Wildfires
What is a wildfire and how does it happen?
A wildfire or forest fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled, and unpredictable fire. It typically happens due to a combination of dry vegetation or hot conditions
What is a drought and how does it happen?
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions. They can last for days, months or years. Droughts often have large impacts on the ecosystems and agriculture. Warmer temperatures enhance evaporation which reduces surface water and dries out soils and vegetation.
What are hurricanes and how do they happen?
Hurricanes form over the ocean, they begin as a tropical waves that combine with warm ocean waters and enhance showers and thunderstorm activities and migrate over to land.
What are floods and how do they happen?
An overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Can occur from heavy rain, storms, ocean waters rising, river blockage, etc.
What is a tornado and how does it happen?
Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that comes in contact with the ground. They are produced from thunderstorms when there are wind shears and an unstable atmosphere.
75%
Does climate change increase or decrease the possibility of droughts?
Increase.
What factor of climate change effects hurricanes?
Ocean temperature rising.
What are the three types of flooding?
River flooding, coastal flooding, and flash floods.
What type of thunderstorms produce tornadoes?
Supercell thunderstorms
What are three factors that typically work together to cause a wildfire?
Dry vegetation, hot conditions, and an ignition source.
From months to years.
What are the different categories of hurricanes?
1-5, 1 being the least extreme and 5 being the worst.
How does climate change effects flooding?
With more extreme moisture in the air from rising temperatures, there will be more precipitation, causing flooding, as well as rising ocean waters, and more severe storms.
What are two factors that contribute to tornadoes formation?
Atmospheric instability and wind shears.
Wildfires are ____, _____, and _____ .
Three 'U' words. (From the presentation)
Unplanned, uncontrolled, and unpredictable.
What region of the US is more likely to experience droughts?
The Southwest
What other extreme weather event can be caused by hurricanes?
Floods
Rising ____ are a huge factor in flooding
Sea levels
What percent of thunderstorms produce tornadoes?
Less than 10%
In 2023 there was a wildfire in the US that killed over 102 people, where was it? (This was mentioned in the presentation)
Maui
Droughts can increase the likeliness of what other kind of extreme heat event?
Wildfires
What category was hurricane Milton when it hit land?
Cat 4
What resource is most threatened when droughts occur?
Water supply
Scientists have not found a certain answer, but it is possible that the climate change will make the severity of tornadoes worse, but not necessarily the frequency.