UK Enviromental challenges Flashcards
How much additional energy does the Gulf Stream deliver to the UK?
27,000 times the combined output of our power stations - raises UK winter temperatures by 5C.
What are the 5 air masses that affect UK weather, and what are their characteristics?
Artic Maritime: Cold + Wet - North Pole.
Polar Continental: Cold + Dry - Eastern Europe + Russia.
Tropical Continental: Warm + Dry - North Africa
Tropical Maritime: Warm + Wet - Warm Atlantic
Polar Maritime: Cool + Wet - Canada + Greenland
When was the Beast from the East?
28th February - 1st March 2018 (2 days)
What weather was brought by the Beast from the East?
Strong easterly wind, Heavy Snow, Extremely Cold temperatures (wind chill caused it to feel like -10C)
5 key impacts of the Beast from the East?
1) Man died after falling into frozen lake in London park
2) Travel disruptions
3) Schools were closed
4) Power cuts
5) Limited supplies in cut off areas
What were the dates of Ex Hurricane Bertha?
10th - 11th August 2014 (2 days)
What weather was brought by Ex Hurricane Bertha?
High winds and rainfall
5 key impacts of Ex Hurricane Bertha?
1) Flooding
2) Travel Disruptions
3) Damage to homes and buildings
4) Trees falling down
5) Damage to transport infrastructure
What air mass brought the Beast from the East?
Polar Continental
Which parts of the UK were most affected by the Beast From the East?
East of England and Scotland
What air mass brought Ex Hurricane Bertha?
Tropical Maritime
Which parts of the UK did Ex Hurricane Bertha affect most?
North East Scotland
When was the Heatwave?
June, July and August 2018 (3 months)
What weather did the heatwave in 2018 bring?
Some thunderstorms, Very high temperatures and sunshine levels
5 key impacts of the 2018 heatwave?
1) Hard for wildlife to find water - peatbogs dry up
2) Wildfires
3) Boosts for businesses - people going on trips boosts tourism industry
4) Water shortages - demand increased by 30%, supply dwindled
5) Melting roads and buckling train rails.
Effects of Gulf Stream on UK?
1) Increased rainfall
2) Warmer winters - increases by 5C
Effects are especially prevalent in the West of the UK
Which Air Mass caused the 2018 heatwave?
Tropical continental
The 2018 heatwave was the largest since … ?
1976
Why was the Somerset levels area prone to flooding?
1) Land is below sea level - maximum altitude of the Levels is 8m
2) Land is artificially drained - nowhere for water to go
3) No proper defence from floods - neither the Tone of the Parrett had been properly dredged for 20 years.
4) Very High tidal Range - Bristol Channel has second highest range in the world.
What are the names of the 2 main rivers that run through the Somerset Levels?
Tone + Parrett
When was the Somerset Levels Flooding?
January 2014
Human Causes of Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Building has developed on the floodplain, meaning water gets trapped
2) Artificially drained - thousands of years ago area was underwater, but was artificially drained for farming land.
3) Farming practices have changed, meaning land is less able to retain water
4) Rivers Tone and Parrett hadn’t been dredged properly for 20 years.
How expensive was it to dredge the rivers, and how often did it used to happen?
£4 million, every 5 years
Physical causes of Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Prolonged rain, high winds and tidal surges.
2) 12 major storms between December 13 and February 14.
3) Bristol Channel has 2nd highest tidal range in the world.
4) Majority of the area is below sea level
5) Wettest January since 1910 - 193% of normal rainfall.
What were the Social impacts of the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Mulcheleny village had roads cut off for almost a month - 2 hourly boat was the only way in and out
2) Lack of trust in governments
3) Increased crime - 900 litres of fuel stolen from a pumping station.
4) Loss of livelihoods due to permanent damage
5) Emotional devastation at property damage
6) 81 road closures - disruption to livelihoods
What were the Environmental impacts of the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Fluctuations in wildlife numbers
2) Took up to 2 years for soil to be restored
What were the Economic impacts of the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Local buisnesses reported over £ 1million in losses
2) Home insurance went up 5 fold for local people
3) £200 million cost to tourism industry
4) Huge agricultural impact after crops destroyed and livestock moved
5) 50% of surveyed buisnisses across Somerset were impacted by flooding, and 86% were impacted by road closures.
