Physical geography Tectonic Plates Flashcards
How thick are continental plates?
30-50km thick
How thick are oceanic plates?
6-8km thick
What is the temperature of the inner core?
5000 C
How old is earth?
4.6 billion years old
How fast do tectonic plates move?
2-5cm a year
What generates the heat in the core?
Radioactive decay
How many main tectonic plates are there?
15
Name the currents in the mantle
Convection currents
Which plate margin creates fold mountains?
Collision
Which plate margin forms shield volcanoes?
Constructive
Which plate margin forms composite cones?
Destructive
Which plate margin causes most earthquakes?
Conservative
Which volcano has andesite lava?
Composite cone
Which volcano has basalt lava?
Shield
Which scale measures the magnitude of earthquakes?
Richter (1-10)
Which scale measures the damage caused?
Mercalli (1-12)
When was the MEDC L’Aquilla earthquake?
April 2009
How many US $ damage was caused?
$16 billion
How many deaths were there?
290
When was the LEDC Haiti earthquake?
Jan 2010
How many died?
220, 000
When did Eyjafjallajokull erupt? (Iceland MEDC)
April 2010
How many people were evacuated?
800
How many people died?
0
When did Niyrogongo erupt?
Jan 2002
How many people died?
65
How many villages were destroyed?
14
When was the Japan Tsunami?
Mar-11
How many deaths were there?
15, 854
What did it measure on the Richter scale?
7.2
Name the 4 natural theories for Climate change
Asteroid theory, Milankovic cycle, Sun spot theory, Eruption theory
What does burning fossil fuels create? Give two examples.
GHG’s (such as co2 and methane)
How long would the climate change for if Earth was in a Milankovic cycle?
Thousands of years
How long would the climate change for if there was a high concentration of sun spots?
Hundreds of years
How long would climate change for if an asteroid collided with earth?
10-20 years
How long would climate change for if a major volcano erupted?
10 years
How many times was the Thames barrier raised between 1984 and 1990
4 times
How many times was the Thames barrier raised between 1991 and 2000
35 times
What year did Britain drought
2003
How hot did the temperatures get?
38 degrees
What year did Britain flood
2007
How heavy are Megafauna?
Over 40kg
Give 3 examples of Megafauna
Woolly mammoth , Giant Elk, Sabre tooth tiger
When did they become extinct?
10,000 years ago
How much did the climate warm up by
6 degrees
When was the little ice age?
1400 – 1800 AD
When was the medieval warm period?
1000-1400 AD
What percentage of farmers died in the little ice age?
10-20%
In the 1998 floods in Bangladesh how much damage was caused?
$1 billion
How many people were made homeless?
700,000
Name two goods
Timber, gold
Name two services
Regulates the atmosphere, Regulates soil health, Regulates the hydrological cycle
How many metres does it take for a temperature change of 1 degree
100m
Name a permeable rock
Limestone
Name an impermeable rock
Granite
Between which latitudes are the tropical rainforests found?
0-15 degrees N/S of the equator
What is the annual precipitation rate in the UK
800mm
What is the annual precipitation rate in the Amazon?
2250mm
Name three top down ways pf protecting biomes
National Parks, CITES, RAMSAR
Name thee bottom up ways of protecting biomes
Ecotourism, World wildlife fund, Afforestation
How much is Brazil’s population expected to rise by in the next 40 years?
25%
How much is lost per second?
1 acre (2 US football fields)
What is the Latitude of London?
53 degrees north
What percent of England’s forests were left by 1919?
5%
How old are some of the trees in Windsor forest?
500
What is a stakeholder?
Someone who uses a biome for their own use, fishing etc.
How big is Winsor forest?
3,100 hectares
How many oak and beech trees does Windsor forest have?
900
What is the difference between a coniferous tree and a deciduous tree?
Coniferous tree- does not shed its leaves. Deciduous tree- sheds its leaves
At which latitude are desert biomes found?
15-30 degrees N/S of the equator
Is there a high or low concentration or moisture in the air in desert regions
Low
How much is population predicted to rise by in Brazil?
25% in the next 40 years
Give 1 example of a tundra region
Artic
Define an ecosystem
A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment
Define a biome
A large ecosystem, which makes up the biosphere
Name two forms of precipitation
Snow, hail, sleet, rain
What is evaporation?
When water changes state from a liquid to a gas as a result of heat
Name a permeable rock
Limestone, sandstone
Name an impermeable rock
Granite, marble
What is the difference between infiltration and percolation
Infiltration- movement of water through the soil, Percolation- movement of water through permeable rock
What are three features of top down development
Expensive, doesn’t involve local opinion and large scale
When was the three gorges dam constructed?
2003-2012
How much did it cost?
$22.5 billion
How many people were displaced?
1.3 million
How many cities were flooded?
13
Why was it built?
To boost tourism, To create HEP, Prevent flooding
Which river was it built across?
Yangtze
How long has there been no significant rainfall for in Bourke, New South Wales, Australia?
