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GEOG 205
Earth Dynamics/Weather/Climate and Hazards
33
Geography
Undergraduate 1
11/14/2011

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Cards

Term
What causes an earthquake?
Definition
-Movement along a fault
-Volcanic Eruptions
-Landslides
-Anthropogenic
-"Elastic Strain" (returns to original shape after force is removed)
Term
What are the measurement scales?
Definition
-Richter Scale: amplitude (NRG) *small*
-Movement Magnitude Scale: logarithmic scale (32x)*strong*
-Mercalli intensity: shaking intensity (effect on humans & objects)
Term
What are the impacts of Earthquakes?
Definition
-Weakening of rock and structures
-Tsunami: (Long term) sanitation, food/water contamination
Term
What are the characteristics of a Tsunami?
Definition
*not tidal waves*
-Undersea earthquake
-Landslides
-Volcanic eruptions
-Extraterrestrial collision
Term
What happened in Haiti?
Definition
-Strike-Slip**
Jan 12, 2010
-Caribbean and North American plate
-M 7.0
->200,000 deaths
-Cholera
Term
What happened in Sumatra?
Definition
Indian Plate, stuck under Burma plate
-M 9.1
-Measurable throughout the world
Term
What happened in Honshu, Japan?
Definition
March 11, 2011
-Pacific plate under North American
-M 9.0
-Nuclear plants damaged
-Tsunami
Term
What happened to Mt.Huascaran, Peru?
Definition
May 31, 1970
- M 7.8
-Rock mass and glacial ice **collapsed (mix of rock/water/ice/mud)
Term
What causes Tropical cyclones?
Definition
-Only in tropical regions
-Waves in Trade Winds
-High humidity
-warm surface water
-Cooler air aloft
Term
Hurricane Anatomy
Definition
-Rotates counter-clockwise in the North
-Bands of clouds
-"Eye" has descending air (clear)-- hurricane eye
-Height reaches top of troposphere
Term
What are storm surges and storm tides? (Hurricane)
Definition
Storm surges: pressure and wind comp. (storm tide - normal tide = surge)
Storm tides: when storm surge collides with high tide, looks like )(
Term
The Great drowning of men - 1362
Definition
Low countries- dikes
>25,000 deaths
possibly a hurricane
Term
Hurricane Katrina - 2005
Definition
-8m storm surge
->1800 deaths
-most deaths contributed by surge breaching levees, bulldozer effect
Term
Storm intensity and frequency
Definition
Hurricanes will decrease in frequency, but increase in intensity with a warming climate.
Term
What are Tornadoes?
Definition
-They form along COLD fronts
-Intense wind shear
-Updrafts
-Associated with cumulonimbus clouds (fat
-Wind shear causes ~spinning~ updraft, tilting it UPwards
Term
How do tornadoes distribute?
Definition
-Strong wind shear
-Warm moist air mass, collides with cold air masses
-Mountains tells where air masses move
Term
Tornado vs. Hurricane scale
Definition
EF0-5, Category 1-5
Term
What are frontal storm hazards?
Definition
-High winds
-Hail
-Localized flooding
-Lightening strikes
Term
What are SST?
Definition
-Sea surface temperature
-Will rise with warmer climate
-More moisture will result in more NRG contained in air masses
-More NRG to fuel these storms
Term
What are heatwaves?
Definition
-Several days of 40 degrees
-1540: hottest summer ~40,000 died
Term
What causes drought and famine?
Definition
-Strong La Nina (reduced rain)
-Horn of Africa: worst drought in 60
-Crop failure, loss of livestock
Term
Floods in SE Asia
Definition
-Driven by seasonal monsoons
-Deforestation
-El Nino frequency increases
-Water diseases: Cholera, typhoid, dysentery
-Malaria, dengue fever (mosquitoes)
Term
What was the weather/climate like during MWP (Medieval Weather Period)?
Definition
-Sort of..stable climate
-Stable SUMMER weather
-Avg summer temp: 1degree higher than current
-Central Europe: 1.4d higher
Term
MWP history
Definition
-Dramatic population growth
-Cathedral building built (Golden age)
-Surplus in resources
Term
"Degrading Climate" period 1250AD
Definition
-Increasing number of cold years in N.Atlantic
-Increased sea ice around Greenland
-No contact between Iceland and Greenland
Term
The Great Famine- Weather/Climate
Definition
-1315-1322AD
-Storms
-Spring rains prevented planting
-Rain in summer, cold winters
-*Shift in NAO brought very cold winters*
Term
The Little Ice Age - Weather/Climate (LIA)
Definition
1310-1850AD
-0.5d colder
-high precipitation
-Coldddd, Low NAO
-Irregular temperatures
Term
Impacts of LIA?
Definition
-Famine= population decreased
-Change in Agriculture practice
Term
Hazards in Climate change?
Definition
-Sea level rise
-Thermohaline (ocean conveyor)disrupted
-Change in magnitude of weather events
Term
What causes sea-level change?
Definition
-CO2 emissions
-accelerated melting back of glaciers and ice sheets
-decreases in oceanic pH
-deceleration of the thermohaline circulation
Term
Sea-level rise causes which regions at risk?
Definition
Bangladesh- 1m from sea-level
Term
EXtreme swings in weather?
Definition
-Greater temp/humidity = extreme redistribution
-Heat waves
-Wildfires
-Hydrological hazards (droughts, floods)
-EXtreme storms (tornadoes, hurricane, typhoons, storm surges)
Term
Hurricane vs. Typhoon
Definition
Hurricane = Atlantic
Typhoon = Pacific
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