Hazards - Tropical storms

Question 1

what is a tropical storm?

Answer 1

low pressure weather hazards formed through strong winds, creating a spinning storm

Question 2

characteristics of a tropical storm

Answer 2

• 27 degrees celcius or warmer oceans
• strong winds
• area of low pressure (warm air rises and where is rose from is left to be a low pressure area)
• 5-20 north or south of the equator

Question 3

the different names for tropical storms and the region where they’re called that

Answer 3

cyclone = south and south east asia
typhoon = east Asia (Japan, Phillipines)
hurricane = Carribean and USA

Question 4

formation of a tropical storm

Answer 4

• warm air rises, cools and condenses to form clouds
• the area where the warm air rose becomes a low pressure zone
• the cloud is a high pressure zone, so the wind moves from there to the sea surface
• winds travel from high to low pressure, so this creates a loop of surface winds and therefore a storm
• the coriolis effect causes the storm to spin
• as wind speed increases, the storm strengthens

Question 5

what are the components of the structure of a tropical storm?

Answer 5

the eye = low pressure are where there is no rainfall and warm temperatures
the eye wall = surrounds the eye, spiralling rising air and heavy rainfall

Question 6

how are tropical storms measured?

Answer 6

The saffir-simpson scale
- 1 to 5
- number increases as wind speeds increase

Question 7

how is climate change affecting the frequency of tropical storms?

Answer 7

oceans are staying warmer for longer periods of time, so a longer period of tropical storms

Question 8

how is climate change affecting the distribution of tropical storms?

Answer 8

more oceans are getting warmer, so there may be more tropical storms in other regions

Question 9

how is climate change affecting the intensity of tropical storms?

Answer 9

• warmer oceans
• increased cloud formation
• storms become more powerful

Question 10

what are the 4 hazards associated with tropical storms?

Answer 10

• storm surges
• landslides
• strong winds
• flooding

Question 11

What is a landslide?

Answer 11

• increased water content in the pores of soil
• leads to slope failure
• results in a landslide

Question 12

what causes a landslide and what are the impacts?

Answer 12

cause = torrential rainfall fills rock pores with water and increases the weight of it
impacts = infrastructure collapses

Question 13

what is a storm surge?

Answer 13

large waves that can become multiple metres high

Question 14

what are the causes and impacts of a storm surge?

Answer 14

cause = strong, high winds
impacts = flooding, damage to coastal areas

Question 15

what causes strong winds?

Answer 15

• high and low pressure areas

Question 16

what are the causes and impacts of coastal flooding?

Answer 16

cause = the storm picks up large amounts of moisture which falls back down as rainfall
impact = farmland, homes and infrastructure gets destroyed

Question 17

describe the coriolis effect

Answer 17

• the earth spins on an axis
• the equator spins faster than the poles, because it travels a further distance
• when something moves from the poles to the equator, it gets further from the axis
• seems as though it is curving, but the equator is moving faster than the speed of the wind