Misc. Case Studies For Physical Flashcards
(164 cards)
1
Q
What is the Paris agreement
A
Legally binding international treaty on climate change
2
Q
What is the Paris agreement under
A
Under the UNFCCC which is responsible for distributing financial aid
3
Q
What is hte UNFCCC
A
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
4
Q
What do countries have to do under the Paris agreement
A
Try to sort out climate change but they don’t have to do what they set out to do…
5
Q
What is the temp goal of the Paris agreement
A
Between 1.5 and 2 degrees
6
Q
How often do countries report back in the Paris agreement
A
Every 5 years
7
Q
What is the UK NDC
A
Reduce economy wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% by 2035
8
Q
What is an NDC
A
Nationally determined contribution
9
Q
What should financially able countries do under the Paris agreement
A
Support financially countries that need the help
10
Q
What happens after 5 years in the Paris agreement
A
Targets are evaluated
11
Q
How many countries have signed up to the Paris agreement
A
Nearly 200
12
Q
How is there flexibility under the Paris agreement
A
Countries can set their own targets
13
Q
How are jobs created under the Paris agreement
A
Renewable industries
14
Q
Example of enterprise opportunity created by the Paris Agreement
A
Satellite technology to monitor carbon sequestration e.g. Pachama
15
Q
What is provided to developing countries in the Paris agreement
A
Financial aid
16
Q
What is the problem with accountability in the Paris Agreement
A
No financial responsibility
Transparency is required
17
Q
What is the problem with NDCs
A
They are NOT legally binding
18
Q
What happens with political affiliation and the Paris Agreement
A
Trump pulled out.. (countries might leave)
19
Q
What is the problem with government power and the Paris Agreement
A
Lobbying and corruption (conflict of interest)
20
Q
What is the problem with bottom up methods in the Paris Agreement
A
Inconsistent implementation
21
Q
What did COP 29 realise about climate goals
A
Cash is too tight to reach them
22
Q
How much do developing nations receive post Paris agreement annually
A
$300 billion
23
Q
What is the problem with the quantity developing nations receive from the Paris Agreement
A
It’s not enough to meet goals
24
Q
What is the problem with Trump and the Paris Agreement
A
He is a denier and has successfully removed them
25
What happened at COP 29
Carbon credits were approved
26
What is positive feedback (detailed)
Cyclical sequence that exacerbates/amplifies change
27
What is negative feedback (detailed)
Cyclical sequence that neutralises change
28
What proportion of evaporation is from oceans and seas
90%
29
What proportion of water evaporation is form transpiration
10%
30
What happens to lakes in summer
More evaporation so hydrosphere decreases
31
Global vs local scale (evaporation)
Globally, it is not significant but can make regional impacts on smaller systems
32
What are the 3 main factors of global water storage
Cloud formation/precipitation
Cryospheric processes
Climate change
33
What is an equatorial example of climate
River Congo, DRC
2 wet seasons, one in May and one in November
34
What is an example of a mountain/snowmelt climate
Missouri, USA
Snow melt in April to June causes high discharge into
Across winter, low discharge occurs due to snow
35
What is an example of a humid tropical climate d
River Sonjo, Tanzania
wet and dry seasons
Flooding in wet and clay dries out in the dry season
36
Example of a temperate climate
River Thames, UK
Rain falls all through the year
deep soils promote throughflow and groundwater flow
reduced discharge in summer
37
Example of a Mediterranean climate
Antelope Creek, USA
Dry and hot summers cause rivers to dry up
Storms in winter cause rapid discharge
38
What is a river regime
