geophrahy Flashcards
What is Latitude
Places in the south east are usually warmer because they’re closer to the equator. this is due to intense heating from the sun because sun rays are more concentrated. places in the north are colder because they’re closer to the north pole. this is due to lack of isolation from the sun as the sun rays are less concentrated.
What is Aspect
Places which are south facing are warmer because they get more sun and places which are north facing are colder because they experience cold northerly winds.
What is Relief
Places located on flat low-lying land are warmer because temperatures increase as altitude decreases and places higher up like mountainous regions are colder because temperature decreases by 1°C for every one-hundred metre in height.
What is distance from the sea
Western coastal areas are warmer because of a warm ocean current and due to the prevailing South-Westerly winds that are warmed as they pass across this warm ocean current. In summer, places closer to the sea are cooler and in winter they are warmer because the sea heats up slowly in summer and cools slowly in winter.
Air mass characteristics
Artic- Freezing
Polar- Cold
Tropical- Hot
Maritime- Wet
Continental- Dry
Where are the air masses
Artic maritime- top
Polar maritime- top left
Tropical maritime- bottom left
Polar continental- top right
Tropical continental- bottom right
High pressure system in summer- benefits and problems
Benefits - improves people’s mood, people can participate in outdoor activities, increase in shops profits (ice cream, sunscreen), gas bills reduced since no heating is needed
Problems - reduces the yield of farmers crops, people suffer from sunburn and dehydration, more people in hospital from heatstroke, forest fires can break out
Depression
A warm front is due to pass over which means, ___’s air pressure will fall, and it will experience increased cloud cover with nimbostratus clouds and steady rain will fall. Winds will be stronger as the isobars are closer together. After this, ___ will be in the warm sector of a depression, where temperatures will rise, and it will be mild with some cloud cover and occasional showers. Next, the cold front arrives, bringing increased cloud cover with cumulonimbus clouds bringing heavy rainfall to ____. Temperatures will drop as the cold front passes over. As the front begins to move away, and ____ moves back into the cold sector, the sky will become clear rain will stop air pressure will begin to rise.
CBD characteristics
Places of worship, roads and motorways merge here, main train/bus stations, tourist info offices, museums
Changes to CBD (shopping) - Pedestrianised areas
Eg Buchanan street.
-makes it safer for pedestrians to shop since less chance of car crashes
-encourages more people to shop which means more profit
Changes to CBD (shopping) - Undercover shopping centres
Eg. St Enoch
-protects customers from bad weather encouraging them to shop there
-attracts people into the city centre to increase revenue
Changes to CBD (shopping) - Shop closures
For example, Borders bookshop shut down due to increased competition from internet shopping, out-of-town shopping centres, retail parks and 24-hour supermarkets.
Changes to CBD (shopping)- More greenery
More trees and open spaces have been designed because planting trees in CBD areas will soak up CO2 from high levels of traffic.
Changes to CBD (transport) - ring roads
The ring round around the city centre e.g. The M8 in Glasgow allows traffic to avoid the busiest part of the city.
Changes to CBD (transport) - improved public transport
This means that fewer people take their cars into the city centre, so there is less congestion.
Changes to CBD (transport) - park and ride schemes
Park and ride stations allow drivers to park outside the station and travel to the centre by train. This has a positive impact as there are fewer cars in the city centre which means less congestion and
pollution.
Changes to CBD (transport) - one way streets
One-way streets e.g., Bath Street in Glasgow allow traffic to flow freely and move faster.
Changes to CBD (transport) - Multi-storey car parks, Parking charges, double yellow lines and traffic wardens
All help to reduce on street parking. This means that fewer cars illegally park on the street and block them.
Inner city characteristics
Large factories, warehouses, shipyards, ironworks, steelworks, tenement buildings near factories, old industrial buildings abandoned, grid iron street pattern, near river or canal
Inner city changes- sandblasting tenements
in order to remove the effects of the smog from the factories. This
meant that the environmental quality of the inner city was much higher, and tenements looked much
nicer.
Inner city changes- regenerating tenements
Some tenements were knocked down because they were so poorly degraded. The remaining tenements were knocked together because this would make single room tenements into large apartments which could properly house a family. They were upgraded with central heating, double glazing and indoor toilets.
Inner city changes- building tower blocks
because huge numbers of people could be housed here, without taking up much
land. This meant that displaced people from the old towers could be given new homes.
Inner city changes- new services
This is because new buildings like the SECC Centre and the Hydro will bring
tourists into this part of Glasgow. This means that there will be an influx of cash in these inner-city areas from tourism. Glasgow Fort was built in Easterhouse because it would bring jobs to an area of mass unemployment,
helping the area to thrive. This has improved the quality of life.
Inner city changes- improved transport
Partick Station has been rebuilt for train station, subway station and bus stops. This means that the inner city is more accessible, and people can easily change the type of public transport they use to get around.
Dharavi Solutions
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is aiming to improve the conditions in the shanty town by constructing new homes which are constructed with more safe and secure materials. These apartments will have toilets, mains sewerage and electricity to meet people’s basic needs. Clean running water will help to reduce the spread of disease in the area, meaning less instances of cholera, and this will lower the death rate. Self-help schemes allow the residents to design where they live and carry out the work themselves, saving the government money. The residents will be able to use their own skills to make improvements and upgrades to their homes, boosting community spirit. By designing the area, themselves this means that small industries can still be carried out here
allowing people to continue to trade and sell their goods. Ownership of the land has also been given to the people so they are no longer considered squatters and can access things like healthcare
and education.
Advantages of Machinery
The use of modern farm equipment e.g. tractors has increased crop yield as work
is done faster and more efficiently. This means less physical work for the
farm workers and more profit for the
farmer. Fewer workers are needed which means the farmer has less money to pay out in wages. Artificial irrigation systems such as sprinklers help to keep crops watered. This is important as the Fens can experience seasonal drought.
Disadvantages of machinery
The use of machinery has resulted in smaller farms joining together meaning fewer farms in the countryside.
Machines are expensive to buy and costly to repair. Tractors are loud and cause noise pollution in the countryside.
The also increase air pollution as they run on fossil fuels. Fewer jobs available in rural areas and people may move away to find work. Animal habitats are destroyed as hedgerows and trees are removed to increase field sizes.
Advantages of diversification
Diversification is when farmers do non-farming activities as it helps to boost their income. Visiting a farm means people experience rural landscape and outdoor activities so it brings tourism to the area. The farmer makes an income from accommodation, farm shops, farm attractions, tours, agricultural exhibits, wildlife tours, petting zoos, and country sports which means they still have money in times of poor harvest.
Disadvantages of diversification
High levels of tourism can degrade the peaceful, natural environment of the
countryside. Tourists leave their cars
illegally parked on grass verges which causes traffic congestion on rural roads.
Advantages of GM crops
GM Crops can increase crop yields and improve resistance to disease. More tolerant crop varieties could be grown in areas where they couldn’t be previously grown. GM crops reduce the need for pesticides which helps insects and bees.
Disadvantages of GM crops
Many people disagree with GM crops
arguing that it may have a negative impact on the natural environment. GM crop seeds are considerably more
expensive than normal seeds which is not cost effective for struggling farmers.
