(Options) Extreme Environments Case Studies Flashcards

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1
Q

West Coast Desert Example x2

A
  • Extreme West Coast of Africa

- the Baja, California

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2
Q

Desert due to Continentality Example

A

Gobi Desert, NW China

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3
Q

Desert due to Rain Shadow Example x2

A
  • Death Valley

- Patagonia, East of the Andes

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4
Q

Desert due to Sub-tropical high pressure Example

A

Sahara

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5
Q

Erratic Example

A

Madison Boulder, New Hampshire, USA

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6
Q

Terminal Moraine Example

A

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

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7
Q

Lateral Moraine Example

A

Gorner Glacier, Switzerland

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8
Q

Medial Moraine Example

A

Gorner Glacier, Switzerland

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9
Q

Drumlin Example x2

A
  • Drowned Drumlins of clew bay, CO. Mayo, Ireland

- New York State

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10
Q

Continuous Permafrost Example x4

A
  • Parts of Siberia
  • Arctic Circle
  • Interior Plateaux of Central Asia
  • Mountainous Regions
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11
Q

Periglacial Environment: Resources Case Study

A

Alaska (oil drilling):

  • resource rich - oil, gold, fish, timber
  • exploitation for economic vs inaccessibility, permafrost
  • 20% USA oil from here
  • Trans-Alaska Pipeline: oil through at 80 degrees, 3m above ground, $8bn, built on sleepers allow displacement earthquake
  • ANWR: 9mn hectares protected wildlife area, oil companies want to drill here
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12
Q

High Altitude Environment Case Study

A

The Altiplano of Bolivia (South America poorest nation)
- land locked
- 10mn ppl - 65% indigenous, 35% spanish immigrant
- Silver Mining: mines bad conditions (forced labour), soil erosion and vegetation loss
- Tourism: local resentment (can’t afford), culture disregarded
- Agriculture: short growing season, subsistence
La Paz
- Urban Growth: shanty towns, over 1mn people, rural-urban migration, wealth disparity

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13
Q

Polar Environment Case Study

A

Siberia (-18 to -50 degrees)

  • Buildings: on stilts, need constant heat and light
  • Transport: sea frozen 8 months year - navigable 100 days, expensive to build rail/pipelines as large distances
  • Nenets: traditional lifestyle
  • Melted permafrost due to infrastructure, pasture destroyed pipeline/railway construction = 20,000 reindeer dead + migration routes blocked, 75% Russian oil, 90% Russian gas
  • Noril’sk Mining: more oil and gas being found, pollution, 250,000 population
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14
Q

Tourism Case Study

A

Switzerland

  • 13bn to economy in 2000
  • employs 10% + = multiplier effect
  • 1800 services (densest tourist transport infrastructure world) - 43 heliports
  • no fly zones
  • pollution
  • deforestation
  • congestion
  • waste incinerators / landfill 65% plastic
  • hard to predict impact of sports / tourism on environment
  • browsing damage from animals migrating due to tourist threat
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15
Q

Exotic / Exogenous River Example

A

The Nile, Egypt

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16
Q

Endoreic River Example

A

River Jordan (drains into Dead Sea)

17
Q

Desertification Case Study

A

Sahal, Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Cause: over-grazing, poor irrigation techniques, political instability (pop growth)
  • malnutrition + famine
  • USAID and Red Cross education projects on sustainability of water
  • Eden Foundation and USAID drip irrigation techniques taught
  • stone walls and creosote bushes - wind breaks
  • NGOs medical supplies in refugee camps
18
Q

Drought Case Study

A

Somalia, NE Africa

  • worst drought in 60 years
  • 10,000 migrating
  • 60% livestock malnourished
  • civil war (UN backed gov vs islamic militants)
  • 2011 - over 2mn malnourished citizens / 20% pop (famine); 678,000 refugees
  • high poverty
  • no TNC investment
19
Q

