Case studies Physical Geography Flashcards
What is the type of soft rock that is being eroded in the Holderness coast?
Boulder clay
Why is there high rates of erosion in the Holderness coast?
Strong prevailing winds from the north east / soft rock=> boulder clay
What is the hard rock that is found in the Holderness coastline?
Chalk
What are the main features of the Holderness coast?
Chalk headland, retreating clay cliffs of the Holderness bay, 6km spit at Spurn point
What are the main settlements along the Holderness coast?
Flamborough head, Spurn head, Withernsea , Hornsea, Skip sea, Bridlington
What have the council done in terms of intervention?
Flamborough head-No intervention/ chalk is protection
Bridlington- Hold the line / tourist town
Flamborough head to Gibraltar point- no intervention( no economic value)
Hornsea - Hold the line
Mapleton-Hold the line
Withersea- Hold the line
What are the main natural hazards that occur in Bangladesh?
Cyclones , flooding , tidal surges, salinity
What percentages of Bangladesh’s population is live on the coast?
1/3( 50 million)
What is the name of the forest in Bangladesh that is most affected?
Sundarbans
What are the characteristics of the Eastern region in Bangladesh?
The river is a pacific type (concordant coastline) and runs parallel to the young folded ranges
Characteristics of a western region in Bangladesh?
Large amounts mangroves/ store large amounts of carbon
Why does Bangladesh need to be managed?
communities affected, mangroves and ecology, increasing population, economic affects
What are the negative impacts of shrimp farming?
Mangrove removal, ecological degradation, less shrimps , increased carbon emissions
How are hurricanes formed?
warm ocean air rises into the storm, forming an area of low pressure underneath. This causes more air to rush in. The air then rises and cools, forming clouds and thunderstorms. Up in the clouds, water condenses and forms droplets, releasing even more heat to power the storm.
How are cyclones formed?
Low pressure occurs either side of the equator and together with the air heated over the warm tropical ocean, results in thundery showers
What is ICZM?
Integrated coastal zone management/ Aiming to balance economic, social, and environmental interests
What are the different hard engineering methods?
Groynes, Sea walls , Rock armour , Riprap, Gabions
How do Groynes work?
They are created to trap the sediment
How Sea Walls work?
Sea wall are designed to reflect wave energy and prevent erosion
How does rock armour work?
Placed at the base of cliffs or sea walls to absorb and dissipate incoming wave energy
What are the different soft-engineering methods?
Managed retreat , Strategic management, hold the line , no active retreat , managed realignment, beach nourishment
What are the problems with ICZM?
High costs for hard engineering, Unintended consequences as with distribution of sediment , not sustainable in the long-term
Why can some hard-engineering solutions affect soil distribution?
can alter wave patterns, changing how sediment moves along coastlines, due to wave reflecting wave energy
What are the different methods of managing coastal flooding and erosion in Bangladesh?
Coastal embankments, mangrove reforestation, cyclone shelters
What are the different ways used to mitigage against flood risk in the river-Evenlode?
Re-meandering, corner bunds, linking series of ponds, planting trees in floodable areas, leaky dams , reconnecting the river flood-plain
What is re-meandering?
Making the river longer , slowing discharge. Increasing infiltration, soil has more time to absorb water
What do corner bunds do?
Enable flooding to happen more likley.The corner bund catches water that flows from surface runoff, which reduces soil saturation. This decrease of risk of flooding.Corner bunds also increase the rate of infiltration and percolation, which reduces the base-water flow of the river.
What do leaky dams do?
Leaky dams slow down the rate of water flow as they obstruct the flow water.
How does reconnecting the river with the flood plain reduces flood risk?
Reconnecting the floodplain allows excess water to spread naturally across a larger area, reducing flood intensity and lowering flood risk downstream.
What type of rock is locate in the river Evenlode?
Oolitc limestone, sandstone, clay
What type of terrain does the Evenlode have
Undulating, having a shape like a wave or moving up and down like a wave, more susceptible to flooding
Why is the Evenlode prone to flooding?
Undulating terrain , river has been straightened, increased urbanisation
What has been done to mitigate against flooding in the river Evenlode?
River mangement systems( leaky dams etc..), 30,000 trees, 14 hectres of woodland,leaky dams, reconnecting the flood plane , corner bunds, ponds
What is the stage zero project , Evenlode?
