mocks - physical paper !! Flashcards
what happened in december 2010 in the uk?
coldest temp. for over 100 years
severe snow and ice
led to some deaths!
what happened just four months after december in april 2011 in the uk?
warmest april on record!
what was the wettest year in the uk?
2013
what shows that rain is becoming more of an issue in the uk? or whatever
more rainfall records broken in 2010-2014 than in any decade!
what was the wettest month in the uk?
december 2015
examples of major flooding in the uk?
cumbria: 2005, 2009, 2015-2016
west wales: 2012
social impacts of december 2010 weather?
several ppl died from hypothermia or accidents on icy roads
majority of schools closed - 7000 parents had to stay home + couldn’t work !! (led to economic problems)
water pipes frozen + burst - 40 000 homes + businesses without water across northern ireland!
economic impacts of december 2010 weather?
transport networks disrupted - drivers trapped in cars for 15 hours - M8 closed for two days, flights + trains cancelled
ppl unable to get to work !! affected UK’s economy - GDP decreased by 0.5%
overall economic impact of £1.6 billion
environmental impacts of december 2010 weather?
more than 50cm in hilly areas!!
crops were damaged
use of electricity and gas doubled - increased CO2 emissions!
where do tropical storms develop/occur?
between 50 and 30 degrees north and south of the equator
when do tropical storms develop?
when sea temp. is 27 degrees or higher
when the difference in wind-speeds is slow
how do tropical storms increase in strength?
from warm water
what happens to tropical storms when they are over land?
lose strength as they do not have the energy from warm water
how do tropical storms develop?
- warm, moist air rises + condenses
- this releases lots of energy allowing the storm to become powerful
- the rising air creates areas of low pressure
- this increases surface winds
- earth’s rotations cause storm to spin by deflecting wind paths
what was the earthquake in nepal rated on the richter scale?
7.9
how many ppl died from the earthquake in nepal?
9,000 died
how many ppl were injured from the earthquake in nepal?
17,000 injured
how many ppl were left homeless from the earthquake in nepal?
1 million ppl left homeless
how many dollars did the earthquake in nepal cost?
5 billion
what factors were badly affected from the earthquake in nepal?
food, water, electricity
what occurred after the earthquake in nepal?
land slides
avalanche - 19 died
what responses took place after the earthquake in nepal?
tents for shelter for the homeless
aid from other countries
massive rebuilding prokect
what was the earthquake in chile rated on the richter scale?
8.8
how many were killed due to the earthquake in chile?
500
how many were injured due to the earthquake in chile?
12,000
how much did the earthquake in chile amount to in dollars?
30 billiom
what was badly affected due to the earthquake in chile?
airport + port damaged
transport affected - supplies?
power loss - communication?
landslides + tsunamis occurred after earthquake - roads damaged - supplies?
responses to the chile earthquake?
immediate repairs
gov. helped rebuilt homes + businesses
local + international aid services
national funding appeals
describe the process of nutrient cycling
decomposition of decaying or dead material by decomposers (in order to obtain energy) occurs
this releases nutrients from dead material back into the soil
plants take in nutrients
plants are eaten
plant/ consumer dies
nutrients return to soil
stratification of the rainforest!!
soil - poor, nutrients recycled quickly
shrub layer - plants that can tolerate low light
under canopy - smaller trees that compete for light
canopy - continuous layer of tall trees
emergent - top layer, strongest + tallest trees
talk about oil and gas as an opportunity for alaska pls and thx
more than 1/2 alaska’s income comes from this
trans-alaskan pipe-line
talk about mineral resources as an opportunity for alaska pls and thx
has many mineral resources e.g. gold, silver, iron etc
tintina gold belt - lots of gold
contributed 2.2 billion u.s dollars to economy in 2013
talk about fishing as an opportunity for alaska pls and thx
employs 79000 ppl
contributes more than 5 billion u.s dollars to economy
talk about tourism as an opportunity for alaska pls and thx
around 2 million tourists a year - money, employment opportunities etc.
talk about extreme temperatures as a challenge for alaska pls and thx
extremely cold - annual temp is -9 degrees
in winter - dark all the time
extreme weather e.g. heavy snow + strong winds
potential injuries - long distance health care
talk about inaccessibility as a challenge for alaska pls and thx
long way away from the rest of u.s
some areas are extremely remotes
small population - could lack employment opportunities
mountainous terrain - difficult - expensive
icy roads in winter, no roads in summer (ground gets too soft)
talk about building + infrastructure as a challenge for alaska pls and thx
has to suit the ground - difficult + expensive
construction only takes place in summer (warmer, longer, lighter)
has to be overcome, however, for the many opportunities e.g. trans-alaskan pipeline - built on stilts - prevents melting of permafrost
how does technology protect cold environments?