6 years
What are three impacts of this drought?
Loss of crop yields, Loss of farmers businesses and money, Desertification of soil
What are three impacts of drought in the Sahel?
Deaths, malnutrition/starvation, Desertification
Where is the Sahel?
A band of countries across northern Africa including Chad
How much is a play pump?
$14,000
How much is a life straw?
$25
What is an intermediate technology?
A small scale, cheap solution which involves local opinion and normally education
What are the three ways in which water quality is impacted by human activity?
Sewage disposal, Industrial pollution, Plastic bags, Intensive agriculture
What are the thee ways water supply can be impacted by human activity?
Deforestation, Over abstraction, Reservoir construction
What is the average precipitation amount in the UK?
800mm per annum
How long is the growing season in the Sahel?
1-2 months
How many people rely on agriculture in the Sahel?
02-Mar
What is a subsistence farmer?
A farmer who farms to create food for themselves – not for profit
Define the coast
The transitional zone between the land and the sea
Name two resistant rocks
Granite and dolerite
Name two less resistant rocks
Sandstone and limestone
What is a concordant coast?
Where bands of rock run parallel to the coastline and the cliffs erode at a similar rate
What is a discordant coast?
Where bands of rock run adjacent to the coastline and erode at different rates creating headlands and bays
Name an example of a concordant coast
The white cliffs of Dover, the UK
Name an example of a discordant coast
Swanage bay, the UK
What is a prevailing wind?
The normal wind direction in a place
What force determines the direction of backwash?
Gravity
Define the fetch of a wave
The distance over the sea which the wind travels and transfers its energy
What is a wave’s amplitude?
Its height
What is the difference between a destructive and constructive wave?
Destructive- small swash and a large backwash. Constructive- large swash and a weak backwash
What is a sub-aerial process?
When weathering, erosion and mass movement work together to create landforms
Name an example of a cave, arch stack and stump
Old Harry rocks, Dorset the UK
Name an example of a spit
Spurn Head, Yorkshire
What is the difference between hard and soft engineering
Hard- Large, expensive and manmade structures to protect the coastline. Soft- smaller, cheaper and more natural options to protect the coast
What are the impacts of cliff retreat?
Loss of land, Loss of income, Loss of property value, Loss of business
What is the geology of Holderness?
Boulder clay
How fast is it eroding?
1m a month
What are the four types of erosion?
Corrasion/abrasion, Attrition, Solution, Hydraulic action
What are the 3 types of mass movement?
Slumping, Sliding, Rock fall
What are the three types of weathering?
Mechanical, Chemical, Biological
What are sea levels expected to rise by by 2100 in the UK?
30-40cm
What is a spit?
A depositional landform formed where the coastline changes direction
What is a tombolo?
A depositional landform where a spit connects up to an island
How much is a sea wall per metre?
£6000 per metre
How much does beach replenishment cost per cubic metre?
£12
What is long shore drift?
The process of sediment being transported along the coastline in the direction of the prevailing wind
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering- when rocks are broken down but the fragments stay where they fall (in-situ). Erosion- where rocks are broken down but the fragments are taken away by water or wind.
What is a wave cut notch?
A wave cut notch is a notch formed in a cliff face as a result of erosional processes and waves.
What is the temperature range in a glacial environment?
-20 to -50
What is the temperature range in the tundra?
-15 to +20
What is the coldest ever temperature recorded in Antarctica?
-89
What are the minimum and maximum temperatures for an extreme environment?
Below 6. Above 30
What is the temperature and rainfall in a desert environment?
Above 30. Below 250mm per year
What is the temperature and rainfall in a rainforest?
Above 30. Above 2000mm per year
What is the hottest ever recorded temperature?
58 degrees in Libya, Africa
Give three ways an animal is adapted to arid environments?
Kangaroo, Hops- energy efficient, hormonal response to rain triggering mating, obtains water from food
What is drought tolerance?
Plants which have deep roots such as grasses up to 50m
What is drought avoidance?
When plants such as sedums only germinate after rain
What is succulence?
When plants such as cacti absorb and store water
Give three ways humans homes can be adapted to cold environments
Housing- triple glazing and slated roofs. Clothing – Gore-Tex and modern clothing. Transport- 4 wheel drives and skidoos
Give thee ways aboriginals culture is unique?
They sing their stories, They hunt with traditional tools such as boomerangs, They have sacred sites such as Uluru
What are thee ways climate change could impact cold environments?
Melting ice caps, Extinction of animals, Impacts on food chains
What are three ways climate change could impact arid environments?
Desertification, Deaths from starvation and dehydration, Species extinction
What is the life expectancy of a white Australian compared to an aboriginal?
78 compared to 52
Give three threats to aboriginal culture from tourism
Cultural dilution, Exposure to drugs and alcohol, Westernisation
How long has Uluru been their sacred site?
43,000 years
How many visitors were there in 1961 compared to 2005?
5000, 400,000
What is westernisation?
The process of cultures becoming diluted and adopting traits from the western world.