Variability in a rivers discharge across a year due to precipitation, temperature, evaporation and drainage basin characteristics
39
What is a drainage basin
An area land of land drained by a river and its tributaries marked out by the watershed line
40
What does antecedent mean
What has come before
41
How do you use antecedent in a sentence
antecedent rainfall can affect soil saturation
42
How many gauging stations are there in the UK to monitor rivers
1500<
43
What is a flood hydrograph
Response in a river to a rainfall event
Discharge and rainfall plotted over time (both y axes labelled)
44
what is a cumec
Cubic metres per second
45
What is a rising limb
The period on a flood hydrograph where discharge is increasing
46
What is a falling limb on a flood hydrograph
Where discharge is decreasing
47
What is the baseflow of a river
The typical rate of discharge without a precipitation event
48
How do you find lag time of a flood hydrograph
Peak discharge minus peak rainfall
49
How does the shape of a drainage basin affect a flood hydrograph
Circular is more flashy since each point is closer to the measuring point
50
How does drainage density affect a flood hydrograph
Higher density means more tributaries lead to the confluence of measurement so flashier
51
How does river flood management affect a flood hydrograph
Levees and dams can reduce peak discharge (less flashy)
52
How does water discharge affect a flood hydrograph
, Removing river water reduces levels and can reduce peak discharge, so less flashy
53
What does the deforestation-drought feedback loop do in the Amazon
Accounts for 4% of the regions drought
54
Why has deforestation continued to soar in Brazil
Bolsonaro has pushed for deregulation to economically gain and exploit the Amazon but permanent drying is beginning to occur in the amazon
55
What are the 3 seasonal factors affecting water cycles
Temperature
Precipitation
Vegetation
56
How does temperature affect the water cycle (seasonal)
Water stores change e.g. more rain from evaporation
57
How does precipitation affect the water cycle (seasonal)
More rain -> more flooding
More terrestrial stores -> river baseflow increases
58
How does vegetation affect teh water cycle (seasonal)
Interception in summer & floods in winter (deciduous trees)
More evaporation -> more precipitation
59
What does the Met office say about UK rainfall from extremely wet weather has increase by
17% increase in extremely wet weather weather days
60
What has happened to the likelihood of extremely wet days in the UK
7x
61
What happened to rainfall in the Somerset Levels
Wettest January since 1910
350mm in jan and feb which is 100mm higher than average
62
How much do UK water companies extract per day
15,000ML/day
63
What happened in teh London Basin in the 19th and 20th century
Industrialisation led to aquifer exploitation
64
what was the name of the London Basin aquifer that was exploited
Chalk-basal sands
65
What caused the increase in water table levels in London cause
Since the 1960s, it has gradually risen, posing a threat to the London Underground
66
How deep was the depression in the water table in London in the 1960s due to overabstraction
88m
67
What is the Keeling Curve
Carbon atmospheric content increases at 2ppm/year
68
How much carbon is absorbed by trees
4 tonnes/hectare/year
69
What is the biggest store of carbon on earth
Sedimentary rocks
70
What is the 2nd biggest store of carbon in the world
Oceans
71
What proportion of anthropically produced carbon do the oceans absorb
38%
72
What is the problems with measuring the impacts on the ocean from absorbing carbon dioxide
Difficult to measure precise rates, magnitude and directions of movement of carbon
Difficult to figure out how these affect acidity, salinity and nutrients
Hard to map both
73
Where are wildfires predominantly found?
