Weather Week 2

catastrophic events

a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth; a violent usually destructive natural event

ecosystem

includes all of the living things in a given area, interacting with each other and also with the non-living (abiotic) features in the environment (weather, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere)

flood

an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal area, especially over what is normally dry land

hurricane

a storm with a violent winds of 74 mph or higher, that rotate in a circle, hurricanes form over oceans with water 80F or higher

tornado

a destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and comes before a large storm system

wildfire

a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush

tsunami

a long high sea wave caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide, or other disturbance

earthquake

a sudden and violet shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action

meteor

a piece of rock or metal that burns and glows brightly in the sky as it falls from outer space into the Earth's atmosphere

blizzard

a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility

drought

a long period of abnormally low rainfall, a shortage of water results from this

volcano

a mountain or a hill, it may look like a cone, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth's crust.