

A whirling mass of sinking cool, dry air.

What type of weather does high pressure bring?

Happy weather (sunny skies and light winds)

What is a low pressure system?

A whirling mass of rising warm, moist air.

What type of weather does low pressure bring?

Lousy Weather (stormy weather and strong winds)

What are the types of cells at the GAC Model?

Hadley, Ferrel and Polar

Wind spirals ______ of a high pressure centre in a _______ rotation in the Northern Hemisphere

Out, clockwise

Wind spirals _____ a low pressure centre in a ______ rotation in the northern hemisphere

Into, anti-clockwise

‘Winds on the ground are distorted by the earth’s rotation’ What is this known as?

The Coriolis Effect

Why are surface winds important in the GAC model?

They help transfer heat and moisture from one place to another.

Where are tropical storms generally located?

Above and below the equator in between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn

What ocean has Hurricanes specifically?

The Atlantic Ocean

What ocean has Cyclones specifically?

The Indian Ocean

What ocean has Typhoons specifically?

Pacific Ocean

What is the low pressure at the equator known as?

Equatorial low

The path of a tropical storm corresponds with what?

The deflected air due to the Coriolis effect

What are the four key ingredients of a tropical storm?

1. A cluster of thunderstorms

2. Warm water of 27 degrees +

3. Sea depth of 60-70m

4. Light wind speeds

List the steps of a tropical storm forming

1. Once the water reaches 27 degrees, the air above the ocean is heated, and the air rises quickly, causing an area of low pressure.

2. This low pressure draws more warm, moist air up causing strong winds.

3. Large cumulonimbus clouds form as the warm rising air cools and condenses

4. This forms the eye wall, where there is heavy rainfall

5. In the eye, cold air sinks, causing calm and dry conditions.

Name the two main features of tropical storms

The eye and the eye wall.

Climate change can cause an increase in ____ _____ and an increase in the _________ of the sea.

Sea Level, Temperature

True or False: Climate change could cause tropical storms to become more frequent.

False

True or False: Climate change may increase the distribution of Tropical Storms, affecting places outside of the tropics.

True

Why might tropical storms become more intense as a result of climate change?

As warmer seas mean more energy, increasing the intensity.

What is our Case Study for Tropical Storms (This may vary school by school)

Typhoon Haiyan

Give two ways that Tropical Storms can be monitored?

Hurricane Hunters and Satellites

Give three ways that Tropical Storms can be predicted

Supercomputers, Cones and communication between countries.

How can we protect from Tropical Storms?

Building design and adaption and storm surge defences

State the 5 types of weather hazard that the UK can experience.

Thunderstorms, prolonged rainfall, drought & extreme heat, heavy snow & extreme cold and strong winds

What is our case study for extreme weather events in the UK? (This can vary from school to school)

Somerset Level Floods

What is the highest temperature recorded in the UK?

40.3 degrees Celsius

Which two storms (think 2020) were within a week apart?

Storm Dennis and Storm Ciara

Sea levels have _______ since last century

Doubled

Compared to pre-industrial times, how much has the temperature risen by in the UK?

1.2 degrees Celsius

Give 6 pieces of evidence of climate change

Shrinking glaciers, melting ice, rising sea levels, seasonal changes, more atmospheric hazards and temperature increase

Give 3 natural factors that could potentially cause climate change

1. The Sun Spot theory

2. Orbital changes

3. Eruption Theory

What is the sunspot theory suggesting?

That solar energy is linked to the number of sunspots present

What are sunspots?

Dark spots on the surface of the sun.

The _______ sunspots the more heat the sun gives off

More

Give a piece of evidence for the sunspot theory

There were very few sunspots between 1645-1715 when the ‘Little Ice Age’ occurred

What are the three distinct cycles relating to Orbital Change which affect the world’s climate naturally?

Eccentricity, Axial Tilt and Precession

How can violent volcanic eruptions reduce temperatures on Earth?

Volcanic ash is released into the atmosphere, blocking out the sun temporarily.

What is the name of the effect that humans have enhanced which contributes to global warming?

The Greenhouse Effect

Give three human causes of climate change

Fossil Fuels, Deforestation and Agriculture

Give three greenhouse gases

Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide

Why is the use of fossil fuels damaging?

As burning them releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Why is deforestation damaging?

As forests, especially the TRF store huge amounts of CO2, which when burnt or logged is released back into the atmosphere, accelerating the rate of climate change.

Why is agriculture a contributing factor to climate change?

Both the production of pesticides/fertiliser and the transportation uses fossil fuels. Forest is also cleared for use as farm land.

Give 2 Positives of climate change in the UK

Increased tourism in coastal areas and a larger variety of fruits and staples can be grown in the South of the UK

Give 2 negatives of climate change in the UK

Increase in droughts and loss of tourism in Northern Scotland due to loss of snow.

Give a ‘positive’ of climate change in the Maldives

Increased tourism due to knowledge of disappearance.

Give a negative of climate change in the Maldives

Coral reefs bleached dye to warmer seas and Tidal surges cause flooding daily.

Define mitigation

Action taken to reduce the causes

Define adaption

Resounding to the impacts by making changes to the environment or human actions.

What are the 4 ways that we can manage climate change through mitigation?

Alternative energy production, carbon capture, planting trees and international agreements

Why are renewable resources such as nuclear power, solar or wind more sustainable than fossil fuel usage?

As they do not emit large amounts of CO2

Why is planting trees a potentially effective way to reduce our impact on climate change?

As they act as carbon sinks due to their process of photosynthesis. Furthermore, they release moisture into the atmosphere which has a cooling effect.

What was the Paris Agreement of 2015?

A universal and binding global climate deal adopted by 195 countries.

Give two ways in which agriculture can adapt to climate change.

Drought resistant plants and irrigation systems.

Give two ways that we can adapt to rising sea levels.

The use of sea defences to prevent erosion and houses in vulnerable areas built on stilts to protect them.

Give two ways that we can adapt to a shortage of water supply.

Water transfer schemes and desalination plants.