modern construction methods reduced environmental impact - building on piles + gravel beds prevents melting of permafrost
how do conservation groups protect cold environments?
pressure government
encourage sustainable management e.g. green peace
how do international agreements protect cold environments?
antarctic treaty:
- limited amount of visitors at one site (one hundred at one time)
- prohibits nuclear activity
- prevents cruise ships over 500 passengers stopping etc.
how does the role of the government protect cold environments?
government can make laws e.g. wilderness act - protects wilderness areas from development
can restrict mining + logging (mineral mining causes pollution, logging destroys habitats)
describe the features of a destructive wave
- high + steep
- carry out erosional processes
- high frequency
- backwash is stronger than swash
describe the features of a constructive wave
- deposit more than erode
- low + long
- low frequency
- powerful swash in comparison to weaker backwash (allows deposition)
how is material transported by long-shore drift?
- waves follow prevailing wind
- waves hit at oblique angle
- swash carries material up beach in same direction as waves
- backwash carries material down perpendicular to the beach
- overtime material zigzags down the coast
how are wave-cut platforms formed?
- caused by erosion at foot of cliff
- notch appears
- rock above notch becomes unstable + collapses
- collapsed material washed away
- new wave-cut notch forms
- process repeats
- repeated collapsing results in cliff retreating
- wave-cut platform left behind as cliff retreats
how are headlands and bays formed?
- alternating bands of resistant and less resistance rock
- less resistant rock erodes quicker (e.g. clay) - forms bays
- more resistant rock erodes slower (e.g. chalk) - forms headlands which stick out
how do headlands erode to form caves, arches, stacks and stumps?
- headlands made up of resistant rocks with cracks
- waves crash into headland + enlarge cracks (hydraulic action, abrasion)
- repeated enlargement creates caves
- caves eventually break creating arch
- arch collapses to form stacks (isolated rock)
- stacks erode - forms stumps
what does the long profile of a river show you?
how gradient changes over different courses
what does the cross profile of a river show you?
the cross-section of a river
describe the upper course in terms of gradient, valley + channel shape
- steep gradient
- v-shaped valley
- narrow
- shallow
describe the middle course in terms of gradient, valley + channel shape
- medium gradient
- wider
- deeper
- more gentle slope
describe the lower course in terms of gradient, valley + channel shape
- gentle gradient
- very wide
- very deep
describe what happens to the inside bend of a meander
- current is slower on inside bend becuz channel has more friction cuz its more shallow
- material deposited - forms slip-off slope
describe what happens to the outside bend of a meander
- current is faster on outside bend cuz channel has less friction cuz it is more deep
- erosion occurs - forms river cliff
what do meanders eventually form?
ox-bow lakes !!
describe traction
large boulders pushed along the bed by the force of water
describe saltation
pebble-sized particles bounced along by the force of water
describe suspension
small particles e.g. silt, clay carried by water
describe solution
soluble materials dissolved in water + carried along
what is the difference between hard engineering and soft engineering?
hard - man-made
soft - refers to schemes
talk dams and reservoirs xx (hard engineering)
dams - huge walls
reservoirs - artificial lakes
expensive to build !!
stores water - can be used as HEP or can be drunk
could flood existing settlements !!
farmlands become less fertile - material is deposited in reservoirs
talk flood relief channels xx (hard engineering)
channels that divert high levels of water
has gates + can be controlled
reduces flooding as river discharge is reduced
BUT could potentially get flooded too!
(increased discharge where it joins other channels)
talk embankments xx (hard engineering)
raised walls along river side
expensive
allows river to hold more water
extreme flooding risk if it breaks
talk channel straightening xx (hard engineering)
water moves out of area quicker
more erosion downstream - flooding could happen here as all the water is carried here
talk flood plain zoning xx (soft engineering)
prevents building in high flood risk areas
urbanisation limited
risk + impact of flooding reduced
some places already built on tho!!
talk planting trees xx (soft engineering)
increases interception
discharge + flood risk reduced
vegetation reduces soil erosion
less space for farmland
talk river restoration xx (soft engineering)
removes man-made structures little maintenance river is more natural could increase flooding - less structures to stop it but less risk of flooding downstream
name two other methods of soft engineering
not river restoration, flood plain zoning or planting trees!
preparation + flood risk warnings !
