Geography Grade 12: Typical Line Thunderstorm Conditions in South Africa Questions and Answers.
Questions for Geography Grade 12: Typical Line Thunderstorm Conditions in South Africa:
What are line thunderstorms?
Answers:
Thunderstorms arranged in a line from the NW to the SE over the interior of the country during summer.
How do line thunderstorms differ from general thunderstorms experienced over South Africa?
Answers:
- Covers a greater vertical/widespread area
- They have a longer duration
- Are more destructive
State evidence from the sketch to show that line thunderstorms are prevalent over the central part of South Africa.
Answers:
- Low pressure over the land
- Band of thunderstorms stretching from NW to the SE of the country
- Thunderstorms are experienced on the eastern part of the heat low/moisture front
What role did the South Atlantic high-pressure cell play in the development of a moisture front in the middle of the sketch?
Answers:
- Diverges cold, dry south westerly winds to meet warm moist air in the central part of the country
Explain the significance of the north east winds in the formation of line thunderstorms.
Answers:
- It carries warm moist air towards the heat low
- The north easterly winds are undercut by the cold, dry air and rises along the moisture front
Why would line thunderstorms have a negative environmental impact in the eastern half of the country?
Answers:
- Valuable nutrients in the soil are washed away
- Soil nutrients leach lower down the soil profile making soil less fertile
- Ecosystems/foodchains are destroyed
- Decrease in biodiversity
- Aesthetic beauty diminished
- Vegetation flooded
- Wildlife drown