Areas of Volcanic and earthquake activity.
Areas of Volcanic and earthquake activity.
In an area of volcanic and earthquake activity, there is potential for a lot of benefits as well as hazards which result from tectonic activity. The benefits are : lava and ash weather rapidly, basic lava may produce fertile soils ideal for farming ( e.g. the area surrounding Mt Etna) if it is carefully managed. The fertility of acid lava is much lower. Igneous rocks contain minerals such as gold, copper, lead and silver, which are very profitable if located. Extinct volcanoes may provide defensive settlement sites (e.g. Edinburgh). Igneous rock is used for building purposes, so that provides an economic use that the rock can provide. Geothermal power that the volcano can give off, can be isolated and turned into electricity ( e.g. Iceland and New Zealand). Geysers and volcanoes provide a good tourist attraction that can be economically beneficial, generating revenue for local communities (e.g. Yellowstone National Park).
The hazards that these can produce include : the fact that earthquakes destroy building s that collapse and crush and kill people. Violent eruptions with blast waves and gas may destroy life and property ( e.g. Mt St Helens). Earthquakes and Volcanic eruptions can set off Tidal Waves/Tsunamis which wipe out buildings on the coast, drown many people and destroy land and crops. Ejection of ash and lava ruins crops and kills animals. The tremors and ash and explosions interfere with communications, this can inversely prevent rescue workers finding trapped people, drowning people etc, resulting in possible deaths. Short term climatic changes occur as volcanic dust absorbs solar energy, lowering temperatures and increasing rainfall.
These benefits and hazards can wreck an area, then after a period of reconstruction and redevelopment, they will benefit and area. This is true in the area of the Philippines where Mt Pinatubo is located on a destructive plate margin where the Philippines Plate moves towards the subduction zone of the Eurasian Plate. This is an area where ash and lava from previous eruptions had weathered into a fertile soil, ideal for rice growing, also subsistence farming. In 1991 Mt Pinatubo began to show signs of erupting in early June. Fortunately, there were several advance-warnings signs which allowed time for the evacuation. On June 12th an explosion sent a cloud of steam and ash 30km into the atmosphere. 50cm of ash fell nearby, and over 10cm within a 600km radius. The eruptions were characteristically accompanied by earthquakes and torrential rain - except that he rain fell as thick mud when joined with he thick cloud of ash. The ash destroyed all crops on adjacent farmland and its weight caused buildings to collapse including 200,00 homes, a local hospital and many factories. Power supplies were cut off for three weeks and water supplies became contaminated. Relief operations were hindered as many roads became impassable and bridges were destroyed. In long term effects the thick fall of ash ruined the possibility of planting for the next harvest. Over 1million farm animals died, many through starvation due to the lack of grass. Many people were forced to seek shelter in shanty type refugee camps. Disease broke out which included Malaria , chickenpox and diarrhoea. The eruptions and their effects were blamed for about 700 deaths
This eruption created a lot of destruction and devastation to the Philippines area, with all the ash and lava, it will again have created fertile oils ideal for farming, if the people who lived there were to return. The igneous rock will have unearthed many minerals which could in the future provide a strong economic revenue. With the huge crater it made after the explosion with the view of the lake formed in its crater and the distinct landscape that cannot be compared to other mountains here. One can see the different sand or ash formations along trail and at the peak the blue and calm waters of the lake. So the increase in development will provide revenue for the area but there is risk that the volcano will erupt again, so there is a risk of returning and continuing to live in the same area, but perhaps that is the only feasible thing that the residents could do. Therefore possible problems would arise, and the only real income the area could use would be from tourism and farming on the volcanic earth. The terrain would have been destroyed and opened up which will not make it the most popular destination until cleared up. So there are possibilities for economic development but with many risks.
This is a map of the area around Mt Pinatubo:-
River Basins.
In a river basin area, there are a great number of possibilities for economic growth. It is more sensible to split a river basin up into the upper, middle and lower course parts of the river. In the upper course, the land tends to be very steep and there is little land in the way of a floodplain, this creates a very fast flowing river which can benefit man for HEP use, where the speed of the water creates energy which man can utilise ...
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This is a map of the area around Mt Pinatubo:-
River Basins.
