Using an example, outline the effects of a tsunami and how the hazard can be managed
Using an example, outline the effects of a tsunami and how the hazard can be managed Tsunami is Japanese for 'harbour wave', and is usually formed through the combination of a series of water waves, commonly known as a 'tsunami wave train', which are in turn caused by the displacement of a large body of water, e.g. an ocean. As the wave train reaches shallow depths, they tend to combine into a single large wave travelling at immense speeds (600 km/h), steepening rapidly to heights of 80 feet plus, resulting in a tsunami. A natural disaster is usually the root cause of such a displacement of water, and thus earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater landslides are common causes of tsunami formation. The effects and management of tsunamis depend on several factors. The most obvious of course is the intensity of the tsunami, or more specifically the natural disaster which caused the tsunami. For example the intensity of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is categorised by the measurement of its earthquake tremor, 9.3 Mw on the Richter scale. The next factor is whether the country(s) affected have high population densities as well as the economic development of each country. A densely populated MEDC equipped to deal with such disasters tend to limit the impacts of such a deadly event however still cannot prevent high death tolls. On the other hand both densely/sparsely
Assess the view that in wilderness areas, the challenges always outweigh the opportunities.
Geography: Physical Essay Question - Assess the view that in wilderness areas, the challenges always outweigh the opportunities. Wilderness is an area of land or region, which is in a natural state with minimal human impacts. Severe conditions affect how easily it is to develop the area: this is what makes the area a wilderness. Examples of wildernesses are: Amazon Rainforest, Utah Desert, and Aral Sea. Often wildernesses have resources that humans can take advantage of; however, due to the challenges that the wilderness creates this is difficult. This essay will be looking at the view that the challenges of development outweigh the opportunities that the areas bring, by using the examples of wildernesses above. The tropical rainforest of the Amazon Basin is the largest area of tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon Forest is being deforested at an ever increasing rate; estimates of the rate of this deforestation vary, but generally it looks like between May 2000 and August 2006, nearly 150,000 square kilometers of forest was destroyed (an area larger than Greece); and since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed. The destruction of the Amazon can be heavily linked to various natural resources residing within the forest. Extensive areas of the tropical rainforest have been cleared to grow pasture for
The aim of this project was to investigate what differences exist in temperatures in the local area, and to consider the effects of certain geographical aspects on these.
Introduction The aim of this project was to investigate what differences exist in temperatures in the local area, and to consider the effects of certain geographical aspects on these. This is in relation to the unit of work on Climate, Environment and People contained in the GCSE Geography syllabus, and this project uses principle ideas from this unit of study. There are many factors that affect the temperature of a region, be they on a grand scale, such as across a country or continent, or in a very small area, where a few environmental differences, such as the shelter of a building or tree, can cause a difference in temperature of one or two degrees Celsius. On a national scale, the latitude of the location will obviously have an effect, a fact clearly illustrated by the e difference in temperature between a temperate region, such as London, and a tropical rainforest town, such as Manaus in Brazil. This effect can also make a difference on a smaller scale; there is a one or two degree temperature variation between the cities of Portsmouth and London in the UK, which are only 120 km apart. Altitude is another major factor, as it is generally cooler at higher altitudes than it is at sea level, hence the appearance of snow at the top of mountains at even the warmest of latitudes. This is due to the density of the air, which decreases as the altitude increases. It is
What was the impact of building Harlow new town on Canon's brook? Describe the changes in the river's response to rainfall events and explain why these changes have occurred.
What was the impact of building Harlow new town on Canon's brook? Describe the changes in the river's response to rainfall events and explain why these changes have occurred. There are likely to be many effects of building a town on a brook. We can see that the most probable responses would be that more water flows into the river and the flood risk increases. However, there are likely to be many other contributing factors and other responses to these rainfall events. In this essay, I am going to examine how the changes to the response of the river occur and what these changes actually are. The river responded to rainfall very differently in three different time periods. In 1950, the peak discharge was about 1.8 cumecs. In 1950, the lag time would have been much longer due to the fact that there were no drainage systems. Water flows into the drains, and is taken straight to the nearest river which would greatly decrease the lag time. As the drainage system developed, the lag time would decrease, and this is shown as in later years the lag time is much lower. The flood risk for the area in 1950 is quite low because there is not a lot of water being discharged from the river. In 1950, the rising limb and falling limb are gentle. In the second time period, 1958-62, the peak discharge is 5.2 cumecs. We can see that the discharge has increased from the discharge of
Describe the processes by which glaciers move. (6 marks).