The River Evenlode Stage Project is a conservation effort aimed at restoring the river’s natural flow ( wetted perimeter)and habitats to improve biodiversity and water quality.
What challenges face the Holderness coastline in regards to climate change?
- Rising sea levels (26 cm), increased storm frequency (prevailing wind)(=> increased erosion rates (8mm per year)=> Mass movement
What plate margin is Haiti located on?
Destructive plate-margin
How many people died in the 2010 Earthquake Haiti?
230,000
What secondary effects were caused after the 2010 Earthquake?
Cholera, power cuts, dysentery, displacement
Why were the effects of the earth-quake in 2010 on Haiti impactful?
Haiti lacked infrastructure, £20 million donated by UK government . US sent 10,000 troops, 235,000 relocated, reliance on aid
What was the magnitude of the earthquake in Japan?
9.1
What were the major wildfires in California in 2025?
The Eaton and Palisades fires, which burned over 57,000 acres and destroyed 18,000+ structures.
What challenges did California face with wildfire mitigation?
Environmental regulations slowed prevention efforts, deforestation, and problems with water storage /drought
What major budget issue impacted California’s wildfire management in 2025?
A $17.6 million budget cut to the LA Fire Department weakened emergency response capabilities.
How many hectares were destroyed during the 2019 wildfires in the Amazon?
900,000
What category was Hurricane Haiyan?
5
What were the primary effects of Hurricane Haiyan?
1.1 million houses damaged,6190 people died,29,000 people were injured, 14.1 million people affected , overall cost $12 billion, 1.1 million crops destroyed
What were the social secondary effects of Hurricane Haiyan?
Infection and diseases spread.
Education was disrupted as many schools were destroyed.
Seawater, chemicals and sewerage contaminated surface and groundwater.
What were the economic secondary effects of Hurricane Haiyan?
An oil tanker ran aground, causing an 800,000-litre oil leak that contaminated fishing waters.
The airport was badly damaged and roads were blocked by debris and trees.
Looting was rife, due to the lack of food and supplies.
Rice prices had risen by nearly 12% by 2014.
What were the environmental secondary effects of Hurricane Haiyan?
The leak from the oil barge led to ten hectares of mangroves being contaminated.
Flooding caused landslides.
What was the immediate response from the government about hurricane Haiyan?
Televised warning about evacuation. 1,200 evacuation homes were set up, to help the homeless. One million food packs and 250,000 litres of water were distributed within two weeks .Over $1.5 billion of foreign aid was pledged.
What was the long-term of hurricane Haiyan?
Oxfam replaced fishing boats, A cash for work programme paid people to clear debris and rebuild Tacloban. Build Back Better is the government’s response to the typhoon. Launched in 2014, it intended to upgrade damaged buildings to protect them from future disasters. They have also set up a no-build zone along the coast in Eastern Visayas, a new storm surge warning system has been developed, and mangroves replanted to absorb future storm surges.
How much carbon do the trees in the Amazon store?
The trees in the rainforest store a fifth of all the carbon in the Earth’s biomass
How many billion tons of carbon does the Amazon hold?
90-140 billion
What are causes of deforestation in the Amazon?
Logging trees, infrastructure projects (trans-Amazonian highway), mining for metals , commercial farming, hydroelectricity
What percentage of Amazon deforestation is thought to be a result of commercial farming?
70%
What are the impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon?
Loss of vegetation. Rapid evaporation. Forms cumulus clouds which don’t lead to rainfall
Which NGOs and IGOs provide support in the Amazon?
WWF, COP (29),
What category was hurricane Katrina?
5
What was the response to Hurricane Katrina?
The government provided $50 billion in aid. During the early stages of the recovery process, the UK government sent food aid.
What was not done well in responding to Hurricane Katrina?
The US Government was heavily criticised for its handling of the disaster. Despite many people being evacuated, it was a very slow process. The poorest and most vulnerable were left behind.
What were the primary effects of Hurricane Katrina?
80% of New Orleans .1,200 drowned in floods. 1 million people were made homeless. Oil facilities were damaged. Over 7 million gallons of oil were leaked. Beach erosion and tree loss.
What were the secondary effects of Hurricane Katrina?
Evacuation challenges, damage to property , looting and crime. Environmental damage
