Physical Flashcards
Nepal EQ
2015 Indian Plate under Eurasian Plate 7.8 Mw Epicentre- 80km NW from Kathmandu Kathmandu- densely populated 8600 Deaths 21000 Injured 3 Million Homeless 197/229- GDP/capita 2016 $5 Billion lost from Economy- 25% of GDP $6.6 Billion Foreign Aid
Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
2010 100,000 Commercial Flights cancelled 10 million passengers stranded Airlines lost $1.7 Billion- Revenue European Economy- $5 Billion lost Kenya- Green produce dumped— $1.3 million revenue lost each day
Montserrat Volcano
1995 Dozens died 2/3 Housing DESTROYED 3/4 Infrastructure DESTROYED 7000/11000 Inhabitants left- many Young Tourism Collapsed— Increased Unemployment
North developed Infrastructure
South- Volcano Observatory
Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004
2004 9.0 Mw- off coast of Sumatara 17m High Waves on Impact 5 million affected 300,000 Deaths 1.7 Million Homeless NO EARLY WARNING SYSTEM Sumatara- 1500 Villages Destroyed Thailand- Lost Tourism— $25 million a month -120,000 jobs lost Overall Cost- over $10 Billion
Haiti EQ
2010- 7.0 Mw
Near Capital- Port-au-Prince- densely populated
Many important buildings destroyed
13km deep focus- shallow- more ground shaking
Previous French Colony- debt
High Corruption- police looting in recovery
Lack of Building codes
Emergency services didn’t know what to do
2010- Cholera outbreak
$13 Billion International aid
Sichuan EQ
2007- 7.9 Mw
Over 45.5 Million affected
5 Million Homeless
1/4 Deaths due to Landslides
Corruption- Bribes accepted to avoid Building codes
Growing economy- could pay for rescue etc
$10 Billion pledges by Gov to rebuild
400,000 moves to new City- Yongchang
2 years after- 97% of planned recon.- started/completed
More RESILIENT to future hazards
Tohoku Tsunami
2011- 9.0 Mw
100km E of Sendai
Tsunami waves up to 10m high
Fukushima Power plant destroyed- 47,000 evacuated
20km Exclusion Zone still exists
15000 Deaths
75% of Buildings- EQ Resistant
Low Corruption- Early Warning system + Tsunami wall
EQ Drills practiced- Educated
Energy Prices Increased 20%- import fossil fuels— increased Gov Debt
Philippines- MHZ
2015- 8/10 most Hazard-prone cities— in Philippines
Destructive Plate Boundary
Within SE Asia Typhoon Belt
Steep Topography + Deforestation + Monsoon
Rapidly Developing— Rapid Urbanisation
25% in Poverty
2013: Oct- EQ- 223 Deaths
- November- Typhoon- 6201 Deaths
- January- Tropical Depression- 64 Deaths
Svalbard- Glaciated Landscapes
Norway- Arctic Ocean
60% covered in ice- 10% Vegetation
Largest Wildlife area in Europe- fragile
Coal Mining in Extreme Cold- Difficult
Store Norsk- employ 1/3 of Svalbard
High Quality Coal- supply all of Svalbard
Stopping Mining- impact Energy+Economy
SVALSAT- Research
2013- 70,000 Visitors- 30,000 Cruise passengers
More Tourism Facilities- hotels
Ships- Oil Spill + Waste Discharge
Flights- Air Pollution
Fragile Economy- depends on Tourism, Mining
2002- Svalbard Environmental Protection Act- 2/3 Protected
Loch Lomond Stadial- Short-term Climate Event
Approx 115,000 Years ago
Ice Cap Developed- Uplands of Western Scotland
Ice Flow from Deeper Corries- Southern Scotland, Lake District + Snowdonia
Little Ice Age- Short-term Climate event
During Holocene- 1550-1850
Volcanic Activity + Low solar Radiation
Europe + North America: Colder Winters- Frozen Rivers + Canals
Glacier Advance- Mer de Glace to Chamonix floor
Iceland- Harbours closed
Europe Famine- adapt to shorter growing season
Gulkana Glacier, Alaska
South Alaska- Denali National Park
1995-2005— Retreated Every Year- Retreated 12.27m. Unhealthy
Equilibrium Line Altitude- Decreased 36m
Iceland- Glacial Outburst Flood
Frequent GOF- due to Volcanic Activity
Grimsvötn Volcano- Heat- melts ice cap above— Subglacial Lake
Cumbria, UK
Relict landscape- last Ice Age
