Global Hazards: Atmospheric Circulation

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Topic 1: Global Hazards

• Atmospheric circulation: large-scale movement of air distributing heat on Earth's surface.
• Hadley cell: Largest cell, Equator to 30°-40° N/S.
• Ferrel cell: Mid-latitude air flow, between 60°-70°.
• Polar cell: Smallest, weakest cell, poles to Ferrel cell.
• Global circulation influences temperature, precipitation, prevailing winds, creating climate zones.
• Temperate climate: Mid-latitude, frequent rainfall, e.g., UK.
• Tropical climate: Equatorial belt, heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, e.g., Brazil.
• Polar climate: Cold air sinks, dry, icy, strong winds, e.g., Antarctica.
• Desert climate: 30° N/S, sinking dry air, high temperatures, no rainfall, e.g., Libya.
• High pressure: Cold air sinking, clear, calm weather.
• Low pressure: Hot air rising, stormy, cloudy weather.
• Katabatic winds: Air from high ground down a slope, e.g., Antarctic.
• Trade Winds: Air from high to low pressure.
• Jet Streams: High-atmosphere, high-speed winds, 225km/h.
• Precipitation: Water vapor in rising warm air, cools, condenses into clouds, falls as rain/snow.
• Drought occurs worldwide, frequent between tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, affecting Africa, Australia.
• El Nino linked to dry conditions, reversing rainfall patterns.
• Normal cycle: Warm currents off Australia lead to rising moist air, storms, rain.
• El Niño year: Reversal, cooler water off Australia, sinking dry air, hot weather, no rain.
• La Niña: Cold sea temperatures in eastern Pacific, impacts opposite El Niño, increased flood risk for Australia, droughts for Peru.
• Tropical storms: Hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, between tropics, require >27°C sea temperature.
• Storm formation: Ocean heats, warm moist air rises, low pressure, thunderstorms, trade winds meet, Coriolis effect spins storms exceeding 74mph, called hurricanes.
• Cool air sinks in the center of a storm when it grows in power, which forms the 'eye of the storm'.
• Storm loses energy over land.

Case Studies

• UK Heat Wave 2015:
  • Anticyclone blocked cooler, rainier systems.
  • Effects: Heat strokes, fires, rail disruption, cancelled sports.
  • Response: NHS guidance, train limits, heatwave action, water safety warnings.
• Typhoon Haiyan 2013:
  • Category 5 super typhoon.
  • Effects: 4,000 deaths, destroyed homes, diseases, grief.
  • Response: UN aid, USA/UK aid to remote areas, education on preparedness.

Topic 2: UK in the 21st Century

• Mountains are in north and west, sparsely populated.
• South and east UK is flat, densely populated.
• Rivers flow from mountains to sea.
• Rainfall patterns: Most in north and west (2500mm avg), least in south and east (500-625mm).
• Relief rainfall: Moist air forced up mountains precipitates, rain shadow on the other side in leeward areas.
• Water stress: Limited water supply impacts SE UK

Solutions

• Water transfer from wetter west via pipelines.
• Eastern reservoirs for water storage.
• Water conservation.
• Land use: Varies, farmland dominates.
• Mountain areas: Rough pastures/moorlands.
• Grasslands: Found in west, for cattle/sheep.
• Arable: In south and east, warm, sunny.
• Coniferous woodland: N. England, Wales, Scotland, poor soils.
• Urban growth due to population increase.
• Reasons for UK population growth: Natural increase (births - deaths), net migration (immigration - emigration), life expectancy.
• UK population pyramid indicates low birth/death rates, aging population, which has the following consequences:

Consequences

• Planning is needed for the future.
• UK population is 65 million, projected to reach 70 million by 2030.
• UK housing shortage: Rising population needs houses, but building is below requirements, causing rising prices.
• Local opposition/green belts restrict building.
• Demographic Transition Model (DTM): Explains population changes w/ economic development.

5 Stages from DTM

• Stage 1: High birth/death rates.
• Stage 2: High birth rate, falling death rate.
• Stage 3: Declining birth/death rates.
• Stage 4: Low birth/death rates.
• Stage 5: Declining birth rate, rising death rate.
• Ethnic diversity: 13% UK population foreign-born, 37% in London, increasing non-British groups.
• Aging population: 18% over 65, high in coastal areas due to longer and more relaxing lives.

