geo case studies (physical) Flashcards
Nepal earthquake (LIC) background + primary effects
-April 2015, 7.8 magnitude
-tourism is 8.9% of Nepals GDP
-9000 deaths
-500,000 homes destroyed
-26 hospitals destroyed
-50% schools destroyed
Nepal earthquake (LIC) secondary effects
-avalanche on Mt Everest killed 19 people
-loss of income from tourism
Nepal earthquake (LIC) immediate responses
-UK’s disaster emergency committee raised $126 million for aid
-Red Cross= tents for 225,000 people
Nepal earthquake (LIC) long term responses
-23 areas in need of rebuilding
-$274 million allocated to Nepal 8 months later
Japan earthquake (HIC) background + primary effects
-dec 2012
-7.3 magnitude
-2 deaths
-14 injured
-pipes damaged
-boards in roof of schools shifted
Japan earthquake (HIC) secondary effects
- 1 metre high tsunami
- caused one person to sail out to sea to evacuate and died
Japan earthquake (HIC) immediate responses
-plumber called to fix pipes
-carpenter fixed boards
-search party
Japan earthquake (HIC) long term responses
-prepare people, industries, emergency services
-earthquake resistant buildings
Typhoon Haiyan background + primary effects
-Nov 2013
-category 5 storm
-6340 killed
-5m storm surge
-314 km/hr wind speeds
-habitats & crops destroyed
typhoon haiyan secondary effects
-$14 billion damage
-water supply polluted
-130,000 houses destroyed = 4.2 mil homeless
-33mill coconut trees destroyed
-flood caused oil spill= affects mangroves
typhoon haiyan immediate response
-1069 emergency shelters set up
-disaster emergency committee helped 3 million people by providing aid
-uk aid charities provided shelters, food and medical aid
typhoon haiyan long-term response
-UN appeal raised $300 million
-typhoon warning systems improved
-education
typhoon haiyan predictions
-monitoring wind patterns allows path to be predicted- use satellites- so evacuation happens
typhoon haiyan planning and protection
-avoid building in high risk areas
-emergency drills
-evacuation routes
-reinforced buildings + stilts
-flood defences= mangroves, sea walls, levees.
beast from the east & storm emma (background)
-it was a larger area of freezing air moving towards Britain from the east
-feb-march 2018
-8200 collisions
-10 deaths= freezing temps- costs £1 billion per day
beast from the east & storm emma benefits
-social=winter sports + activities → e.g. snowboarding
-economic=demand for winter products → e.g. clothes,demands
-environment= improvised air quality reduces water usage
beast from the east & storm emma negatives
-social=disrupt daily routine + social isolation
-economic= increased energy + transportation disruption
-environment= air pollution from heating
summer heatwave & drought background
-june-aug 2018
-lack of rainfall=risk of fires → 50 homes evacuated
-highest temp= 35.5°C → 700 more people died
summer heatwave & drought benefits
-social=increased outdoor activities + sunlight exposure
-economic=demand for products + tourism
-environment= renewable energy for solar panel + reduced energy demand
summer heatwave & drought negatives
-social=discomfort
-economic=roads melted → £3.6 million + decreased agriculture
-environment= water scarcity
the river tees background and info
-located in the north of england
-flows 137km from the pennines to the north sea at red car
-tees are narrow and carry sediments
-bed load= big, angular rocks which become smoother and smaller
-tees have a high level of erosive energy (HA+A)
geomorphic process of river tees (upper course)
-V-shaped valley, rapids and waterfalls
-highforce waterfalls drop 21m and is made from Whinstone (igneous) and softer limestones rocks
-Gradually a gorge is formed
geomorphic process of river tees (middle course)
-meanders and ox-bow lakes
-meander near Yarm encloses town
geomorphic process of river tees (lower course)
-greater lateral erosion creates floodplains and levees
-mudflats at the rivers estuary
boscastle floods background
-small village, south west coast to the north of cornwall
-population= 700
-90% of income is from tourism
-river valency and jordan join
-responding schemes cost £4.6 million
human causes of boscastle flood
-impermeable surfaces= prevent infiltration - shortens lag time
-narrow bridges blocked off by debris - dam effect
physical causes of boscastle floods
-heavy rainfall (Aug 16th= 185mm)
-soil saturated
-steep sided valley
social effects of boscastle floods
-50 homes destroyed
-150 vehicles swept away
-jobs lost
economic effects of boscastle floods
-£85 million damage = sewage main burst
-25 businesses closed
-tourism increased
soft engineering techniques responding to the boscastle floods