In a river basin area, there are a great number of possibilities for economic growth. It is more sensible to split a river basin up into the upper, middle and lower course parts of the river. In the upper course, the land tends to be very steep and there is little land in the way of a floodplain, this creates a very fast flowing river which can benefit man for HEP use, where the speed of the water creates energy which man can utilise for places like Liverpool that are supplied by HEP plants in Cumbria. In an upstream area the land is only useful for hill sheep farming as it is too steep for crop farming. Further downstream the river widens and this is where the greatest discharge is, velocity is highest, and the cross sectional area is at its widest, so the river has potential to interfere with human activity. In the lower course area the land is much more flat, as well as having a rich moist ground filled with nutrients, this type of area is very suitable for crop farming as well as grazing for animals like sheep, cattle etc. On the flat land it is possible for development, which would have occurred because it is a perfect site for a settlement back in the days when a water source, flat land and rich soil was important. This development will prosper with farming, HEP, fishing, and tourism, where tourists will come to see the river, travel down it, use it for water sports etc. Now the problems that can occur in this river basin are risk of flooding, mudslides, destruction of buildings, as well as a change of course that the river takes which could interfere with human activity. Flood can come about through the build of rainfall that collects in the ground and the river, then the river cannot hold all the water in it so the water spills out of the river and heads down the hill ( depending on how steep the basin is). The flood will deposit a lot of sediment that has collected both upstream and downstream and flood surrounding area's, it may well destroy buildings, possible drown people. So the river provides an area of economic development but it has it's risks.
For example the great flood of 1993, the flooding of the 'untameable' Mississippi. The Mississippi River is one of the most heavily engineered natural features in the U.S. The character of the floodplain had changed to accommodate agriculture and urbanization. There is an extensive demand for land in America for varying reasons mainly because to the massive population increases in the country from migratory sources. Therefore it is inevitable that at risk land is going to be built upon. Meaning that the floodplain is an ideal place to build upon, it is especially attractive on the Mississippi for businesses using the river channel as a means of communication and for export. This increases the risk of hazards occurring to buildings and human life. So in 1993 there had already been planning schemes for this extra development on the spare land. Levee had been heightened, in places to over 15m, and strengthened. There were almost 3000km of levees along the main river and its tributaries. By cutting through meanders, the Mississippi had been straightened and shortened : for 1750km it flowed in artificial channels. Large spillways ha been built to take excess water during times of flood. The flow of major tributaries had been controlled by a series of Dams to slow river velocity down and act as another way of reducing flood risk.
Then in the Mid West it was already having a wet year when record setting spring and summer rains hit. The rain ran off soggy ground and into rapidly rising rivers. Several parts of the central USA had over 200 per cent more rain, so the ground was already full with water. When the rain filled into the rivers, the river level rose and broke over the height of the levis, with this higher level of levee , the water had much more speed on the decent, so it flooded onto the floodplain but because the land was filled with water already, the water continued in a random path destroying everything in its path. The areas where meanders had been cut through proved wrong because a river naturally meanders and so when the river was straightened it naturally meandered itself and so broke its banks and flooded onto the surrounding land. Also due to the cutting through of the river, there was now a lot more water in the river so it was easier to flood both the levees and the dams.
This flood caused $10.5 billion damage, 45 deaths, 74,000 evacuees, 45,000 destroyed houses and the destruction of $6.5 billion worth of crops.
So the prospects of using the area for economic benefit had been greatly reduced, power plants lost their stock so their business was in a lot of trouble, roads had been destroyed so transport was limited to other areas, barge trade down the river was haltered so more business was missing out. As a result of the flood many people will have considered living in that area after what had happened. There may be some significant population shifts as a result of the flood. Some towns may decide not to rebuild. Officials from a few cities, including Cedar City, Missouri, may actually consider closing their towns down. So a bad outcome for the area f Mississippi.
This is a picture of the Mississippi situation and flood extent:-
Coastal Areas.
In a coastal area there are many possibilities for economic growth. In such areas like tourism, water sports, hotels, beach resorts, holiday homes, retirement homes etc. Economic growth is important for many towns and cities, if a town near the sae is in a good location, spacious, and nice looking, then tourism comes in at the top of priorities. Little settlements will provide areas of growth for hotels, B & B's, restaurants, homes for the elderly, so they can boost their economic flow, it will provide jobs for locals, at specific times of the year, it will provide shopkeepers with more sales, it will allow the council of the area to provide them with better facilities because they will have more money to spend, and they will get recognised as a good resort. This area or resort though will probably only be filled with tourists during the Summer months, so jobs will be necessary for probably only about half the year, the other half, people will have to find other jobs. So it can be a very rewarding scheme if enough is done to appeal to tourists and possible future residents.
Although with the tourism comes the pollution from cars and other vehicles, it will bring a lot of noise too which could annoy and cause problems with the permanent residents of the area. The development of buildings and other property can put pressure on the land and cause it to crumble or slip away. With more people on the beaches there is a greater possibility that it can be eroded away and therefore cause the coastal equilibrium to be unbalanced and therefore act differently and perhaps make the beach retreat so much that it will end up as no beach. Pollution from rubbish and waste from the tourists and influx of people will affect the wildlife of the area. With more people to feed, the fishermen may over fish the area and cause a total wipe out of a species in an area.
