Natural Enviornment Case Studies

Volcanic Eruptions

Monserrat is a small island in the Caribbean Sea

Eruption: June 25th 1997

• 70mph pyroclastic flow (Destroyed 20 villages and two thirds of homes)
• Half of the island became an exclusion zone
• Ash cloud spread 10 miles into the air and 100 metres into the sea
• Beat the cooling affect of the sea water for 100 metres
• 19 killed and 7 injured 
• Destructive Plate Margin (Atlantic and Caribbean Plates)
• 8000 of the 12000 inhabitants left the island
• Schools, Hospitals, the Airport and Port have been destroyed ruining the tourism industry

Global Climate Change Impacts

Tambora is an active stratovolcano on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia.

• 92000 died
• Europe became cold and rainy with floods, and Ash fell in the snow
• Africa experienced heavy monsoons and cold weather causing rice production to fall
• China suffered famine
• 200000 Europeans died from typhus and famine

Flooding

How chances of flooding are increased:

• More rainfall, Urbanisation (Impermeable Materials), Saturated Grounds, Melting Snow

Flooding Effects and how they differ from LIC to HIC:

• South Asia (River Brahmaputra and Ganhes): 2000+ deaths, 25 million made homeless, factories closed and livestock killed, 112000 homes destroyed, 100000 caught water bourne diseases (eg, Diarrhoea) , Many farmers became unemployed
• Carlisle (River Eden): 3 deaths, 3000 made homeless, 350 business shut down, Roads damanged, Rivers polluted, Stress related illnesses increased, 3000 jobs became at risk

Responses:

• South Asia: Many didnt escape and transport links were blocked, Other governments and charities sent food, water and medical aid.
• Carlisle: People evacuated, Reception area open for evacuees, Temp Acommodation provided.

Coastal Management Strategies

• Village population of 850
•  Cliffs defended in 1958 which reduced errosion by 50cm per year
•  Houses worth £80000 have decreased to just £1
• Sea defences would cost £4 million for 500 metres of protection
• 26 houses have already been washed away
• Defences would cost more than the village so isn't worth it

Camden (London) and Germany have incredibly good recycling systems that have been put in place.

Camden:

• 3 Refuse collections per week
• Regis Road Centre recycle bigger items for free (Upgraded in 2007)
• Bulky Items and white goods can be left on the road side and are collected by the council 3 times a year
• Recycling Advisors go around local schools and communities
• 27% of waste recycled in 2007 compared with 17% in 2003

Germany:

• Green Dot Scheme introduced - bottles and cans are taken back to shops to be reused
• 75% of waste recycled, with only 1% of waste going to lanfill (only 160 landfill sites now, in 1970 there were about 50000)
• Two thirds of recycling is shipped abroad as so much is collected £2.5 million is spent per year in recycling (Including Nucelar and Toxic Waste)
• 68 incincerators which are all clean. Electricity is generated by burning waste.

Effects of Non-renewable energy sources on local and national environments

Oil is mixed up with sands or clay and has to be mined. Found in Northern Alberta, Canada.

Disadvantages:

• Expensive
• Energy Intensive (Large trucks used to mine the sands)
• Large amounts of greenhouse gases produced
• 2 tonnes of mined tar sands only produces one barrel of oil. Leaves huge holes in the ground, scarring the landscape with toxic waste ponds and pipes.
• 470km squared of forest removed in 2010.

Advantages:

• Existing oil fields are running out of oil
• Oil from Canada is more reliable for the USA than the Middle East
• By 2030, 16% of North Americas oil demands could be met by oil sands. Secure source.
• Provides oil until renewable sources can be developed - takes time and money
• Land could eventually recover
• 20% of Canadas exports in 2007 was produced by Oil Sands.

The effects of a renewable energy source on the environment and people

Positives:

• Reduces UK's Carbin Footprint
• Zero emmisons while operating
• Creation of jobs
• No NIMBYs as out at sea
• By 2020 15% of the UKs energy will come from wind power
• Becoming a cheaper way of generating energy

Negatives:

• Migrating sea birds can be affected (Some wind farms have been rejected due to this, eg. Docking Shoal in Lincolnshire)
• Visual Pollution
• Expensive to construct (One large turbine costs £3 million)
• Expensive to transmit the electricity ashore
• Hydraulic hammers which are used to help prepare the offshore platforms are noisy and can harm wildlife

Heavy rainfall on the 9th April 1998 caused the river to overflow, requiring a £6.8 million project to protect the most affected parts of Northampton.

Causes and Effects:

• Torrential downfall and thunderstorms prior to flooding causing saturated ground
• 3x the average monthly amount of rainfall
• No effective warning system to predict or warn of flooding

• Two deaths and 1500 evacuees
• £350 million worth of damage
• Sewage caused serious health risk
• 2500 properties affected and 5000 cars written off

Management:

• Flood retention reservoir built to hold excess water
• Embankments built 10m away from river for larger water holding. Tress were added to improve visuals and hold soil together.
• 4m fllood walls built by railway station
• Flood warning sirens and a 2 hour warning system installed by environment agency

Walton-on-the-Naze has a population of 12000.

• LSD moves sand along the coastline from South to North
• In 1998, £167,000 for 300 tonnes of Leicester Granite Rip-Rap was placed around the Tower breakwater. This slowed down erosion but hasn't stopped it.
• Cliffs suffer from slumping making the defence of the area even more complex. 
• Soft rock types are: London Clay and Red Crag. (Easily erroded)
• In 1977, on the Southern Part of the coastline, defences were installed such as: a seawall, breakwaters, groynes and the cliff was regraded,
• In 1999, the northern part of the coastline was replenished with sand and gravel from Harwhich Harbour