-widen river channels
-raising car parks
-encourage land owners to carry out vegetation
hard engineering techniques responding to the boscastle floods
-artificially narrowing the river
-lower river bed by 0.75m
-new flood defence walls
Hunstanton background
- north west coast of norfolk
-1953= storm surge - 307 deaths
- 24000 homes destroyed
geomorphic processes of hunstanton
-beach widens between hunstanton and heacham
-deposition at heacham= sand dunes
-shingles includes white chalk from from hunstanton cliffs
-LSD travels from hunstanton to heacham
soft engineering at hunstanton
-sand dunes
-marram grass - adaptations= woody tissue (tough & strong), stems (grow quickly & elongate)
-beach nourishment ($15 million)
hard engineering at hunstanton
-groynes= dont work (spaces in between gaps), sediments above groyne (works)
-sea walls
landform at hunstanton
-wave cut platform= HA + A
1) sediments
2) red chalk
3) car stone= iron oxide rusts
amazon rainforest background
-in south america from the atlantic oceans to andes mountains and covers 60% of brazil
-it has declined by 3.3 million sq km
-hot (20-28*C all year)
-convectional rainfall (2000m per year)
-tall, evergreen trees=vegetation dense - very little light reaches floor
what is the nutrient cycle
1) trees shed leaves all year
2) decaying vegetation decomposes rapidly
3) nutrients enter soil
4) shallow roots take up nutrients
5) trees grow rapidly
what is the water cycle
1) heavy daily convectional rainfall
2) trees intercept rain
3) some rain reaches the ground
4) trees take up water
5) water evaporates
what are plants and animals adaptations in the amazon
-buttress roots= tall trees have this to support their trunks
-drip-tips= plants have thick, waxy leaves with pointed tip which avoid damage to the plant and repel rain
-parrots= strong sharp beaks to open nuts
-poison dart frogs= bright colours to warn predators away
why deforestation happens in the amazon
-commercial farming (80%) e.g. cattle ranching
-subsistence farming= farming on a small scale for foods for tribes (slash & burn)
-logging e.g. mahogany for furniture
-hydroelectric power e.g. Balbina dam - 920 sq miles removed
effects of deforestation (challenges)
-2030= 50% of all the species will be gone
-loss of carbon sinks + emissions of CO2
-medicines extracted from plants e.g. rosy periwinkle (leukemia) - 2/3 cancer treatments
-decline of indigenous tribes e.g. Amerindians = 6million now 1million
how is the amazon protected
-debt reduction= HICs write off debts but money must be used to invest in amazon
-CITES (1978) (convention on international trade in endangered species) = inter-governmental agreements on trade & plants - protects 37000 species
leicester background
-city in the east midlands of england
-population 330,000
-two major universities = 40000 students
-premiership football and rugby teams
city opportunities in leicester
-social attractions e.g. shopping in city centre, diwali celebrations
-knitwear & hosiery =service sector is the largest employer (retail) & financial sectors
-20% greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020
-cyclepaths & bus routes
city challenges in leicester
-house prices increased with greater house shortages = development of brownfield and greenfield sites
-high unemployment & inequality in housing in St Matthews
-increased decline of greenfield sites in oadby/birstall
what is the highcross regeneration
-opened in 2008
-counteract decline in city centre shopping caused by fosse park
-£350million = include shopping, restaurants, cinema, parking
positives of highcross
-3000 low skilled jobs created for St Matthews
-others stores like Tk Max, primark or zara benefit
-improved reputation
negative impacts of highcross
-Granby streets full of independent shops closed e.g. Fenwicks dpt store
-increased traffic by car parks
-highcross suffered a £63million loss in 2021
city opportunities in mexico city
-standard of living improves
-very low unemployment rates - 50% in manufacturing industry
-investment in sewage works to removed waste
city challenges in mexico city
-house shortages slums developed e.g. Neza-chalco-itza
-50% work in informal sector
-12000 tonnes of waste
-water shortages
-more than 4 million cars leads to poor air quality (like smoking 60cigs per day)
urban planning to improve QOL for urban poor in mexico city
-casa y cuidad = redevelop housing & provide residents with construction advice & train to help provide with long term jobs e.g. Azcapotzalco 75 homes rebuilt
-Isla Urbana rainwater harvesting, health centres & schools - 250million litres of water