Limestone filled with ice— impermeable
2015- Storm Desmond: - over 350mm in 1 day
Heavy December Rain— Saturated surface soils— Major Flood
Overabstraction- London
Thames Basin- 13 Million People
One of Driest areas in U.K.- 690mm per year
Increased Water Demand- Increased Abstraction
Over 40% London Water- from Chalk Aquifers
Overabstraction of Groundwater— Less Groundwater Flow— Drier Rivers in Low Rain
Yukon, Alaska- Complex River Regime
Summer/Spring- High Flow- Greater Snowmelt- More Input
Winter- Low Flow- Frozen Precipitation
Some HEP for Mining Industry
Tundra + Mountain Climate
Amazon, Brazil- Complex Regime
High Flow- Wetter Season
Low Flow- Drier Season
Fed by Andean Rivers- outside Rainforest region
Large Dams- Irrigation + HEP
High EVT + Rainforest Climate- Seasonal Precipitation
Murray-Darling, Australia- Complex Regime
High Flow- Wet Season Low Flow- Dry Season Water drawn by Major Cities + for Irrigation Seasonal Sub-Tropical Climate Much of Basin- in Rain Shadow
BRAZIL- Drought
2014-15 Drought
‘Flying River’- Carries up to 20bn Tonnes of Vapour- to Central + South Brazil
El Niño- Divert Rain North- Away from Amazon
Rain on East of Andes- Bolivia + Paraguay
- Dry Air over Brazil
4 Million people- Water Rationing- Water cut off 3 days a week
HEP Halted- Power cuts— Business Losses
Most of 17 largest Reservoirs- 1% of Capacity
More Groundwater Abstraction— Illegal Well Drilling- due to $3000 for legal well- unregulated
Coffee Price Increased by 50%
Deforestation- Less Vegetation- Less EVT- Less Precipitation- Plant Death- Less Veg.
Climate Change + ENSO cycles + Deforestation- Increased Droughts
Pantanal- Wetland
Central-South America
140,000km sq in Brazil
Upper Paraguay River Basin- most Significant Freshwater Ecosystem
Seasonal Rainfall— Floods November-April covers 80% of Pantanal
-Terrestrial become Aquatic Habitats
2014-15 Drought:- Tree Death- Loss of Habitats- Loss of Biodiversity + Cattle Ranching + Ecotourism
Cattle Ranchers- set fire to Old Grass in Dry season- Drought spread Fires easily- into Wetlands + Forests
Sahel- Good Climate Change
Southern Fringe of Sahara Desert
100-600mm Rainfall per year
1950-80s: 40% Fall in Rainfall- Drought + Poverty + Civil War— Ethiopia forced out to Marginal Land
-Many died of Famine
Re-greening Desert: Dry Landscape to Productive Farmland
- Plant Trees + Other management strategies
Natural Regeneration of Water-retaining Vegetation
Low Cost Reforesting
California- Bad Climate Change
2014- 3x Wildfires
High Affluence + Population- High Water Demand
Farming- Irrigation- High Demand
SW California- 50% Chance Mega-Drought
Higher Temps.- More Evaporation- Less Ground Moisture
Precipitation expected to fall in Future
Less Surface Runoff + Soil Moisture
Forested Areas—> Grassland + Scrub
Groundwater levels- 30m Less 2011-2015
2015- Snowpack Leeds All-time Low- Meltwater= 1/3 of California Water
Asia + Pacific- Water Insecurity
1/3 of Population- lack Access to Safe Drinking Water
Human Bacterial Waste- 10x Recommended Levels
Agriculture= 90% of South Asia Withdrawals
750 Million unable to use Indo-Gangetic Basin
1 Billion Gallons Raw Sewage dumped in Ganges- every day
Europe/Central Asia- Water Insecurity
1/2 of Europe Cities- Over exploit Groundwater Reserves
Groundwater Pollution- from farming + industry- Lower Water Quality
E.g. Aral Sea
North America- Water Insecurity
Population Growth + Urbanisation
Irrigation + Industry—> Aquifer Depletion
Climate Change + El Niño- Change Rainfall—> California Drought- Deplete Groundwater
Agricultural Runoff— Water Contamination
Africa- Water Insecurity
2025- 25 African Countries- face Water Stress + Scarcity
80% of Water use- Agriculture— No Groundwater Protection from Agriculture
Lack of Risk Preparedness + Mitigation- from Floods, Droughts, Storms etc.