Between 30 degrees north and south of teh equator mainly in rainforest regions
74
What do wildfires demonstrate
That trees are large carbon sinks since there is a significant release of carbon
75
What proportion of carbon do trees release in wildfires
10-20% of carbon
76
What proportion of the worlds calories come from rice
20%
77
How many people does rice make up a significant proportion of their diet
3.5 Billion
78
What is the main environmental problem with rice production
Methane is produced by bacteria in rice fields
79
What is released by rice fertilisers
Nitrous oxide
80
How much worse that CO2 is NO
270 times worse
81
What is a solution to reducing rice cultivations impact on the environment
Drain fields to reduce bacteria (alternate between being flooded and dry)
82
What is challenging about changing farmers rice production practices
Habit and policy
No incentives
More NO released by alternate flooding
83
What are potential benefit from sustainable rice farming practices
Alternate wetting out weights losses from fewer plants
84
What are examples of green infrastructure
Afforestation, green roofs/walls
85
What causes increase algae blooms
Higher CO2 and Fertilisers in water leads to blooms which cause less sunlight to reach ocean floor (eutrophication)
86
What is happening to coral reefs with increased dissolved carbon in the ocean
Kills off coral and bleaches it, reducing it as a store
87
What happens with Di-methyl Sulfate
Oxidise into sulphuric acid which seeds the clouds
88
What produces DMS
Phytoplankton
89
Where are Flamborough and Spurn head
Flamborough is in the north with Selwicks bay
Spurn head is the long spit in the South by the Humber Estuary
90
How long is the Gulf Stream
10,000km
91
How fast does the Gulf Stream move
2 m/s
92
How much water does the Gulf Stream move
100 million m^3/s
93
What do the SE trade winds drive
Warm surface water to the Gulf of Mexico
94
What do scientist fear will happen to the Gulf Stream
It will stop due to climate change
(Current wouldn’t be dense enough, not enough of a differential)
95
What directs the Gulf Stream to Europe
West winds
96
What is upwelling
Cold water moves towards the surface when wind blows away the warmer surface water (typically at the coast)
97
Typical UK high energy coastline
Atlantic facing e.g. Cornwall and W Scotland
North Sea facing e.g. Norfolk and East Yorkshire
98
Typical lower energy coastline UK
East coast e.g. Thames estuary
Sheltered coasts like Severn estuary and Hampshire
99
Where is Christchurch bay
Dorset, W of Isle of Wight
100
What are -ve feedback loops at Christchurch bay
Cliffs, headlands and bars
101
What are +ve feedback loops at Christchurch bay
Humans dredging to re nourish beaches causes less protection and more erosion
102
What is a sub-aerial process
Natural process that occurs at the grounds surface
103
When does mass movement occur
When the gravitational force acting on a slope exceeds its resisting force causing slope failure
104
What is liquefaction
Loose, saturated material loses its structure and temporarily acts as a liquid
105
What is the angle of repose
The angle of which a granular material can reach before it collapses under its own weight
106
What is geology vs lithology
What rock vs the structure of the rock and how it was created
107
What happens if a rock is more porous
More hydraulic action and cavitation
Weaker structural integrity
108
Why do porous rocks include air gaps
Formed under less extreme pressure so weaker
109
Define LSD
Transfer mechanism where swash carries material obliquely up a beach due to the wave angle then backwash carries it at a perpendicular angle back down the beach
110
What are the 12 Apostles
9 limestone sea stacks in Victoria, Australia
111
When were teh 12 Apostles formed
10-20M years ago
112
When did the last 2 stacks collapse happen in the 12 Apostles
2005 and 2009 (both in winter/early spring
113
What are development factors to wave cut platforms
Lithology & geology
Coastline energy level
Sea level rise
114
What is the local case study of a wave cut platform
Flamborough head in the NE England
115
What is the geology at Flamborough head
Resistance chalk
116
Why is Flamborough head a headland
Chalk outlasted weak, soft boulder clay
117
Distant case study of a wave cut platform
Austinmer, Australia (SE coast)
118
What is the fetch for waves at Austinmer and impacts)
1300 miles (less than Australia’s average)
Still a popular tourist and surfing destination
119
What is the order of different aspets of the shore
BFNO (alphabetical order out to sea)
120
What causes a sand beach
Gentle gradient of 5> degrees
Sediment accumulates near low tide mark (runnels form)
