Download 2016 CAT Events Notes with video clips

Catastrophic Events
What is a catastrophic event?
• A catastrophic event is a
natural event that causes
dramatic changes to living
and non-living parts of the
ecosystem
THUNDERSTORMS/FLOODING
• Result from the rapid upward movement of warm,
moist air
• Occur inside warm, moist air masses and at fronts
Effects:
- Damaged homes, roads and bridges, contaminated
water, drowning
- Eroded land (some areas will have
mudslides/landslides)
- Drowned or washed away plants and animals,
damaged habitats
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/floods?source=searchvideo
LIGHTNING:
• Electric charges build up in clouds
• Occurs between regions of opposite
electrical charge
Effects:
- Electrocutions causes burns or death,
damage to homes, power lines
- Destruction of ecosystem due to fires
- Habitats destroyed, burns plants and
animals
-
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildfire-research?source=searchvideo
TORNADOES:
• Violent, whirling winds that move counter
clockwise
• Smaller than a hurricane
• Occurs during severe thunderstorms
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/tornadoes-101?source=searchvideo
Effects
- Can cause injury or death, destroys cars,
buildings and property
- Uprooted trees, increased erosion (high winds)
- Destruction of habitats, kills animals and
vegetation
On November 21, 1992, a series of tornadoes struck the Houston, Texas
metropolitan area. Tornados are violent whirling winds that move counterclockwise. Six tornadoes ripped through 9 subdivisions and some open land.
Many roofs were removed from homes, walls were knocked down, and cars were
overturned. Some homes were completely flattened by the strong winds that the
tornadoes had created. Debris was found all over Houston. Trees and bushes
were uprooted, and one wooded area had many trees torn from the ground and
thrown up to 50 feet away. Dust and dirt were found piled up against houses, and
many homes had broken windows due to rocks and debris being carried by the
winds.
HURRICANES:
• A large, swirling, low-pressure system that forms
over tropical (warm) oceans
• Warm, moist air rises and provides energy for the
storm
Effects:
- Power outages, contaminated water, damage to
roads, building and cars, injury from falling
debris
- Flooding, wind and water erosion, trees uprooted
- Loss of habitats and food sources (land and
aquatic), salt water kills freshwater plants
-
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/hurricanes-101?source=searchvideo
Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast region of the United States on August 28th,
2005. Among the affected areas, most severe devastation occurred in New
Orleans, Mississippi and Louisiana. The severe devastating effects of hurricane
Katrina were incurred mostly due to flooding. The contaminated floodwater that
overflowed the residential areas caused long-term health effects on humans,
animals and other inhabitants in the area. The flooding also resulted in pollution
of groundwater reserves, which is a major water source for drinking purposes. The
floodwaters from hurricane Katrina destroyed many homes and buildings that left
people homeless or caused them to relocate. Many large items, such as boats and
lumber, littered the streets that were once covered with several feet on water.
Droughts
•
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/droughts
EARTHQUAKES:
• Friction or tension between plate
boundaries that builds up energy and
begins to move
• Occurs along colliding or fracture plate
boundaries.
- Damage to property or life, broken gas
lines (fires) and water lines, building
damage
- Splits (cracks) in roads, land and sink holes
- Destroys habitat, loss of food sources
-
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/earthquake-101?source=searchvideo
On Tuesday, January 12 a 7.0 earthquake occurred under the island
of Haiti leaving 230,000 people dead, 300,000 injured and over a
million people homeless. One of the poorest countries in the
world, Haiti’s people were severely impacted by the effects of the
earthquake to their buildings and homes. Earthquakes are the
shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes
happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust when friction built up
in the tectonic plates is released. Earthquakes can be felt over large
areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes
cannot be predicted -- but scientists are working on it! Earthquakes
can be strong enough to cause buildings to collapse and landslides
to occur.
Other Catastrophic Events
Landslides:
Loss of life, weathers and erodes land, destroys
habitats
Volcanoes:
Loss of life, ash blocks sunlight (prevents
photosynthesis), air pollution, total destruction of
land
Tsunamis:
Loss of life, destruction of property, pollutes ocean
Human Activities:
Destroy habitats, pollutes environment
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/tsunami-101?source=searchvideo
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington state sending
tons of ash and gasses into the atmosphere. It killed 58 people and caused
more than $1 billion in property damage. A volcano is a mountain that
opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth.
When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up
through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments.
Volcano eruptions have been known to knock down entire forests. An
erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flashfloods, earthquakes, mudflows
and rockfalls. As lava from volcanoes cools, it creates new land. The
islands of Hawaii were formed by volcanoes erupting.
A tsunami is a series of waves that can be generated by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic
eruptions and large meteorite impacts. On December 26, 2004, a huge underwater
earthquake caused a tsunami to generate and travel towards Indonesia. Waves reached
heights of 100 feet and traveled as fast as 620 mph. These waves devastated Indonesia
by wiping out villages, farmlands, and forest. Many ecosystems were destroyed beyond
repair. Coral reefs along the coast no longer reside in the area because of the destructive
waves. Farmlands and forest that used to provide food for the villagers have been ripped
apart and washed away by flooding waters, including the livestock. Drinking wells were
contaminated when the huge waves washed ashore. The spread of diseases and hunger
were a threat to many villages. Debris that has been carried from miles away have
caused a problem with the rebuilding process for Indonesia.
Additional Ideas
• Catastrophic Events speed up weathering,
erosion and deposition.
• Ecosystems (habitats) must respond to
change and maintain balance (succession).
• Animals are forced to move to a new
location or adapt when their ecosystem is
destroyed.