Tectonic & Climatic hazards

Question 1

Plate Boundaries

Answer 1

Constructive
Conservative
Destructive
Collision

Question 2

Definition of a natural hazards

Answer 2

A natural hazard is an extreme natural event or process that causes loss of life and/or extreme damage to property and creates severe disruption to human activities

Question 3

Conservative/Transform plate boundary

Answer 3

Plates slide past each other
Causes pressure + stress to build up
A quick release of energy causes sudden movements which create earthquakes

Question 4

Constructive plate boundary

Answer 4

Caused by convectional currents in the mantle
Plates move away from each other
Magma then rises and causes volcanic eruptions

Question 5

Destructive plate boundary

Answer 5

Convectional currents in mantle
Oceanic & continental plates move together
Pressure builds up and the thinner oceanic plate gets subducted and melts
Causes volcanic eruptions as magma then rises

Question 6

Collision plate boundaries

Answer 6

Convectional currents in the mantle
2 continental plates of the same density and strength move towards each other
Pressure builds up causing buckling to form mountains + volcanoes

Question 7

How to predict volcanic eruptions

Answer 7

Gas measurements - SO2 & CO2 levels increase
Seismic readings
Satellite imagery - measures ‘bulges’ as magma moves up the volcanoes
Temperature/acidity of soil - increases

Question 8

Causes of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia

Answer 8

Dormant for 150 years
Destructive Plate Boundary 
Nazca plate (oceanic) subducted under south American plate (continental)

Question 9

Effects of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia

Answer 9

Pyroclastic flow (20 m. cubic metres of hot ash, rock +gas)
Lava flows
Huge Lahar (40m thick + moved at 50 km/h)
23,00 deaths
5000 injured
5000 homes destroyed

Question 10

Secondary effects of Nevada del Ruiz - Colombia

Answer 10

Hot lahars served as breeding ground for bacteria + many with minor cuts got infected & died
Blocked roads and people couldn’t be reached
Cost Colombia 20% of their GDP (7.7 bil.)

Question 11

Responses to Nevada del Ruiz- Colombia

Answer 11

No evacuation
Inadequate rescue + emergency services
Locals had ignored warnings from American volcanologists ( no Colombian equipment)

Question 12

Why there were inadequate response

Answer 12

LEDC
During the night ( hard rescue)
Large population
Roads + bridges destroyed

Question 13

Causes of Mount Etna - Italy (2002)

Answer 13

Strato volcano
Destructive plate boundary
African plate slipped under Eurasian

Question 14

Effects of Mount Etna - Italy (2002)

Answer 14

1,000 people evacuated 
100 homes destroyed
Forests destroyed
Tourism effected
2 channels dug to divert lava
Tax breaks for villagers
$8 m. Given to the town
Loss of agricultural land 
Columns of ash deposited material in Libya

Question 15

Formation of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 15

Formed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida in August 2005

27*C
60m deep
Convection
Circular pattern - rotation of Earth

Question 16

Before Hurricane Katrina

Answer 16

Satellite monitoring
400 army reserves
State of emergency called
1.2 mill. were issued with evacuation orders
57 emergency shelters set up e.g. Louisiana SuperDome
Levees built

Question 17

Impacts of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 17

Levees breached in 53 different places
80% of city flooded 
3m deep flooding
1,836 deaths 
10,000 homeless
Food & clean water shortages

Question 18

Failures of Hurricane Katrina

Answer 18

Levees not high or strong enough for category 5

Not enough transport to evacuate all

Question 19

Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 208

Answer 19

SE asia 
Population - 55 mill.
LEDC
GDP per capita - £1900
1/1000 have internet
32/50 poorest countries

Question 20

Causes of Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 2008

Answer 20

Mangrove forests cut down for farming and tourism
Low lying land
Shallow continental shelf
No defences, no prediction, no evacuation
(Government refused help from foreign countries)

Question 21

Impacts of Cyclone Nargis - Myanmar 2008

Answer 21

1.5 mill. severly effected 
over 15,000 deaths
95% buildings destroyed
Millions left homeless
Sewage systems damaged - disease 
Crops destroyed - hunger, loss of income 
Electricity cut off
Roads swept away
Mosquitos - disease

Question 22

Why the responses were so bad in Myanmar 2008

Answer 22

Poor responses - LEDC
No evacuation
Military government didn’t allow help in from abroad

Question 23

Benefits of volcanic eruptions

Answer 23

Fertile soil
Minerals
Sulphur Mining
Dramatic scenery attracts tourists
Generates geothermal energy

Question 24

Ways earthquakes are measured

Answer 24

Richter scale - measures magnitude of an earthquake (strength of shaking)
Mercalli scale - measures the damage caused by an earthquake

Question 25

Different types of tropical storms

Answer 25

Hurricanes
Cyclones
Typhoons

Question 26

Tropical storms

Answer 26

Intense, low pressure systems (depressions)

Question 27

Factors needed for tropical storms to form

Answer 27

Ocean water at least 27oC
Water at least 60m deep
Between the tropics of cancer and Capricorn
Low air pressure

Question 28

Names of plates

Answer 28

Eurasian 
Indo-Australia
Nazca
Pacific
Antarctic
North America
South America

Question 29

Advantages of living in the tropics

Answer 29

Climate for growing crops 
Fishing 
Natural area 
Tourist industry 
Exotic fruit & fish