Latin America + Caribbean- Water Insecurity
Only 2% of Sewage treated
Economic Scarcity
Turkey vs Syria vs Iraq- Water Conflict
Turkey- Shortage in Ankara + Istanbul
16% of Input Water- available for use in Turkey
SouthEastern Anatolia Project- $32 Billion
- Dam Tigris + Euphrates River
Allows Irrigation for 1.7 Million Hectares
- Diversify Agriculture- Cash Crops
Boost Turkey Economy- 12%
Ilisu Dam- Release Water to Syria- Agreed rate
No Agreement with Iraq
Due to Damming- By 2040- Tigris + Euphrates- may not reach Sea
Egypt vs Ethiopia- Water Conflict
Blue Nile- Origin in Ethiopia
85% of Egypt Water- from Nile Upstream
Ethiopia- plan for HEP Dam—> Less Water Downstream in Egypt
Egypt has Growing Population- Growing Demand for Water
Murray-Darling Basin- Water Management
MDB- homes 2 million people - 14% of Australia Land Mass 2 Rivers- Murray + Darling Provides 75% of Australia Water -40% of Farm Produce Complex Regime- Rainforest + Semi-Desert Major Cities in SE Australia- Most Populated region Mining Industry + Freshwater Fishing
Plan:- Determine amount of water that can be extracted- for Consumption
However- many farmers- lost Irrigation Water
South-North Water Transfer Project- Water Insecurity Management
Beijing Region- 35% of China Population- 7% of Water + 40% of Arable Land
$70 Billion + 345,000 Displaced homed
Divert 48bn cubic m of Water- Annually
Lower Groundwater Abstraction
However: People will use more Water
- Eastern Route- Industries— Water Pollution
India- Fossil Fuels
66% of Energy needs- Coal
India= 6% of CO2 Emissions- 3rd largest in World
India wants - Lower Dependence on Imports- Increase Domestic Coal Use
Growing Middle-Class- 600 Million new users
Child Labour in Mines- no education- bad LR + Health Issues
China- Fossil Fuel Demand
Rapid Econ Growth- Increased Energy Demand— 2000-2010- 2x Oil Consumption
Largest energy Importer- by 2035
14th largest Oil Reserves= 10% of Canada Oil
- Geographical Mismatch- Supply + Demand
2nd Largest Oil Importer rn
London- Urban Consumption
Cities= 75% of Energy Consumption= 80% of Greenhouse Emissions
City of London- 1.7 Million Tonnes of Carbon per Year- 1.8 Tonnes per Capita
London Supply- made up of National + International Supply Lines
Peru- Rural Consumption
2006-2016- Solar Panel Installation- Electricity to 500,000 in Remote Villages
Electricity- extends Working Day—> Greater Productivity
- More Crop Processing- e.g. Cocoa + Wood
Energy Consumption- Sustainable Development
Canada Tar Sands- Unconventional Carbon
Canada= 73% of Tar Sand Reserves- Alberta 3 major deposits
Extracted by Opencast Mining or pumped out with Steam injected underground
Syncrude (TNC)- Positive impacts on Econ.
Green peace- industrialising natural areas
UK- Energy Mix
Hinkley Point- Nuclear Power
- £18 Billion- Energy for 60 Years
25,000 Jobs- EDF + China General Investment
Horsea Project 1- Wind Power
Power 1 Million Homes
121km off Yorkshire Coast
2000 Construction Jobs
Solar Power- Chapel Lane
£50 million- 60,000 Homes- 75% Bournemouth
Madagascar- Deforestation
Tropical Rainforests- Deforested since 1950s
Debt Repayments + Pop. Growth + Tropical Hardwood Demand— Deforestation
2/3 of Rainforest Lost
Midwest USA- Grasslands—> Farmlands
Ethanol use as Petrol Alternative Lower Dependence on Oil Imports 2007-15- Biofuel Rush- farmers encouraged to grow Biofuel Crops- Global Demand 2013- Corn Price 2x 5.5m Hectares lost across Midwest
Amazon Basin- Increased Drought
Holds 17% of Terrestrial Carbon stores Drought— loss of Carbon sinks More Forest Fires- Increased CO2 Rainfall Patterns Changed Carbon Sink to Carbon Source- Global Warming
Indonesia- Forest Loss + Recovery
66 Million Tonnes of Palm Oil produces annually
1/2 EU Palm Oil Imports- Biofuels
Forests burnt to grow Palm Oil
Forest Moratorium- stop issuing Permits for Deforestation- Only 15% fall in Clearance
2013- 1-2.5% decrease in Emissions
Consumers oppose Palm Oil products
Green peace- 101 Group- Forest Fires
