Climatic Hazards-Causes,Impacts and Response

A detailed Summary of Climatic Hazards-Causes,Impacts and Response

a) Discuss the atmospheric processes responsible for (i) strong winds (ii) drought.

Strong winds are largely caused by differences in pressure over areas of the land. Wind direction is always from low pressure to high pressure as if a high pressure system is dominant over an area the air can only rise and once it has risen the only place for it to move is to a low pressure area. This determines how fast or weak the winds are.

The closer the isobars are the quicker the air can move from high to low pressure thus the winds are stronger.

Very strong winds can be found around the equator because the intense heating of the land means that the air rises more quickly. Hurricanes form in this area near the Americas. They develop as hot seawater, which can acquire temperatures of 27'c or above, heats the air above it. As this air starts to rise it draws moisture up form the sea like a vacuum. An area of intense low pressure is formed in the centre, this is called the eye of the storm and is an area of calm. As air is sucked up to replace the rising air, winds of about 150-200kph initiate. Cumulo nimbus clouds form and torrential rain starts to fall. The sea is a constant form of strength for them as more and more wa

Tornadoes occur mainly in East America in a region nicknamed the 'tornado alley'. In May 1997 one of the strongest tornadoes for nearly a decade hit the USA and caused $millions of damage to many states including Kansas and Oklahoma.

Droughts occur due to the lack of precipitation which is unexpected. They often happen on the edges of desert areas, where rain can and has in the past occurred but in this instance hasn't. They are particularly frequent over parts of central Africa and north East Brazil. They occur because as the air and clouds move further inland they lose their moisture and the air becomes dryer. If these conditions last for longer than expected then a drought occurs.

Tornadoes are very similar to hurricanes and cyclone (the Asian equivalent of a Hurricane) although they occur on a smaller scale and originate over land, which is why they are less powerful. They are most common in America, especially in an area nicknamed tornado alley, which stretches from Canada's Great Lakes to Texas.

b) Explain why the occurrence of climatic hazards in LEDC's often results in much greater loss of life than in MEDC's.

rm moist air is sucked up, this is why as they begin to travel over land they start to die out.

On the opposite end of the scale in since 1999 a drought had been forming in East Africa and millions of people have been placed in danger of starvation as crops failed due to lack of precipitation. The general welfare, health and nutrition of around 16million people was in the balance and the local governments who are relatively poor couldn't cope with the demand of food and healthcare etc. This is why outside agencies such as UNICEF help with emergency supplies of food and there are ongoing projects to install water pumps so even when there is a drought situation p

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Approximate Word count = 1228
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science