CATASTROPHIC EVENTS WHAT IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT A

CATASTROPHIC EVENTS WHAT IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT?

A Catastrophic Event is: A very harmful or destructive event!

Drought Features: Dry, cracked soil, dust storms, dead plant life Formation: Lack of water Occurs: Anywhere Impact: ◦ Negative: Death of life, low water, EROSION ◦ Positive: None

Earthquake Features: long cracks in ground, shaking ground Formation: Stress found at fault line/plate tectonics Occurrence: Plate boundaries Impact: ◦ Negative: landslide, avalanches, tsunamis, death, loss of homes, WEATHERING ◦ Positive: None

Tsunami Features: Large wave of water or extreme high tide Formation: Earthquake, volcano, meteor impact, or underwater landslide in ocean. Occurrence: Coastlines Impact: ◦ Negative: flooding, loss of habitat, fires, contamination, death, loss of homes, WEATHERING/EROSION/ AND DEPOSITION ◦ Positive: None

Flooding Main Features: Water level rises Formation: long term or heavy rainfall, hurricane storm surge, melting snow, dam break Occurrence: Anywhere Impact: ◦ Negative: mudslide, death, contamination, loss of property, WEATHERING, EROSION, AND DEPOSITION (WED) ◦ Positive: Floods carry sediment= enriches soils

Hurricane Main Features: High winds, storm surges, heavy rainfall, eye, spinning arms Formation: Warm air rises off of open ocean and cools forming clouds. Air off ocean rushes into space and air begins to spiral. Occurrence: Over open ocean lf) and moves to coast (Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf Impact: ◦ Negative: flooding, death, contamination, loss of homes, WEATHERING, EROSION, DEPOSITION ◦ Positive: Rain for needed areas

Volcanoes Main Features: lava, magma Formation: pressure form gasses within the earth. Where it occurs: along plate boundaries Impact: ◦ Negative: death and destructions ◦ Positive: Creates new land

Tornado Main Features: Rotating column of air, high winds, rain, thunderstorm, Formation: Warm, moist air meets cold, dry air creating a thunderstorm. These air masses meet and rise up into the air creating a funnel. Occurrence: Anywhere, but abundant in Central US. (Tornado Alley) Impact: ◦ Negative: Death, uproots trees, fires, loss of homes, EROSION AND DEPOSITION ◦ Positive: Rain to needed areas

Wildfire Main features: strong winds caused by fire, flames, Formation: lightening, careless humans: cigarettes, camp fires. Occurrence: Anywhere Impact: ◦ Negative: death, loss of homes ◦ Positive: clears land, seed germination, nutrients for soil

Landslide Main Feature: land/rocks sliding from a high elevation to a low elevation Formation: Gravity, earthquakes, flooding Occurrence: Anywhere Impact: ◦ Negative: Death, uproots plants, destroys homes, WEATHERING AND EROSION ◦ Positive: None

Avalanche Main Feature: snow and ice moving from a high elevation to a low elevation Formation: Snow falls on a steep mountain or slope. Snow melts and refreezes making it packed and heavy. Weak spots under the heavy snow give way. Occurrence: Areas with large amount of snowfall Impact: ◦ Negative: Death, destroys homes, uproots plants ◦ Positive: None

Parts of a Tornado Funnel

Parts of a Hurricane

FUJITA Scale: Tornado Strength

Saffir-Simpson Scale: Hurricane Strength