So many benefits can come about in a coastal area. For example Poole Harbour is one of the world's largest natural harbours and its extensive sheltered waters provide a magnificent haven for recreational sailing and water sports. The mudflats and salt marshes are of great ecological value for feeding and roosting birds. Other activities to be found in the harbour include Board Sailing, Fishing, Jet Skiing, Power Boats, Rowing and Canoeing, Swimming, Water Skiing and Yacht Racing.
Problems Solutions
Most visitors to Studland Heath arrive Set up a park-and-ride scheme.
by car. Use ferries to bring people to Studland from nearby towns.
Cars are parked illegally along roadsides Place fences beside the roads. Build the heath itself. ditches to stop 4x4 vehicles or even on getting onto the heath.
Commercial shipping, ferries, oil drilling Encourage small boats and water sports
and supply boats, and people who do enthusiasts to go out to sea rather than water sports all want to use the harbour staying within the harbour area.
waters.
With these interferences comes noise pollution as well as rubbish and litter. As the area is a growing settlement, there have been further development for new buildings for new residents, new shops, new factories. These take up more and more space, creating more and more pollution which has to be taken into account and tried to be kept low because there is a lot of wildlife in Poole and it is slowly withering away from further development. Old residents may not like all the development either.
So the Poole area will create a lot of money from tourists, but create a lot of pollution and drive off wildlife unless kept protected.
This is a map of Poole harbour:-
glaciated and periglacial areas.
In a glaciated area there are many opportunities for economic benefit. It is an area where there is a possibility for skiing, tourism, quarrying, agriculture, reservoirs, forestry, hydro-electric power. These uses can provide many jobs and keeps the economy of the area going well. These types of area offer a great chance for people to go walking, trekking, camping, biking, skiing and other activities. This is all very good for shops and other tourist businesses but to farmers and other residents of the area it produces a lo of noise pollution, rubbish left in fields and campsites. There is also a great amount of wear on the roads and footpaths that they take. Fences and areas that the walkers go off track, get destroyed and can lead to escaped animals. Quarrying provides many jobs for the locals, it is a steady income, but when the quarry is all dug up, it is just left as it is, a big empty hole, which devastates the area and looks in disarray from the surrounding slopes. Hill sheep farming is nearly the only type of agriculture that can take place due to the fluctuating landscape. So with these types of income, comes development of houses, hotels, HEP stations and new shops.
These are all very good jobs and businesses but there is a lot of risk to them. For instance quarrying can create landslides if not properly treated and handled. Reservoirs and rivers may flood and endanger the residents of the local area because these areas have normally high rainfall figures and harsh climatic conditions. The land which tourists come to use for their pastimes and enjoyment gets wrecked by human erosion of the land, pollution and rubbish gets left and puts wildlife at risk.
These types of economic development and their benefits and problems are found for example in Snowdonia. Here there are many businesses which prosper, such as the Penryhn Quarries near Bethesda which quarry slate. This provides jobs and an income for the workers of the local area. Although the quarry has had its top soil removed so rock itself is left. Hill sheep farming in Nnant Ffrancon valley and the slopes of the glacial trough provide an area for the sheep. In Spring and Autumn the sheep are kept down in the valley where they produce lamb, then they are released back up the hills. The problems that arise are that the area is capable of flooding which could destroy their sheep as well as the fields of fodder that are produced for the sheep. As the area has high rainfall and it is a glaciated area, there are corries which provide the most suitable place for a reservoir. These provide many jobs, and as well as supplying Snowdonia with water, they have a surplus of water and also supply places like Liverpool too because they have a water deficit. Some of reservoirs include Marchilyn Mawr reservoir and Ffyonnon Llugwy reservoir. Problems that can arise include flooding which is a major hazard to settlements in the valley. Forestry is another industry where many jobs are provide, it is an especially good area for this because there are mainly coniferous trees and they suit these conditions, high rainfall, thin soils. Land that was used for farming has been turned into plantations of forests. This takes place mainly West of Bethesda. The cutting down of these forests destroy habitats for a lot of wildlife which will struggle to find another suitable habitat due to the undulating land and its harsh conditions. HEP is very suited to these areas of Snowdonia because there is a lot of rain, many rivers, steep gradients, mountainous area, high and low points that are big and provide lakes and rivers which suit underground HEP. An example of this is the Dinorwic pump storage system, it uses the Llyn Peris lake. Tourism which include activities of skiing, walking, climbing, caravanning, camping, ( The wild outdoors). provides many opportunities for hotels, B & B's, shops etc. People come also for the scenery and the fact that it is different to what hey are used to. This brings in a lot of money to various businesses, but creates rubbish, destruction of roads and footpaths, the scaring of wildlife away from their habitats, noise pollution, damage to fences leading to escaped animals. So Snowdonia is an area of natural beauty, many business opportunities but which can create problems mainly to the surrounding settlements and residents.
Here is a map of Snowdonia:- Bethesda