GCSE AQA Geography (Physical) Case Studies

MEDC: Cokermouth:

Background information:

• November 2009
• Cockermouth is located in Cumbria, UK

What Happened:

• Rivers Cocker and Derwent rose by 2.5m
• 1 Person died (PC Barker)
• Bridges got washed away.

Responses:

• The army built a temporary bridge
• People took shelter in 20 neighboring school
• Tesco's built a temporary shop for people

Why it happened:

• The ground was saturated from previous rain fall
• Very heavy rain, 370mm of rain in 3 days
• Cockermouth was at a confluence of the river Cocker and Derwent

LEDS: Bangladesh

General Information:

• Happened in 2004
• 70% of the country is 1m above sea level
• Lots of thunder stormes

What happened:

• 100,00 people where made homeless
• 600 people where killed
• Rice harvests where destroyed

The Responses:

• It cost $1Billion to rebuild everything
• Flood warning system was put up
• Emergency aid (Food, Water, Medication) was given.

General information:

• 12Km long and 52m deep
• Costs £127million
• Completed in 1982

Why it is needed:

• Supply Yorkshire with water
• Is part of the water transport scheme
• Supplies Yorkshire with hydro electric power (HEP)

Advantages:

• Free, Green electricity
• Created jobs for people
• Reliable source of water

Disadvantages:

• 1.5million trees cut down
• Some houses had to be destroyed to make way
• Cost a lot of money

General information:

• Erupted on the 18th of may 1980
• located in Washington State USA
• Biggest eruption in the USA

What happened (Effects):

• 57 people died.
• 250 homes destroyed
• 15cm of ash fell.

Responses: Short-term:

• 198 people rescued from debris.
• shelter provided for people that lost their homes
• Medical supplies given out

Responses: Long-term:

• 1million tonnes of ash was removed from roads
• Trees replanted
• Houses where rebuilt

General information:

• Erupted on the 17h of January 2002
• located in Democratic Rebublic of Congo

What happened (Effects):

• 147 people died.
• 120,000 homes destroyed
• 400,000 people were evacuated.

Responses: Short-term:

• Food was given out
• Water was givien out
• Shelter was provided

Responses: Long-term:

• people were educated on what to do in emergancy
• Chlorine was put in  the lacks to treat them.
• Houses where rebuilt

General information:

• 17th January 1995
• 7.2 on the richter scale
• The ground shook for 20 seconds

Effects (Primary)

• 5000 people died.
• Alot of people were made homeless (300,000 people in total)
• Electricty was out.

Effects (Secondary)

• 300,000 people became homeless
• Fire swept through the city because of the wooden houses
• Road trafic jams and chaos

Responses (Short-term)

• Shelter provided
• People evacuated
• Food provided

Responses(Long-term)

• 143,000 houses built
• New buldings where earth quake proof
• More instruments were installed in the area to monitor earthquake movements.

General information:

• 12th May 2008
  
• 7.9 on the richter scale
• The ground shook for 120 seconds

Effects (Primary)

• Land slides
  
• communication disrupted

Effects (Secondary)

• 69,000 people died.
• a lot of people were made homeless (5 million people in total)
• Cost estimated to be 70million

Responses (Short-term)

• Army forces and volunteers search for survivors
  
• 20 helicopters sent to look for survivers
  
• shelter was given to hoses in need
  

Responses(Long-term)

• Chineese government spent $10 million rebuilding
• Houses rebuilt
• roads rebuilt

Charactoristics of the mountains:

• Mountain range crosses six countries 
• Highest peak the Mount Everest (1700 miles)

Uses of the mountains:

• Hydro electric power
• Farming
• Tourism
• Mining

General infromation:

• Happened on the 5th November 1998
• happend becasue of chane in tempatue, moist air and humid temperature

Effects (Primary)

• Landslides
• Floods
• Buildings destroyed

Effects (Secondary)

• Almost 20,000 people died
• 2.7 peoplewere made homeless
• 80% of its crops were destroyed

Responses (Short term)

• 45,000 people evacuated
• 700 toes of foodwas offerd
• searched dogs sent to find survivors

Responses (long term)

• $6.3 billion raised globaly
• Houses rebuilt
• crops replanted

General information:

• Located in China along rhe Yangtaz river.
• 22,500 MW of power is made
• Biggest HEP station in the world
• 2.1 miles long

Advantages:

• Provides 10% of china electricity
• Attracts tourists
• Created jobs

Dissadvantages:

• 1.3million people forced to move.
• River landscape changed forever
• 150 towns flooded.