Case studies Flashcards
Impacts on UK floods in 2007
.High levels of rainfall caused flooding in major rivers including the River Severn and River Thames
.Widespread disruption to rail and road networks
.13 people died and £3.2 billion of damage
.Businesses next to rivers like cafes and pubs closed down for months in some cases
.Millions spent on flood defences afterwards
Christchurch, New Zealand (2011)
Facts:
-6.3 magnitude
-The earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure and buildings.
-185 people were killed, 129 injured.
-Liquefaction destroyed many roads and buildings, was so extreme that no future rebuilding has been banned in some areas
Nepal (developing) 2015 earthquake
-7.6 magnitude
-Earthquake that killed about 9000 people.
-Landslides that destroyed rural villages and densely populated parts of Kathmandu.
-Avalanche that killed 19 climbers on Mount Everest, hundreds left stranded.
Boxing day tsunami, close by Banda Aceh in Indonesia (2004)
-275,000 people killed across two continents, 14 countries affected.
-Heavy ocean Indian plate slips under lighter oceanic Burma plate, ocean floor rose by as much as 40 meters.
-Earthquake’s magnitude was between 9.1 and 9.3.
-In Sri Lanka more than 60% of fishing fleet and industrial infrastructure was destroyed
-In Thailand 120,000 workers in tourism industry lost their jobs
Japan (Developed) 2011 Earthquake facts:
.Highest magnitude (9,0)
.20,000 dead, 90% died from drowning during tsunami
.$360 billion of damage, costliest in history
.Most buildings in Tokyo withstood the ground shaking so minimised economic loss and people affected
.Early warning systems, mobile messages
.Japan quickly accepted help unlike China, hundred of thousands of troops within 24 hours
.Nuclear power plant damaged, evacuation of many and led to increase in energy prices, Japan’s debt level rose
Haiti (Developing) 2010 Earthquake facts:
.Lowest magnitude (7.0)
.300,000 deaths
.Epicenter was close to capital
.Lots of government officials died so $13 billion of aid given, international organizations needed to provide
.Corrupted nation, money was not channeled through the Haiti government directly
.Most houses were poorly built and lack of disaster preparation, police and emergency services didn’t know what to do
.Cholera outbreak, ~ 800,000 people affected
.Shallowest focus (13 km underground)
China (Emerging) 2008 Earthquake facts:
.7.9 magnitude
.~70,000 deaths
.5 million people homeless (most in history)
.Corrupt government allowed poorly constructed buildings
.Medical services prevented disease outbreak
.Number of schools collapsed, 5,000 pupils killed
.Affected rural areas and small towns, some areas cut off by landslide and others had rubble everywhere, hard to access
.Power and water supplies cut off, flooding occurred when landslide blocked rivers
How is geology of Holderness increasing rates of erosion by its beaches?
Most of its coasts are made up of boulder clay which is soft and has little resistance to erosion.
Chalk band surrounding boulder clay in Flamborough Head is affected by chemical weathering.
How comes the cliffs at Holderness are becoming more exposed to wave erosion?
Boulder clay that’s eroded into fine rocks are transported southwards by longshore drift, cliffs in North become more exposed.
Why are the waves in Holderness destructive?
-Currents from the Atlantic ocean circulate around the UK, it has a large fetch so holds lots of energy.
-Sea floor is deep so the waves aren’t slowed down by friction like they would in shallow beaches.
-Low pressure weather system passing over the North Sea, low pressure air weighs less, rising sea levels.
