NAME: _____________________

Human Uses of Fold Mountains Case Study (The Andes)

Farming:
Land is farmed in the flat valley bottom. Crops include coffee and cotton.
Steps are cut into slopes called terraces, to allow farming on hillsides.
People keep animals that are suited to the environment e.g. llamas (for milk and wool).

HEP:
Hydroelectric power uses the steep slopes to provide electricity to local homes.
Water flows down the slopes and drives turbines. Dams are used to control the water
flow.
The Yuncan Project Dams are in Northeast Peru

Mining:
Gold is mined in Peru - Yanacocha is the largest open-cast gold mine in the
world
Tin is mined in Peru and Bolivia
Copper is mined at Escondida in Chile.

Tourism:
Tourists are attracted by the mountain scenery.
Tourists are also attracted by highland lakes e.g. Lake Titicaca
The ruins of the buildings left by the Incas at Machu Pichu attract thousands of
visitors each year.

How Humans adapt to limited communications, steep relief & poor soils

Coping with steep slopes:

Llamas are used to transport building materials up steep slopes.
Farming is best in the lower valleys where it is warmer.
Farmers make steps out of the steep mountain sides to grow crops on. This is known as
terracing.

Coping with poor soils:
Terraces are cut into hillsides. They reduce the downward movement of the thin soil.

Coping with limited communications:

Cable cars are used to transport tourists and farmers up the steep mountain sides.
As technology has improved, roads have been built, improving access for farmers and
tourists e.g. the Uspallata pass between Chile and Argentina.
Railways travel through the steep slopes along tunnels.
 A case study of a volcanic eruption
(Mount Pinatubo Volcanic Eruption, 1991)

Causes
Mount Pinatubo is a volcano located in the Philippines in South East Asia. It is located at the
plate boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Plate. The oceanic Philippine plate is
being subducted under the lighter continental Eurasian plate.

Negative Primary Effects

847 people killed, mostly by collapsing roofs and mud flows known as lahars.
1.2 million people lost their homes.
Electricity went off.
Water was contaminated.
Road links were destroyed, and telephone links were cut.
Crops damaged.

Negative Secondary Effects

Disease spread in the evacuation camps e.g. measles.
Global cooling caused by ash in the atmosphere of 0.5C.
Business damaged or destroyed, leading to 650,000 workers losing their jobs.
There was a food shortage due to damaged crops.

Positive Effects
Volcanic rocks are hard and make good building materials.
Minerals, formed from the weathering of lava and ash, have attracted many farmers to
work on the slopes of Mount Pinatubo.
Geothermal Power - heat generated by volcanoes can be used to heat local homes.
Tourists visit Mount Pinatubo and take treks up to see the crater lake.

Short Term Responses

An evacuation area 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the volcano was set up and 25,000
people were evacuated.
Manilla Airport was closed.
Charities such as Oxfam provided food and blankets in evacuation camps.
Emergency aid was brought into the area (e.g. food, drinking water, tents) from other
parts of the Philippines and from other countries.

Long Term Responses

The Philippines is an LEDC and had little money to spend on rebuilding the area.
New schools and houses have been built, but this has taken time. Some new houses are
built on stilts so lahars will not affect them.
New villages away from the danger area are slowly being built.
Local authorities have tried to encourage new investment in the area.
 A case study of an earthquake in a rich part of the world (Christchurch, New
Zealand, September 2010)

Background Secondary Short Term Long Term

Primary Effects
Information Effects Responses Responses

On Saturday 4th It is estimated

September 2010 0 people were that 930 million
at 4:35am a 7.4 killed by the of damage was About 200 people Most households
magnitude earthquake and done. But the whose homes and businesses
earthquake only two people New Zealand were damaged are expected to
struck 55km were reported economy is spent the night in claim from their
north-west of as seriously strong enough to shelters. insurers.
Christchurch at a injured. make a full
depth of 12km recovery.
An estimated
The central
100,000 homes A state of
New Zealand lies Schools were government will
were damaged emergency was
on a destructive shut for five provide at least
by the declared and
boundary days so that 90% of the funds
earthquake but army troops were
between the safety checks needed to rebuild
only around 500 on standby to
Indo-Australian & could be carried the area's water,
will need to be assist after the
Pacific Plate. out. sewerage and
totally quake.
road networks.
demolished.
It is one of the Damage to buried
A Royal Air Force
Southern Power was cut pipes may have
plane brought 42 Within two days
Hemispheres across the allowed sewage
urban search and power had been
richest countries region, roads to contaminate
rescue personnel restored to 90%
and is ranked were blocked by the residential
and three sniffer of the city, and
20th of 182 debris, and gas water supply and
dogs from the the water supply
countries on the and water residents were
North Island to has resumed for
Human supplies were warned to boil
Christchurch the all up to 80%.
Development disrupted. tap water before
day of the quake.
Index. using it.
 A case study of an earthquake in a poorer part of the world (Haiti, 2010)

