1. Research Class notes
Cause and Effect of Catastrophes

4. Floods Cause and Effect
How floods form:
Often caused by extreme weather – thunderstorms, snow and ice melts, hurricanes
Main features:
Overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry
Can last a few minutes (flash flood) to months
Weather related Changes in habitats – destruction of habitats, water contamination, loss of animals due to drowning Changes in landforms: mudslides, erosion of land Other impacts: loss of life, disease, property loss or damage, destruction of crops and livestock.

6. Hurricane Cause and Effect
How hurricanes form:
Created by moist, warm air in a convection current – warm and cool air masses join and spiral upward creating high wind speeds
Main features:
Wind speeds of 74 mph or more, extreme rain fall, dangerous storm surge, flooding, ocean water can enter river ways
Can produce tornadoes
Weather related
Develops over ocean/Sea waters – Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico.
Changes in habitats – salt water invades freshwater killing off plant life, and drowning animals. Erosion destroys habitats.
Changes in landforms: large storm surge waves erode beach land.
Other impacts: flooding and land debris washes out to sea, wind speed uproots trees and strips leaves from plants, tear down buildings. Human deaths due to drowning

8. Tornado Cause and Effect
How tornadoes form:
Thunderstorms produces by cold front movement – funnel from cumulonimbus clouds reach the surface of the ground
Main features:
Violently rotating columns of air – 250 mph or more, funnel shape – 1 mile to 50 miles long
Large hail, strong winds
Waterspout – tornado over water
Weather related Changes in habitats – uproots trees, remove top soil down to bare rock, Changes in landforms – removes top layer of dirt Other impacts – kills humans and animals, destroys buildings and vehicles and hail damage

9. Drought
a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically :one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth

10. Drought Cause and Effect
How Droughts Form:
Dry Weather lasting 2-3 years
Main features:
Lack of moisture for an extended period of time
Water shortages
Weather related Changes in habitats – plant life dies, increase forest fires, shortage of water, heat waves and stress to ecosystems Other impacts -- crop failure, livestock death, energy shortage, water shortage, dry soils, high evaporation

11. Earthquake
A sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust

12. Earthquake Cause and Effect
How earthquakes form:
Shifts in Earth’s crust – tectonic plate movement or volcanic activity. Plates break and snap into new positions
Main features:
Large cracks open in the ground, bodies of water disappear, land can rise or fall, landslides, avalanches, fires, or tsunamis
Geologic in nature Changes in habitats – lost of habitats Changes in landforms – liquefying of ground causing landslides, avalanches, fires, or tsunamis. Other impacts – Humans – property damage and loss of life

13. Tsunami A tsunami is a large ocean wave usually caused by
an underwater earthquake or a volcanic explosion.

14. Tsunami Cause and Effect
How Tsunamis Form:
Ocean waves produced by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impact or underwater landslides.
Main Features:
Series of large waves traveling mph in open ocean
On shore speed slows but height of wave increases with lots of debris
Geological in nature Changes in habitats – extreme environmental destruction of habitats Other impacts – human tragedy by drowning, flooding, water contamination, lost of housing and fires due to broken gas lines

15. Volcano
A volcano is a landform (usually a mountain) where
molten rock erupts through the surface of the planet. 

16. Volcano Cause and Effect
How Volcanoes Form:
Opening in Earth’s crust where molten rock escapes out due to pressure from gases within the magma
Main Features:
Hazards – landslides, mudflows, lava flow, earthquakes, fire, explosions, flash flood, and tsunamis
Eruptions sends volcanic ash into the air that can spread thousands of miles
Geologic in nature Changes in habitats – can destroy plants, cover soil, contaminate water supply and decrease air quality Changes in landforms – lava flow covers over plants and soil creating new land (rock). Landslides and mudflows will change the land Other impacts – produce more greenhouse gases, destroy animals and insects, collapsed roofs, disrupt machinery, and cause plane engine failure while flying Benefit – soil not covered by lava gains nutrients from the ash allowing plant life to return. New land is formed

17. Wildfire any large fire that spreads rapidly
 and is hard to extinguish.

18. Wildfires Cause and Effect
How Wildfires forms:
Lightning or human activities – campfires, cigarettes, arson
Main Features:
Burns through millions of acres of forest
Produces strong winds
Severity depends on moisture, ground cover, wind, temperature, type of land,
Geologic in nature and/or caused by humans Changes to habitats and populations – destroys animal habitats, burns out plant life Changes in landforms – clears land of vegetation Other impacts – affects air and water quality. Benefit – increases nutrients of soil and can bring new animal life over time