Case studies

Question 1

Reasons for erosion at Happisburgh

Answer 1

10m cliffs
Soft sands and clay
Ploughing
Groynes in Bacton

Question 2

Whats at stake in Happisburgh

Answer 2

Old lighthouse and church
Norfolk broads
Businesses - caravan park
Community

Question 3

Whats been done in Happisburgh

Answer 3

Failed defences in 1950s left as they are
£3m to 13 residents for home loss
‘Do nothing’

Question 4

East UK flooding 2013

Answer 4

-£1bn damage and multiple houses lost to sea
-A 1953 similar storm had 20,000 deaths
-Improvement in monitoring, forecasting and warning
-Thames barrier

Question 5

Isostatic change examples

Answer 5

-Glacial rebound in Scotland (1.5mm per year) and resulting submerging South England(rias)
-Ganges Delta, Bangladesh submergence due to accretion of sediment, settlements and sea level rise(rias)

Question 6

Sea level rise and responses in Maldives

Answer 6

-Increasing temp. and rainfall, 3mm rise per year, 85% islands coastal recession
-Japanese-built rock armour in Male
-ICZM to decide which islands protected
-Mangroves and limited coral mining

Question 7

Conflict in Maldives

Answer 7

-Some islands abandoned
-Coral miners lose income and might mine illegally

Question 8

Cyclone Sidr 2007 impacts

Answer 8

Economic - $115m road damage and $11bn housing damage
Social - Crop loss(income & food), 3400 dead, 55000 injured

Question 9

Cyclone Sidr 2007 details

Answer 9

-Gales of 223km/h, storm surges 6m high

Severity - Population density, lack of defence (LIC), low lying

Question 10

Mount Nyiragongo

Answer 10

1977 Basaltic lava (very effusive) up to 60km/h, killing 50 and overwhelming villages

Question 11

Montserrat

Answer 11

1995 Pyro flow from collapsed lava dome, blanketing a nearby town. Typically 80km/h and can cover 10s-100s of km

Question 12

Pinatubo

Answer 12

1991 Ash column 19km high, gas release

Question 13

Eyjafjallaj

Answer 13

2010 Jokulhlaup and ash causing 20 countries to close their airspace

Question 14

Armero tragedy

Answer 14

1985 Lahar killed 22,000

Question 15

Mount St Helens

Answer 15

1980 Landslide covering 62km^2 and 600ft wave in Spirit Lake

Question 16

2015 Nepal EQ

Answer 16

-9000 killed
-$10bn damages
-180 buildings reduced to rubble in Kathmandu
-Landslides closed roads

Question 17

2011 Japan EQ

Answer 17

-9.0 EQ and tsunami
-15000 deaths
-Fukushima damaged, 20km zone evacuated
-46000 buildings destroyed

Question 18

Energy mix of USA vs France (2015)

Answer 18

USA:
-84% fossil fuels
-9% nuclear
France:
-41% nuclear
-50% fossil fuels

Question 19

Canadian tar sands in Alberta (physical)

Answer 19

-3x more polluting than conventional oil
-Daily emissions equal to 1.3m cars
-Asthma and cancer in Fort Chipewyan

Question 20

Russia/Europe gas crisis

Answer 20

-Russia stopped exports to many EU nations
-UK cost of living crisis
-Example of vulnerable pathway and energy insecurity

Question 21

Deep sea oil off coast of Rio, Brazil

Answer 21

-Up to 8bn barrels
-Unconventional
-Members of fishing union killed in protest
-Potential for oil spill

Question 22

Ethanol production Brazil

Answer 22

-$50bn per year
-16% of energy mix
-No deforestation
-10m cars that run on ethanol
-Less land for farming