Describe the processes by which glaciers move. (6 marks). Glacier movement depends on whether it is warm or cold. This depends on the pressure melting point (PMP), which is when ice is on the verge of melting. An increase in pressure can increase melting and therefore movement due to lubrication. Accumulation is the inputs of the glacier system by precipitation as snow, avalanches, debris as rocks and melt water. Ablation is the outputs of the glacier system which include melt water, till-rock deposition, calving iceberg, evaporation and wind erosion. If there is more accumulation than ablation then the glacier advances due to gravity. If there is less accumulation than ablation there is more melt water, which acts as a lubricant, the glacier then moves down the valley but retreats due to climate, altitude and latitude. There are two types of glaciers, cold polar and temperate. Cold glaciers are in very cold areas where there is minimal melting, only 1-2 cm a day due to little friction because it is frozen to the bed and is on gentle slopes. The ice crystals face the direction of the movement so they can slip past each other therefore the surface of the glacier moves faster causing deep crevasses. Temperate glaciers are in areas with milder summers and steeper slopes. The base is almost the temperature at which the ice melts (PMP). As there is more friction and pressure
Using examples from a river you know, describe and account for changes that occur in the channel as you go downstream
Using examples from a river you know, describe and account for changes that occur in the channel as you go downstream The River Rhône is one of Europe's great rivers, stretching 813 kilometres from south-west Switzerland to its delta near Marseilles. For hundreds of years it was considered an unpredictable, violent river, but, through the actions of man, its character has changed completely. The Rhône begins its life on the Rhône glacier in the Swiss Alps. Unlike most rivers, the Rhône is fed by melt-water, making it unpredictable. Whilst other rivers will only flood during the spring, the Rhône theoretically can flood any time of the year. Temperature changes of only four degrees Celsius can drastically affect the discharge of the river. The river during this upstream stage has a lot of energy, since the gradient down which the river flows is unusually steep. This results in a flow that is typical of rivers in their upland course. The flow of the river can be described as very turbulent, evidenced by the eddies and whirlpools that pepper this part of the river. These are caused by the river's very irregular channel shape, which is very inefficient, due to a large wetted perimeter. The channel's irregularity is caused by the erosion of rock, which reveals different bands of hard and soft rock. This explains the existence of cataracts and waterfalls in the upper
Geography essay - earthquakes
At a conservative margin two plates try to slide past each other slowly. Quite often, the two plates stick and pressure builds up; the release of this pressure creates a severe earthquake. There are no volcanic eruptions along conservative plate margins because the crust is neither being created nor destroyed. The classic example of a conservative plate margin is the San Andreas Fault in California. The North American and Pacific Plates are moving past each other at this margin, which is the location of many earthquakes. These earthquakes are caused by the accumulation and release of strain as the two plates slide past each other. The vast majority of Earthquakes occur along plate margins. In fact the locations of the earthquakes and the kind of ruptures they produce help scientists define the plate margin. Many earthquakes form a narrow spread at some plate margins than others; generally speaking, the earthquakes at destructive plate margins have a greater spread and therefore affect more places than at conservative plate margins. According to plate tectonic theory, huge slabs of plates are in constant movement caused by convection currents, a lot of pressure builds up at the plate margins, which when released causes a sudden jolt or earthquake. This accounts for a large number of earthquakes that occur at plate margins. The fact that the most deadly earthquakes occur at
Travel Writing - Protaras is a captivating resort drenched in sunshine, unspoilt beaches, fishing coves and tiny inlets.
Faye Mellor Travel Writing Protaras is a captivating resort drenched in sunshine, unspoilt beaches, fishing coves and tiny inlets. This is the place where I was lucky enough to spend two whole weeks during my summer holidays. Protaras is a town on the island of Cyprus; it is located in the white washed town area of Paralimni, which is known to the Cypriots as the 'land of windmills'. This is due to the whole area being dotted with some 1500 windmills, which bring up water from the underground for irrigating crops, mainly for the infamous Cyprus potatoes. Within the grounds of the 'Malama Holiday Village' the hotel my family and I were staying at had a private beach for hotel guests only. The beach was surrounded by caves for the utmost privacy and the sandy beaches were a brilliant way to let the day unfold before you. One of the most famous places for beaches on the island is a place called Cape Greco, which is on the very tip of the island. It has its own share of beaches and coves. Sea cliffs conceal these amazing sea palaces which are natural rock sculptures created by the sea. Another famous beach is Fig Tree Bay, which is known for its golden sands and clear blue waters. During the vacation we took a boat trip that took into Cape Greco and to the village of Dherynia, the last village before the green line, which has been separated the island since 1974. From this
There are three sections in a river they are called: The upper Course, The Middle Course and The Lower Course.
A river transports material through: Deposition occurs when the river starts losing energy. Heavy particles are deposited first. The light material is transported. Eventually most of the lighter material is then deposited, although sometimes not until the river reaches the mouth. The three sections of a river There are three sections in a river they are called: The upper Course, The Middle Course and The Lower Course. The upper Course, is the steepest part of land in the river. It is usually small, but flows very fast. The energy levels are high and the river cuts away at its bed. As it does it quickly deepens its valley through down cutting. This creates a steep sided V- shaped valley. Downward erosion is the dominant process. In The Middle Course, the river starts to flow slowly because it starts to transport lots of sediment, as rivers look muddy. As a river moves down its valley, a number of changes occur. The river gets wider, as more tributaries join together. * The valley sides become less steep, giving the shape of a open V. * The river begins to erode sideways, into its banks. This opens out the valley floor and a flood plain that starts to develop. * Erosion and deposition occur. * The edges of the floodplain are marked by bluffs. The lower Course, is when the valleys V shape is so wide that he valley sides have been
MONTESERATT-ASE STUDY
Case Study: Montserrat ) Describe the volcanic activity that has occurred in the Soufriere Hills volcano in the last year. 2) Describe how they are trying to promote tourism in the island. Part 1: The following list indicates the various volcanic activity that has taken place of the Soufriere Hills volcano in the last year: - The Montserrat volcano sifted a plume of ash on 3rd of February - An eruption like scenario was administered on the 17th of April - A faint plume of volcanic ash blows westward across the Atlantic from the tiny island of Montserrat into the centre of town on July 1st - The Soufriere Hills Volcano burped again in late July 2005. A faint plume of ash blew westward. - On July 28 again, there was a slightly more violent plume of smoke seen heading westward - On the 5th of September, the volcano produced a minor eruption drifting the smoke north west - On November 19th, the volcano produced a larger eruption after previous minor activity in the previous months Part 2: Before the severe eruption in 1995, Montserrat was an island of tranquillity, friendship and charm. Sadly, most of Montserrat islands properties were destroyed when the volcano struck. Indirectly, this could have been slightly beneficial to the tourism industry, the feats of the volcano and its impact attracts tourists and they are willing to see the island. In order to emphasize