121
What makes a shingle beach
5< degree gradient (typically 10-20)
Dominant swash and weak backwash, water percolates back to sea
122
What is a swash aligned beach
Perpendicular to coast
Built up by swash
Parallel to incoming waves
Minimal LSD
123
What is a drift aligned beach
LSD has a large impact
parallel to LSD
Can extend out from coastline
124
What is a tombolo
Spit forms until it reaches an island so the island becomes connected to the mainland
125
What is a bar
A spit forms between 2 headlands leaving the bar and a lagoon (old bay)
126
What is a barrier island
Elongated bank of deposited sand or shingle running parallel to the coastline and not submerged by incoming tides
Characterised by pioneer plant development
127
What is the difference between a Halosere and a Hydrosere
Salt water vs freshwater
128
What does mesophytic mean
Plants not adapted to particularly wet or dry conditions
129
What is the likely stages of a dune succession of plant characteristics
Hydrophytic (wet)
Mesophytic (in between)
Xerophytic (dry)
130
How is a ria formed
Flooded river valley that once drained a glacier but became underwater once sea levels rose
Follows pattern of tributaries
131
Example of a ria
18km Flooded river valley from Falmouth to Truro (Cornwall)
132
Name of Ria in Devon
Kindsbridge estuary
133
What is the long-term (100,000s years) impact on sea levels
More opportunity to drop since all water can turn to ice but only some ice is left to melt
134
How much could sea levels drop of we entered a glacial period
120m (that’s what happened last time)
135
How a Fjords formed
Deep, U-shaped, glacial trough floods with sea levels rise
Unlike rias, they are much deeper inland than at the coast (due to moraine deposition patterns)
136
Example of a Fjord
Loch Torridon, Scotland
137
How do Dalmatian coastlines get formed
Mountain range parallel to coast then sea levels rise causing long, narrow island
138
What is the best example of a Dalmatian coastlines
Dinaric mountains in Croatia in the Adriatic Sea
139
How do raised beaches get formed
Sand and pebble deposits are backed by old cliff lines which are no longer at the shore due to sea level falls
140
What is a relict cliff
A cliff that used to be eroded by the sea but now does not sea erosion as relatively, sea levels have fallen so vegetation has colonised them
141
What is a marine platform
Wave cut platform that is now above the high tide mark
142
Reasons for Eustatic sea level rise
Thermal expansion
Melting of cryospehre
143
Relative time scales of eustatic vs isostatic sea level change
Eustatic can be fast but isostatic happens on a long time scale (land begins to move very slowly even if ice all melts fast)
144
Why, as temperature dropped, did sea levels fall
Water contracts when cold
145
What is a meltwater pulse
Sudden rapid release of meltwater
During periods of quick warming
146
What is pivotal motion
Movement due to isostatic change
147
What will happen if sea levels rise 2m in the Uk
1.5 million properties will have significantly higher flood risk
148
What happened post Boxing Day Tsunami
In 2004, the earthquake caused a permanent rise in sea level in the Indian Ocean by 0.1mm (sea bed rose a few metres)
149
How much water was displaced by the Boxing Day Tsunami
30km^3
150
What is the distant case study for SLR
Kiribati
151
What might happen to Kiribati
Some islands could disappear over the next 50 years
152
What proportion of Kiribati’s population is under threat
60%
153
What are some attempts for protecting Kiribati
Waste materials used for land reclamation
Sea walls and resorting coastal ecosystems
154
What has the government of Kiribati launched
Migration with dignity so that people can apply for jobs in neighbouring countries like NZ
155
What will the emigrants from Kiribati be named
Environmental refugees
156
What is an environmental refugee
Someone forced to migrate as a result of changes to their environment
157
What is a revetment
Partially permeable barrier to reduce wave anergy and erosive forces to the coastline
158
What is an offshore breakwater
Reduces wave energy before shore so less erosion occurs
159
What is marsh creation
Managed retreat to create a salt marsh which will act as a wetland to absorb flood damage
160
What does cliff regrading and drainage do
Reduces cliff angels and stabilises them so they are less susceptible to weathering and mass movement
161
What is dune stabilisation
Planting Maram grass to bind sand and increase erosive resistance to slow erosion
162
Examples of a marine platform (emergent landform)
Isle of Arran, Scotland
163
Example of a raised beach
Ayrshire coast in NW coast Scotland
164
How many
