Geography case studies > Water EQ2 > Flashcards

Water EQ2 Flashcards

(49 cards)

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1
Q

When were the floods in Keswick and of which storm where they caused by?

A

December 2015. Storm Desmond.

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2
Q

What type of pressure system was Storm Desmond?

A

Storm Desmond was a deep low-pressure system, drawing moist air from the Atlantic via a ‘warm conveyer belt’

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3
Q

What were the physical causes of flooding in Keswick?

A

-Orographic (relief) rainfall
-Antecedent rainfall/conditions
-Jet stream position
-Geology

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4
Q

How much rainfall fell in 38 hours in Thirlmere and how much rainfall did Cumbria receive in one day?

A

405mm fell in 38 hours in Thirlmere. More than a months’ worth of rainfall in one day.

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5
Q

What type of geology does Keswick lie upon?

A

Mustones and sandstones with low permeability (increased overland flow)

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6
Q

What human factors contributed to the flooding in Keswick?

A

-Urbanisation and impermeable surfaces
-Land use changes; overgrazing by sheep and deforestation in upland areas
-Mismanagement of rivers
-Flood defences overwhelmed

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7
Q

How much was spent on the flood defences prior to the floods in Keswick and what was the main fault?

A

£6.1 million flood defence scheme, however they were raised to protect a flood up to 5m (river rose to 5.9m)

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8
Q

What were the social impacts of the floods in Keswick?

A

-5200 homes flooded
-90% of costs (by 2021) had to be paid for by individuals = stress on residents

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9
Q

What were the economic impacts of the floods in Keswick?

A

-Total damage costs of around £400-500 million
-House prices in area fall

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10
Q

What were the environmental impacts of the floods in Keswick?

A

-Positive feedback cycle of erosion increases further risk of flooding
-Decomposition of plant and animal matter acts as a poison to the ecosystem

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11
Q

When were the floods in Hebden Bridge and which storm where they caused by?

A

Boxing day 2015. Storm Eva.

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12
Q

Why is the Calder Valley particularly prone to flooding?

A

Steep topography (situated at the bottom of a valley) and urban development.

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13
Q

What were the physical causes of flooding in Hebden Bridge?

A

-Heavy rainfall
-Orographic rainfall
-Antecedent conditions
-River Calder overflow

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14
Q

How much rainfall fell in less than 24 hours in Hebden Bridge?

A

Over 100mm

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15
Q

What human factors contributed to the flooding in Hebden Bridge?

A

-Urbanisation, increased impermeable surfaces
-Deforestation and land use changes
-Insufficient flood defences

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16
Q

What practice takes up a large area of the land in the Calder Valley?

A

Pastoral farming

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17
Q

What were the social impacts of the floods in Hebden Bridge?

A

-2000 homes damaged
-Residents displaced = health and wellbeing impacted by stress
-Power outages
-Community disruption

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18
Q

What were the economic impacts of the floods in Hebden Bridge?

A

-Loss at around £47 million
-Unemployment

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19
Q

How many different businesses were impacted by the floods in Hebden Bridge?

A

1600 businesses impacted

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20
Q

Which region of the Sahel is most vulnerable?

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A

The Saharan fringe.

21
Q

What are the main physical causes of drought vulnerability in the Sahel?

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A

-Rainfall decline (prolonged dry period 1960 onwards)
-Atmospheric changes
-Sea surface temperatures
-El Nino

22
Q

What changes to the atmosphere have prevented the ITCZ to bring rain to the Sahel?

Study These Flashcards
A

Sulfur based aerosols from Europe and North America have caused atmospheric cooling and disrupted tropical rain patterns.

23
Q

How have sea surfaces created drought conditions in the Sahel?

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A

Unusually high sea temperature has reduced the strength of the West African monsoon, weakening rain bearing winds.

24
Q

What are the main human causes of drought vulnerability in the Sahel?