Background
Primary Effects Secondary Effects Short Term Responses Long
Information

On Tuesday, January
Main roads were
12, 2010 at 16:53 a As o
Estimated 230,000 blocked for 10 days
7.0 magnitude Initially there was much
people died with after the shock
earthquake struck confusion due to little rub
300,000 more meaning transport
25km west of Port- planning or preparation. qu
seriously injured. was extremely
Au-Prince at a depth
difficult.
of 13km.
The damage to
Aid was slow to arrive
250,000 houses houses left over 1
Haiti lies on a due to the lack of
were destroyed, million people
destructive Boundary preparation and damage
electricity supplies homeless, whilst the One
between the to communications.
were disrupted & damage to hospitals quake
Caribbean Plate and People resorted to
the main port and and medical liv
the North American looting due to the lack
airport were facilities delayed
Plate. of food, water &
damaged. medical care for the
medical supplies.
injured.
It is the poorest Services were T
country in the overwhelmed and in
More than 1,300
Western Hemisphere, The Haitian Economy corpses buried in the comm
schools and 50
and is ranked 149th is in ruins 1 in 5 rubble began to that
health care facilities
of 182 countries on jobs were lost. decompose. Mass mas
were destroyed.
the Human graves began to rec
Development Index. decompose. recov

Tsunami Case Study (Boxing Day India Ocean Tsunami, 2004)

Causes/Background Information:
The Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred on 26 December 2004 was the result of the
Indo-Australian Plate subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate.
 The tsunami was caused by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter scale.
The tsunami travelled at speeds of up to 800 km/h.
The wave devastated areas of Sumatra (especially Banda Aceh) as well as areas of Sri
Lanka, India, Malaysia, the Maldives & Thailand.

Effects:
More than 220,000 people died.
650,000 people were seriously injured.
2 million people were made homeless.
Public buildings including schools and hospitals were wiped out in some areas.
The tourism industry suffered because of the destruction and because people were
afraid to go on holiday there.
Mangroves, coral reefs, forests and sand dunes were all destroyed by the waves.
Millions of fishermen lost their livelihoods.
There was massive environmental damage. Salt from the seawater has meant plants
cant grow in many areas.

Responses:
There was an immediate response from the international community. Fresh water,
food, sheeting and tents all poured in as aid.
Tents and temporary shelters were put up to provide shelter for the homeless.
Medical teams set up aid stations to treat the injured and prevent disease from
contaminated water.
Heavy equipment was brought to the area to clear roads destroyed by the force of
the water.
The immense amount of money donated - 372 million by the British public alone - is
being used to build new and stronger housing for the people affected.
By 2006, an early warning system like the one in the Pacific Ocean was in place, and
education programmes ensure people know what to do in the event of an alert being
sounded.

Yellowstone Supervolcano

Background Information:

Yellowstone is located predominantly in the U.S. state of Wyoming

 Yellowstone was designated the worlds first National Park

The caldera at Yellowstone is 55km by 72km

Yellowstone lies on top of a hot spot

It last erupted approximately 630,000 years ago

Likely effects:

Magma would be flung 50km into the atmosphere

Virtually all life up to 1000km away would be killed

1000km3 of lava would pour out of the volcano

87,000 people would be killed

15cm of ash would cover buildings within 1,000km

The UK would receive the ash 5 days after an eruption

Global temperatures would drop

NAME: _____________________
 A case study of flooding in a rich part of the world (an MEDC) - Carlisle, 2005

Causes Primary Effects Secondary Effects Short Term Responses

Com
200 mm of rain fell in w
36 hours. The Children lost out on pro
3 people died and People were evacuated
continuous rainfall education one supp
around 3000 people from areas that
saturated the soil, school was closed for pra
were made homeless. flooded.
increasing runoff into months pe
the River Eden. af

A
Carlisle is a large 4 schools were sche
Reception centres were
urban area severely flooded. & Stress-related up t
opened around Carlisle
impermeable materials 350 businesses were illnesses increased defe
to provide food and
like concrete shut down. after the floods. up ba
drinks for evacuees.
increased runoff. Ed

This caused the

discharge of the River Around 3000 jobs Temporary Insu
Some roads and
Eden to reach 1520 were at risk in accommodation was set paid
bridges were
cumecs (its average businesses affected up for the people made poun
damaged.
discharge is 52 by floods. homeless.
cumecs).

