Unit 7 Catastrophic Events CBA Study Guide 1. Which catastrophic event(s) require primary succession to repair the environment, thus creating a longer time for the ecosystem to recover in order to support plants and animals again? Volcanoes require primary succession to occur as a result of the hardened lava and ash that covers the ground. Earthquakes also have the potential for new rock to become exposed.

2. What caused Hurricane Katrina to strengthen before making landfall in the Gulf Coast States? The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico strengthened Katrina.

3. What is the impact of a major tsunami to a coastal area? A tsunami will erodes soil and it has the ability to level and flood everything in its path. Massive devastation to homes, ecosystem, and loss of life. 4. What are the ways a tsunami can be created? Underwater earthquake and underwater volcanic eruption, massive landslide, and asteroid impact in an ocean.

5. Describe the difference between an inference and an observation? Give an example. An observation is a description or data that was observed using your 5 senses. An inference is something that is not fact or personally observed. Example: John is wet. (Observation) It is raining outside. (Observation) John was just outside. (Inference)

6. Describe the 3 main parts of a hurricane. The outer bands: are a series of dense clouds that form a spiral around the eye wall. They give the hurricane a pinwheel appearance. These dense bands of thunderstorms spiral slowly counterclockwise. The eye wall: it surrounds the eye and is the most damaging winds and heaviest rains are found in the eye wall. Eye: it is located directly in the center of the hurricane. The average diameter of the eye is 20-40 miles across. Inside the eye the wind is calm, the skies are clear, and the air pressure is very low.

7. Describe/define a tornado. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud. Before it touches the ground it is called a funnel cloud. Since the tornado is a giant vacuum, there will be evidence of a debris cloud around the vortex.

8. What are the immediate and long term impacts of a large volcanic eruption? Immediate: everything within the blast range is destroyed/covered in ash/lava and the majority of the region will require primary succession. New soil will need to be created again. A reduction in plants and animals occurs Long term- Eventually the ecosystem will recover. Once soil is produced the first plants will grow and slowly the animals will come back into the regions again.

9. How are tornados and hurricanes different? Give at least 3 examples Hurricanes are much larger than tornados, thus resulting in more deaths and a larger area of damage. Both are rated based on wind speed using different scales; however the winds speeds of a tornado are faster. Both come from a thunderstorm; however tornados are formed over land and hurricanes over the water. Hurricanes allow more advanced warning than tornados. 10. What scale measures earthquakes? Richter Scale- a number from 1 to 10 based on damage and location from the epicenter 11. What scale measures hurricanes? Saffir-Simpson Scale- Categories 1-5 based on wind speed, central pressure readings, and storm surge height 12. What scale measures TORNADOS (earlier typo corrected)? The Enhanced Fujita Scale- EF0 – EF5 ratings based on wind speed and damage 13. What creates a drought and what other catastrophic event can it lead to? Drought can lead to an increase risk of wildfires and famine.

14. What other catastrophic events can a super cell thunderstorm create? List 3. Super cell thunderstorms can form tornados, hail, flash flooding, and lightening.

15. What is the difference between a watch and a warning? A watch means that conditions are likely for the event to occur where you live. A warning means that you are in immediate danger of the event and must quickly take the needed precautions for your safety.

16. What do you do to increase your chances of surviving a tornado verses a hurricane? In a tornado you stay away from outside walls of your house and windows. Go to the lowest level of your house and protect your head. Since hurricanes allow more advanced warning, you should evacuate and move to higher ground away from the coastline before the storm surge hits.

17. Why does tornado alley have such ideal weather conditions to spawn tornadoes in the spring and early summer? In the spring/early summer, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cool dry air from the Rocky Mountains or Canada, spawning the ideal conditions for super cell thunderstorms which are when tornados are mostly likely to form.