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A

-Overgrazing/overcultivation
-Encroachment and migration
-Civil conflict and poverty

25
How has migration impacted drought conditions in the Sahel?
Expanding farmland in the Abyssinian plateau has increased population demand for water resources (decreasing supply).
26
In which countries in the Sahel have there been civil conflict?
Ethiopia and Eritrea. Conflict has displaced more people into drought prone regions increasing food insecurity to population demand.
27
What are the impacts of drought conditions in the Shael?
-Food insecurity -Water and agricultural stress (decreased water=decreased crop yield) -Migration and social strain (positive feedback cycle)
28
Between 1999-2000 how many people in Ethiopia required food aid?
10million (1983-5 ~1million famine deaths)
29
What are the main physical causes of drought vulnerability in Brazil?
-High pressure atmospheric block of rain bearing winds. -Climate change (increased evapotranspiration worsens soil moisture deficits) -Hydrological change (rivers 40% below normal) -ENSO cycles
30
In 2024 how many fire outbreaks were recorded in Brazil, and which ENSO event are they linked to
140,000. Linked to 2023-2024 drought from La Nina conditions.
31
What are the main human influences of drought vulnerability in Brazil?
-Over abstraction -Well dependency -Energy use (shift to thermal power increases CO2 emissions) -Water mismanagement
32
At what capacity were some reservoirs in Brazil?
17 major reservoirs were over abstracted from, with some reduced to 1% of capacity.
33
Of all the wells in Brazil by 2019, how many were legal?
Of 2.5 million wells only 10% were legal.
34
What are the impacts of drought conditions in Brazil?
-Water insecurity -Rising prices of food (crop irrigation cuts) - Economic impact due to reduced agricultural output. - Wildfires (disruption to ecosystem) Aquifer decline (dangerously low groundwater levels)
35
How many people faced shortages from the Pantanal to the coast in Brazil due to drought conditions?
80 million
36
What are the main physical causes of drought vulnerability in Australia?
-Climate variability -ENSO -Long-term shifts (since 1970s, seen a decline in rainfall) -Global warming (drying soils and reducing water availability) -Reduced rainfall
37
What was 'The Big Dry' and how does it link to an El Nino event?
The 'Big Dry' of 2006-2012 and 2019 was a 1 in 1000-year event (extending across multiple states and lasting decades in some areas). associated with El Nino- supresses rainfall across Eastern Australia.
38
In what year did Australia experience its driest year on record?
2019. Average ~480mm annually (2009-2018) in comparison to 2019 with an annual average of 277.63mm.
39
What are the main human influences of drought vulnerability in Australia?
-Over abstraction (mostly in the Murray-Darling Basin) -Urban pressure -Agricultural demand (water intensive crops like rice, cotton- impacts of colonialism) -High use per capita (some of highest users globally)
40
Which city depends on the River Murray for 40% of its water?
Adelaide
41
In 2016, what percent of capacity did the river Murray fall to?
40% capacity.
42
What are the impacts of drought conditions in Australia?
-Agricultural losses farmers forced to sell/go bankrupt) -Urban water crisis, 'Day Zero'. -Tensions over water between farmers and cities (demand policy reform) -Wildfires (2019-2020 bushfire crisis)
43
What is the environmental impact of drought conditions on the River Murray?
Dry riverbeds, wetland loss and biodiversity collapse.
44
What restoration technique is being carried out in the Sahel to combat effects of climate change on drought conditions?
Re-greening (Popular in Malawi, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Niger). Involves: -Planting of trees and bushes -Use of water harvesting techniques e.g., farmers dig planting pits to trap limited rainfall
45
How has climate change caused California's drought conditions to worsen?
-Rising temperatures increased evaporation rates -Fall in precipitation
46
Forecasters from Cornell university predict a __% chance of a decade long drought in SW California.
90%.
47
What are the impacts of climate change and droughts in California?
-Grassland areas expand (reduction in forested areas) -Groundwater extraction -Reservoir levels fall
48
Intensive farming and groundwater abstraction in California has caused the ground to sink by how much?
Half a metre each year.
49
In 2022, Californias two largest lakes fall to what capacity?
~40%
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