A case study of flooding in a poor part of the world (an LEDC) Bangladesh, 2004
 Secondary Short Term Long Term
Causes Primary Effects
Effects Responses Responses

In one region, Many people

900 mm of rain didn't evacuate International
Children lost out
fell in July. The Over 2000 from areas that charities have
on education
continuous people died and flooded, and funded the
around 4000
rainfall around 25 million blocked transport rebuilding of
schools were
saturated the people were links slowed down homes and the
affected by the
soil, increasing made homeless. any evacuations agriculture and
floods.
runoff into that were fishing industries.
rivers. attempted.
Melting snow
44 schools were Other
from glaciers in Around 100,000 Some homes have
totally governments and
the Himalayan people caught been rebuilt on
destroyed and international
mountains water-borne stilts, so they're
many factories charities
increased the diseases like less likely to be
closed and lots distributed food,
discharge of the dysentery and damaged by
of livestock water and
Brahmaputra diarrhoea. future floods.
were killed. medical aid.
river.
The peak Flooded fields
discharge of reduced basmati Technical The vast majority
both the Ganges rice yields - equipment like of people had no
10,000 km of
and prices rose 10%. rescue boats insurance and
roads were
Brahmaputra Many farmers were also sent to therefore
destroyed.
rivers happened and factory help people who received no
at the same workers became were stranded. compensation.
time. unemployed.
 A case study of a dam/reservoir: Rutland Water

Economic Effects/Issues:
The reservoir boosts the local economy - it's a popular tourist attraction because of
the wildlife and recreation facilities.

Around 6 km2 of land was flooded to create the reservoir. This included farmland, so
some farmers lost their livelihoods.

Social Effects/Issues:
Lots of recreational activities take place on and around the reservoir, e.g. sailing,
windsurfing, birdwatching and cycling.
Many jobs have been created to build and maintain the reservoir and to run the nature
reserve and recreational activities.
Schools use the reservoir for educational visits.
Two villages were demolished to make way for the reservoir.

Environmental Effects/Issues:
Rutland Water is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSCI) - an area where wildlife
is protected.
Hundreds of species of birds live around the reservoir and tens of thousands of
waterfowl (birds that live on or near water) come to Rutland Water over the winter.
A variety of habitats are found around the reservoir, e.g. marshes, mudflats and
lagoons. This means lots of different animals live in or around the reservoir.
Ospreys (fish-eating birds of prey that were extinct in Britain) have been
reintroduced to central England by the Rutland Osprey Project at the reservoir.
A large area of land was flooded to create the reservoir, which destroyed some
habitats.

The need for sustainable supplies:
The supply of water from the reservoir has to be sustainable. This means that people
should be able to get all the water they need today, without stopping people in the
future from having enough water.
Basically, people today can't deplete the water supply or damage the environment too
much, or the supply won't be the same in the future.
To use the reservoir in a sustainable way people can only take out as much water as is
replaced by the rivers that supply it. That way, the supply will stay the same for the
future.
NAME: _____________________
 A case study to illustrate the impact of coastal flooding: East Anglia and the Thames

Causes:
The main cause of sea-level rise is thermal expansion of the sea water as it absorbs heat
from the atmosphere. As the volume of water expands, sea levels rise.
The melting of ice on land (e.g. the Antarctic ice sheet) may also increase the amount of
water in the oceans. As the volume of water increases, sea levels rise.
Both of the above causes are linked to global warming.

Economic Impacts:
The Norfolk Broads is a popular tourist destination bringing over 5 million to the local
area. Sea level rise would flood the Broads, destroying the economy.
Valuable agricultural land (the Fens) will be at greater risk from flooding.

Social Impacts:
In 1953 a storm surge killed 300 people in East Anglia. People are worried that such an
event may occur again.
Settlements such as Kings Lynn may be under threat as sea levels rise.

Environmental Impacts:
22 per cent of East Anglias salt marsh could be lost by 2050. Areas of salt marsh are
being squeezed between sea walls and rising sea.
Low-lying mud flats in Essex are vulnerable to sea level rise.

Political Impacts:
As sea levels rise, erosion rates are likely to increase, threatening coastal settlements
such as Overstrand and Happisburgh. Current sea defences will need strengthening,
which will be expensive.
The Thames Barrier currently protects buildings worth 80billion. It will probably need
to be replaced in the next 30 to 50 years.
 A case study of an area of recent or threatened cliff collapse
Holbeck Hall, Scarborough, 1993

Background/Causes:
On June 5th 1993 the section of cliff supporting the Holbeck Hall hotel slumped,
dramatically, into the sea.

Rate of erosion: The cliff was cut back by 70 meters.

