C - East Angila CASE STUDY Flashcards
What does East Anglia show?
The effects of sea level rise
What is the main cause of the sea level rise?
Thermal expansion of seawater - absorbs heat from the atmosphere
What else can cause sea level rise?
The melting of glaciers/ice will increase the amount of water in the oceans but not significantly
What has happened in the past 15 years?
Sea levels have risen on average by 3mm a year (but it does vary from place to place)
What do the IPCC predict?
A rise in global sea levels of between 28 and 43cm by the end of the century (dependent on levels of global warming)
What area is most under threat in the UK? And why?
South East and East of the country, where the land is flat and at very low altitudes (where most people live)
What will be at greater risk from flooding in settlements such as Kings Lynn?
Valuable agricultural land
Why would the economy be destroyed in the Norfolk Broads?
It is a popular tourist destination bringing in £5 million to the local area, so would be flooded out by sea level rises
Why will Happisburgh need to strengthen its current sea defences?
As sea levels rise, erosion rates are likely to increase threatening this costal settlement (it will be expensive to improve them)
What happened in 1953 in East Anglia?
It suffered a terribly from a storm surge, which killed 300 people - some are worried that it will happen again
What are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise in Essex?
Low lying mudflats and marshes - areas of salt marsh are being squeezed between sea walls and rising seas. An estimate of 22% of salt marshes will be lost by 2050
What is being done to help stop the mudflats being destroyed?
Management retreat - will breech sea walls to allow deliberate flooding so that the salt marshes can reform
Why is it bad that the lower area of the Thames estuary is at risk of flooding?
- It will affect housing industry and farmland
- The Thames Barrier protects buildings worth £8bn and will needs replacing over the next 30-40 years