Causes

• Baby boomers, improved healthcare, good diet.

Effects

• High healthcare costs, care home shortages, a grey pound is helping to boast the economy.

Response

• Pension bonds, care support, immigration to boost workforce.
• UK Economy: Shift from heavy manufacturing to services due to competition.

Recent History

-1997-2007: economy grew, unemployment fell, investment in education/tech.

• 2008: Entered recession, unemployment grew. Ended 2009.
• 2010: Focus on national debt.
• Employment change: Increase in quaternary sector, decrease in secondary sector.
• Primary/tertiary steady, professional boost, manufacturing decline.
• Average UK work hours: 42.7 (2011), high in EU.
• Working patterns: Fathers work less to care for children, more mothers work fulltime.
• Economic hubs: Central areas of economic success.
• Belfast Titanic Quarter: Film, offices, education.
• Salford: Media, BBC, ITV, chemicals.
• Aberdeen: North Sea oil/gas, R&D.

Significance to the UK

• World-leading university.
  • Income >34% higher than average.
  • Net contribution to UK economy.
• 4,000 companies.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Skilled workforce.
• Routes to London/Birmingham (M11, A1).
• Science Park attracts businesses.
  • High rental costs.
• UK's role in the world: Significant despite size:
  • NATO: Military/political alliance.
  • UN: 193 members, peace and resolving issues.
  • G7: 7 wealthiest countries, economic discussions.
• UK role in Middle East: Long history, former empire, oil/gas trade, military hardware exports.
• UK military involvement: Iraq (2003), Syria (2015), ongoing training/peacekeeping.
• UK Media exports: Films, TV, music, books, £17bn, 1.7m jobs.
• Promote language/culture, attract tourists.
• Multicultural UK: Indian, Pakistani, Caribbean influences, with culture, and influences on Fashion, Media, Food.

Topic 3: Distinctive Landscapes

• Landscape: Visible surface features, broken into physical, biological, human, variable elements.
• Relief: Uplands (peaks), lowlands (flat).
• Erosion smooths rocks.
• Attrition: Rock-bashing, smaller rocks.
• Solution: Dissolves rocks through chemical weathering.
• Suspension: Sediment moves in water.
• Abrasion: Rock breaks off the cliff.
• Saltation: Pebbles bounce.
• Infrastructure: Creates infrastructure such as roads.
• Hydraulic action: Compresses air into cracks, which helps to widen cracks.
• Glaciation: Ice eroded upland Britain.

Mass Movement

• Large movements are created down slopes by gravity if there are vertical movements in that direction.
• Processes:
  • Rain saturates permeable rock.
  • Waves erode slope base.
  • Weight weakens it.
• Debris is transported.
• Human Activity: Farming, vegetation removal.
• Landscapes are created by soil, rock, water from climate impact.
• Climate/weather variations lead to landscape differences.

Key Variations Include...

• Rainfall: Varies by region and altitude.
• Leads to weathering, erosion, mass movement.
• Freeze-thaw: Water expands in cracks 9% when frozen, creating pressure and this wedges apart the rock.
• Chemical weathering: Acids from rain dissolve rock.
• Biological weathering: Organic matter breaks down rocks.
• Erosion: Breakdown as processes occur, such as, smooth, round.
• Attrition: Process of rocks bashing together.

Topic 4: Sustaining Ecosystems

• Ecosystem: A system where organisms interact with each other and their environment

Ecosystem's Components:

- Abiotic elements: Non-living items like air.
- Biotic elements: Living organisms like plants.

• Flora: Plant's in a region.
• Fauna: Animals in a region.
• Nutrient cycle: Plants absorb nutrients, returned through decomposition.
• Litter: Surface layer.
• The biomass creates large amounts of living organisms per amount of land.
• Biomes: Large areas of life. Determines the geographical area (e.g, climate).

Tropical Rainforest Key Facts

• Located in the southern hemisphere.
• Contains water.
• Has weather, and erosion process, of rocks.
• Warm water.
• Erosion of the head land.