Cracks at the surface of the clay cliffs had allowed rain to seep deep into the cliffs.

A period of heavy rain had added additional weight and made the clay very unstable.

A large crack opened up parallel to the coast and then rotational slide occurred and a
large section of the cliff slumped out into the sea.

Buildings on the cliff top may have contributed by increasing the weight of the cliff and
interfering with drainage, making it more vulnerable to collapse.

Impacts of Cliff Collapse:

Erosion and cliff collapse affects many people, for example along Scarborough South cliff:

Homeowners can lose their homes to the sea.

House values along the coast have fallen, and insurance is often impossible to get.
Rapid cliff collapses are dangerous for people on the cliff top, and on the beach.
Roads are destroyed, which affects access to local towns and villages.
Many people say that the erosion makes the area unattractive.

Businesses are at risk from erosion e.g. caravan sites, farms, hotels and cafes. When
businesses, such as Holbeck Hall hotel, fall into the sea, jobs are lost.
 A case study of coastal management: Mappleton on the Holderness coast

Mappleton is a small village of about 100 people. By 1990 it was under threat and could have
become the 30th village lost along the Holderness coast.

Strategies to limit coastal erosion at Mappleton:

In 1991 nearly 2 million was spent on a coastal protection scheme for the village of
Mappleton on the Holderness coast.
The scheme involved blocks of granite (rock armour) imported from Norway being placed
along the bottom of the cliff.
It also involved 2 rock groynes being built to trap beach material, which will protect the
rock wall from direct wave attack.

Viewpoints Assessing the Costs and Benefits of protecting Mappleton:

Holderness Council - We are a small authority with an annual budget of only 4 million.
Spending a large amount of money to protect a village is hard to justify. Many people
agree that the village should be allowed to disappear. However, the B1242, which runs
through Mappleton, is a vital road link along the coast it would be expensive to find a
new route for it.

Farmer living just south of Mappleton - My farm is at greater risk from the sea than
ever because of the coastal protection works at Mappleton. Groynes at Mappleton have
trapped sediment and caused increased erosion further down the coastline. Cowden Farm,
located south of Mappleton, is now at risk of falling into the sea.

Ministry of Agriculture - We are moving towards a policy of managed retreat.

Although towns, villages and roads would be protected farmland and even isolated houses
would be regarded as dispensable and allowed to disappear.

Dr John Pethick a top scientist at the University of Hull - Low-lying farmland

should be abandoned and cliffs allowed to collapse (because they are the main sources of
sand and silt that build up) to protect other parts of the coast, including towns and
cities.
 A case study of a coastal habitat: Keyhaven Salt Marshes, Hampshire

The characteristics of a salt marsh environment:

Salt marshes are areas of periodically flooded coastal wetlands.
Salt marshes start life as mudflats.
In areas of sheltered water (e.g. a harbour or behind a spit) the sediment held in the
water settles out and builds up.
As plants arrive and grow, their roots help to stick the mud particles together and trap
even more sediment so the mudflats become more stable.
As the mudflats build up, different types of plants can grow and live there creating a
salt marsh habitat.

Species that inhabit salt marshes and the reasons why:

Salt marshes are covered in plants that can cope with salt and with being regularly
underwater.
Salt tolerant plants such as cordgrass soon start to colonise the mud flats. These
colonisers are called pioneer plants.
Cordgrass is a plant which is tolerant of the saltwater and its long roots prevent it from
being swept away by the waves and the tides and also helps to trap sediment and
stabilise the mud.
As the level of the mud rises, it is less frequently covered by water and the conditions
become less harsh as rainwater begins to wash out some of the salt and decomposing
plant matter improves the fertility of the newly forming soil.
New plant species such as sea asters start to colonise the area.
Gradually, over hundreds of years, a succession of plants develops, this is known as
vegetation succession.
The wold spider clings for hours to submerged stems of cordgrass waiting for low tide
when it feeds.
Oystercatcher birds feed and nest in salt marshes.

Strategies to ensure the environment is conserved, but also allow sustainable use of the
area:
Increasing demands for leisure and tourism have meant that increasing numbers of
tourists want to visit the marshes. Tourist visits are carefully managed to prevent
damage by trampling, parking and pollution.
During storms, the Keyhaven Marshes are under threat from the sea breaching the spit
that the marshes lie behind. In 1996, 5million was spent on rock armour and beach
nourishment to increase the height and width of the spit in an attempt to stop breaching.
This has so far protected the salt marshes.
Part of Keyhaven Marshes is a National Nature Reserve. The area is carefully monitored
to ensure that wildlife and plants are protected. Access to the marshes is limited and
development is restricted.