Agriculture, Minerals and Tourism in an Extreme Environment Case Study

A

Death Valley

  • 65-95 degrees
  • unpredictable heavy rainfall causing flash floods, landslides
  • extreme tourists - Furnace Springs
  • average precipitation 50mm
  • valley floor potential evaporation 100x precipitation
  • Borax mining - economic (discovered 1880 = pop settled) - used in products eg glass, porcelain
20
Q

Opportunities and Challenges in an Arid Environment Case Study

A

Uluru

  • 350,000 tourists a year = $400mn to Australian economy
  • tourists climb Uluru - considered sacred, habitat loss road construction, trampling, alien species, lowered water table
  • 1985 park back to aboriginal owners, world heritage status, entrance fees = management, visitor centre educates, regular wildlife surveys, sell authentic souvenirs
21
Q

Agriculture in Deserts Example

A
  • Saudi Arabia: commercial, date-processing capital, large dairy farms + widespread cultivation wheat, irrigation
22
Q

Mineral Exploitation in Deserts Examples x5

A
  • Australia: iron ore, gold, nickel = GDP per capita desert 50% higher rest country
  • Atacama Desert: copper, silver, gold
  • N Africa: metals (manganese, copper, Iron)
  • Morocco: phosphates leading producer
  • Kalahari Desert: Diamond
23
Q

Tourism and Movies in Deserts Examples / Case Studies x5

A
  • Dubai: hotel Burj Al Arab, golf-courses, unique attractions eg indoor ski resort
  • Namibia: dune buggies
  • Peru: can surf dunes
  • Morocco: desert marathon, film location
  • Tunisia: film location of Star Wars
24
Q

Sustainability: High Altitude Environment LEDC Case Study

A

Nepal

  • heavily polluted (second hand vehicles)
  • pollution concentrated e.g. factories and vehicles in Kathmandu w/ no emissions controls - 3mn bricks produced w/ 24,000 tonnes coal / 24,000 tonnes fuelwood
  • 3% rural households connected to electricity
  • 75% energy timber: loosing 12,000 hectares a year
  • pop growth = soil erosion (steep slopes, thin soil, earthquakes, monsoon, overgrazing): 240mn tonnes top soil washed down to bay of bengal year - loss 50 tonnes fertile top soil per hectare year
  • terracing + afforestation
  • pop growth = deforestation = loss 10 species timber, 6 fruit trees, 4 provide medicine; habitat loss for 200 bird species, 40 mammal
  • 2 decade campaign gov regenerate forests + reduce timber - use biofuel instead
  • water pollution esp urban areas - factories near rivers, used waste, washing, toilet, irrigation etc - sewage into rivers, river water pumped to wells
25
Q

Sustainability: High Altitude Environment MEDC Case Study

A

Switzerland

  • dispersed factories + non-polluting
  • strict emission controls on exhaust gases
  • acid rain sufferer forests can’t control from GB, Fr, Spain - forefront international agreements
  • landslides
  • dumping of chemicals banned = water pollution rare
  • Green movement: 400,000 farmers produce little waste
  • recycling high w/ laws - educated + talk
26
Q

Climate Change: Glacial Environments x3

A
  • Himalayas: glaciers melting fast, glacier retreat = lakes = floods, reduce runoff
  • Antarctica: valuable resources fought over, 60 research bases, 46,000 tourists 2007-8 (IAATO regulates tourism)
  • Canadian Tundra: more minerals once locked in ice accessible, unpredictable sea ice can be fatal, inuit life more expensive (snowmobiles longer routes, buildings weakened melting permafrost, resource exploration a threat)
27
Q

Climate Change: Desert Environments x2

A
  • Sahel: more droughts, increased food insecurity, water supply pressure, flooding, disease (mosquitoes), resource conflict, migration
  • Sengal (coping strategies): fertilisers to improve soil fertility, improve efficiency irrigation systems + pest controls, conservation techniques e.g. stone rows to impede run off on steep slopes
28
Q

Solar Power

A

Sahara

- $50bn project looking at exporting electricity to Europe - capacity supply 15% Europe’s electricity by 2050