Case studies for living With the Physical Environment

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  • Created by: IJM22
  • Created on: 06-01-19 13:36

Chile and Nepal Earthquakes

CHILE

  • 27th Febuary 2010                                                  500 people were killed
  • 8.8 on the Richter scale                                           80,000 people affected
  • Coast of central Chile                                              220,000 homes                               
  • Occured at a Nazca Plate                                       4500 schools

NEPAL

  • 25th April 2011                                                       90,000 people died    
  • 7.9 on the Richter Scale                                          20,000 injured
  • North west Nepal's capital                                     3 million homeless
  •                                                                               1.4 million people needed food, water
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How does global circulation work?

How does global circulation work?

1. Air sinks towards the earth which forms high pressure. 

2. Air rises from the ground surface which form areas of low pressure on the ground.

3. Winds on the ground are distorted by the Earth's rotation.

All these 3 together create global circulation.

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Where do tropical storms form?

Where do tropical storms form?

  • They form over warm oceans above 27°C  and they are found in the Tropics
  • They form in the summer and autumn where sea temperatures are at their highest
  • Form 5-15° north and south of the Equator
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How do tropical storms form?

How do tropical storms form?

1. A strong upward movement of air draws water vapour from the warm ocean surface

2. This evaporated air cools as it rises and condenses to form towering thunderstorm clouds

3. As the air condenses it releases heat which powers the storm and collects more water from the ocean

4. Then several smaller storms join. When surface winds reach 75mph, the storm has offically bcome a tropical storm

5. The storm then develops an eye at is centre where the air decends rapidly. The outer edge is called the 'eyewall' this is where the most intense weather conditions are

6. The storm is carried across by prevailing winds, it continues to gather strength

7. The storm's energy supply dies down and it begins to weaken

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Typhoon Haiyan - a tropical storm

Typhoon Haiyan - a tropical storm

  • November 2013
  • Category 5
  • Hit coastlines of the Philippines
  • Winds up to 170mph

Primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan

  • 6,300 people killed - most drowned
  • 600,000 people displaced
  • 40,000 homes damaged
  • 90% of Tacloban city destoyed
  • 30,000 fishing boats destroyed
  • Flooding
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Typhoon Haiyan - a tropical storm

Typhoon Haiyan - a tropical storm

Immediate responses

  • International government aid responded with food, water and temporary shelters
  • Helicopters assisted with search and rescuse  and delivery aid
  • 1,200 evacuation centres were set up
  • UK government sent shelter kits

Long-term responses

  • UK, Australia, Japan and US dontated financial aid, supplies and medical support
  • Oxfam supported the aid of fishing boats
  • Cyclone shelters were built to accommodate people
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Protecion - from the hazards associated with tropi

Protecion - from the hazards associated with tropical storms

There are a number of options available to protect people from the hazards associated with Tropical storms:

  • Windows, doors and roofs reinforced to strengthen buildings to withstand strong winds
  • Storm drains constructed in urban areas to take away excessive amounts of rainfall and prevent flooding
  • Sea walls built to protect keep properties from storm surges
  • Houses close to the coast were constructed on stilts so that a storm surge will pass beneath it
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What caused the somerset floods in 2014

What caused the somerset floods in 2014

  • Areas of low pressure came across from the Atlantic Ocean and it brought a period of wet January
  • High tides and storm surges swept water up from the rivers from the Bristol Channel. This prevented fresh water reaching the sea and it spilled over the river banks.
  • Rivers had not been dreged for the last 20 years and it had become clogged with sediment
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What were the impacts of the flood?

What were the impacts of the Somerset flood?

Economic

  • The damage was estimated to be more than £10 million
  • Over 14,000 agricultural land was underwater for 3-4 weeks
  • 1,000 livestock evacuated
  • Local roads were cut off by floods
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What were the impacts of the flood?

What were the impacts of the Somersets flood?

Environmental

  • Floodwaters were heavily contaminated with sewage and other pollutants including oil and chemcials
  • Huge amount of debris had to be cleared
  • Stagnant water that had been collected for months had to be re-oxygenated before going back into the rivers
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Managing the floods of the somerset

Managing the floods of the somerset

Longer-term responses

  • £20 million Flood Action Plan was launched by Somerset County Countil
  • Road levels have been raised in places to maintain communications and enable businesses to contiune during future flood events
  • Vulnerable communites will have flood defences
  • River banks have been raised and strengthned
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What are the global effects of climate change?

What are the global effects of climate change?

  • Many of the world's glaciers and ice caps are shrinking
  • Low-lying Islands such as the Maldives and Tuvalu are under threat from sea-level rise
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Causes of deforestation in Malaysia

Causes of deforestation in Malaysia

  • Malaysia is a country in South East Asia
  • Natural vegetation in Malaysia are tropical rainforests
  • 67% of Malaysia's land is covered by rainforests

Deforestation in Malaysia

Deforestation - cutting down of trees, often on a very large scale

Logging

  • Malaysia became the world's largest exporter of tropical wood in the 1980s
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