16 Questions
What is a key factor that affects environmental quality?
Natural hazards
What type of natural hazard is a drought?
Hydrologic hazard
What is a potential consequence of a drought in Australia?
Bushfires
What is the central core of a tropical cyclone called?
The eye
Why can droughts be difficult to detect?
Because they can only be noticed through their side effects
What is the term for a natural hazard that occurs due to processes in the atmosphere?
Atmospheric hazard
Why are bushfires a constant worry for people living in bushland and forests?
Because they can be devastating
What can increase the risk of droughts?
Higher than average temperatures
What is the minimum wind speed required for a storm to be considered a cyclone?
119 kilometres per hour
What is the primary source of energy for the formation of cyclones?
Warm water
What is the direction of rotation of cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere?
Clockwise
What is a major environmental impact of military conflict?
Pollution of soil and water
What is a major consequence of overpopulation?
Lack of food security
What is a major contributor to air pollution in cities like Bangkok?
Traffic
What is the equivalent of breathing air in Mumbai in terms of cigarette smoking?
Two and a half cigarette packets per day
What is the government of Thailand trying to address in Bangkok?
Air pollution
Study Notes
Environmental Quality
- Environmental quality refers to the standard of the environment around us, which affects human wellbeing and liveability.
- Higher environmental quality is linked to better human wellbeing and liveability.
Natural Hazards
- Natural hazards can negatively affect the liveability of a place.
- There are two types of natural hazards: atmospheric hazards and hydrologic hazards.
- Atmospheric hazards include:
- Cyclones
- Bushfires
- Severe thunderstorms
- Hydrologic hazards include:
- Floods
- Droughts
- Droughts occur due to a lack of rainfall over an extended period, leading to:
- Water supplies drying up
- Crops not growing
- Animals dying
- Dust storms
- Droughts can lead to bushfires, as seen in the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983 and the Black Saturday bushfires.
Tropical Cyclones
- A tropical cyclone is an area of rapidly rising air that rotates around a central core called the eye.
- Wind speed must exceed 119 km/h to be considered a cyclone.
- Cyclones can cover large areas, from 80 km to 1000 km in diameter.
- Cyclones need warm water (26°C or more) to form, which leads to:
- Evaporation and condensation into clouds
- Release of heat, warming the air and making it rise
- Addition of more air, making the cyclone more intense
- The Earth's rotation causes cyclones to spin clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
Conflict
- Military conflict can harm the environment, as seen in the Gulf War in the early 1990s, where:
- Bombing campaigns destroyed infrastructure
- Oil pipelines were destroyed, polluting soil and waterways
Population Pressures
- Overpopulation can lead to:
- Excessive food consumption
- Lack of food security
- Decreased environmental quality
- Pollution decreases the liveability of a place, as seen in Mumbai, where breathing air is equivalent to smoking 2.5 cigarette packets per day.
- Traffic is a major contributor to air pollution, producing carbon dioxide and polluting the environment, as seen in Bangkok.
This quiz covers the factors that reduce environmental quality, including natural hazards, and their impact on human wellbeing and the environment.
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