What were the local responses to the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) FLAG - Flooding on the Levels Action Group
2) Somerset land owners had to evacuate their residential properties
3) 130,000 cubic meters of silt removed from the Rivers Tone and Parrett between March and October 2014
4) Thornley village had a £180,000 earth embankment built to help protect 10 houses
What were the regional responses to the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) A list of 10 trigger points for additional pumps if conditions are severe enough
2) Somerset County and Sedgemoor district Councils raised 1.5m for repairs
3) Set up of Somerset Rivers Authority
How is the Somerset Rivers Authority funded, and what do they do?
Initially funded by National government (2m paid), but after relies on council tax increases of £25 a year.
Focus on enhanced maintenance of river channels and flood banks in order to reduce the risk of flooding.
What were the national responses to the Somerset Levels Flooding?
1) Environment Agency installed 62 pumps, which removed 1.5 million tonnes of water.
2) Royal Marines were sent in to help villagers cut off by floodwater
3) The Somerset Rivers Authority is working with Segemoore District council and the EA on plans to create a £100m tidal barrier across the River Parrett by 2024.
4) A Somerset Levels and Moors Action Plan formed (£100m plan) with £10.5m funding from government, and £10m from the Department for Transport.
What are the main causes for the changes in UK farming?
1) UK population growth
2) Increase in cheap foreign produce
3) Increase in mechanisation due to better technology
4) Growth of agribusinesses.
How much of the UK’s hedgerow was lost during the 20th century?
Half
How much of the UK’s fertile topsoil has been lost since 1850?
84%
What are the 3 key problems with the mechanisation and intensification of farming?
1) Eutrophication
2) Soil Degradation
3) Hedgerows
Explain the process of Eutrophication.
1) The fertilizer is spread on the land, and is washed down into the soil by rain.
2) The fertilizer seeps into underground water systems and eventually makes its way into rivers and lakes.
3) The presence of fertilizer in rivers and lakes causes overgrowth of algae and aquatic plants. This covers the water surface and blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants, causing them to die.
4) These dead plants are decomposed by bacteria, which grow in numbers, and use up the oxygen in the lake, and release carbon dioxide, making it anoxic.
How does consumers demand cause soil degradation?
Consumers want produce out of season -> fields not given time to recover -> soils become exhausted
How does use of heavy machinery in farming cause soil degredation?
Use of machinery -> large wheels cause soil to compact -> increases surface run off and results in soil erosion
Why are hedgerows important?
1) Provide a habitat for lots of animals such as hedgehogs
2) Are natural corridors for wildlife to move around
3) Help reduce soil erosion from the wind and rain
4) Important stores of carbon
Why has there been a reduction in the number of hedgerows?
Make space for larger fields and allow use of larger machines.
How many tonnes of fish do UK vessels land each year?
400,000 - 3rd largest catch in Europe
What are the 5 main impacts of over fishing?
1) Damage to the sea bed
2) Depletion of fish populations and by-catch
3) Ghost Nets
4) Discards
5) Aquaculture
What is bottom trawling and what are the negative effects of it?
The practice of dragging heavy nets along the sea bed to sweep up fish - it destroys the sea bed, which is a habitat for many species and is vital to the ecosystem.
What is by-catch and why is it a problem?
It is species that are caught when fishing for a different species. It affects the predator to prey balance due to harming numbers, and this causes issues throughout the ecosystem.
What is a ghost net, and how does it cause so much destruction?
Commercial fishing nets that have been lost or abandoned in the ocean. Species get trapped in them and die. They go through a cycle so they cause damage for a long time.
How many tonnes of fish are discarded each year in Europe every year?
1.7 million tonnes - most of the fish die
What is a CFP quota?
Limits on the size and numbers of fish that can be caught.
How much CO2 is created if you eat farmed fish 1-2 times a week?
146kg
What is aquaculture?
The farming of fish and marine organisms.
What is the problem of the differences between rainfall and population density in the UK, and what issues does this bring?
Where there is higher rainfall, there tends to be a lower population density. This means in some areas there is a water surplus, and in other areas there is a water deficit, meaning these areas could be under water stress.
