World Geography / Unit 2: Physical Geography
2.6 Natural Hazards
Notes
Many hazards follow patterns tied to physical geography.
- Earthquakes and volcanoes cluster along plate boundaries, especially the Ring of Fire. An undersea earthquake can cause a tsunami, a series of huge waves.
- Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean water. They are called hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, typhoons in the northwestern Pacific and cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
- Tornadoes are narrow, violent funnels of wind. The central United States has many because warm moist air meets cold dry air there.
- Droughts, floods and wildfires are linked to rainfall patterns.
- People reduce risk with building codes, warning systems and good land-use planning.
Practice
A powerful typhoon would most likely form over which area?
Typhoons are tropical cyclones of the northwestern Pacific.
Why do Japan, Chile and Indonesia experience so many earthquakes and volcanoes?
Plates collide and slide there, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
What often causes a tsunami?
Sudden movement of the seafloor displaces water and sends out huge waves.
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