Paper 1 Geography Case Studies

Vocabulary flashcards covering Paper 1 geography case studies: tectonic hazards (Japan and Haiti earthquakes), meteorological hazards (Typhoon Haiyan and UK heatwave), tropical rainforests (Amazon), hot deserts (UAE and Badia), river management (River Don), and coastal management (Holderness Coast).

Primary Effects of the March 2011 Japan Earthquake

The direct physical consequences of the earthquake, including damage to $3918$ roads and the shifting of the Japanese coastline by $2\,\text{m}$ from its prior location.

Secondary Effects of the March 2011 Japan Earthquake

The subsequent consequences of the disaster, which resulted in $15{,}899$ deaths and left more than $330{,}000$ people residing in temporary accommodation by 2012.

Sendai Airport

The Japanese transport facility that was repaired and reopened by the end of March 2011 as a short-term response following the 2011 earthquake.

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

A Japanese power facility stabilised after the March 2011 earthquake; it maintains a $13\,\text{mile}$ evacuation zone and prompted the closure of all but $2$ nuclear power plants in Japan.

Primary Effects of the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake

The initial catastrophic impacts in Haiti, causing $316{,}000$ fatalities and destroying the majority of buildings, including the presidential palace.

Secondary Effects of the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Indirect aftermath issues in Haiti, including the escape of $4000$ inmates from the Port au Prince prison and overflowing morgues that forced bodies into streets, triggering a cholera outbreak.

Short-Term Responses to the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Immediate emergency aid efforts during which $4.3\,\text{million}$ individuals relied on food rations, and the UK government contributed $\pounds 20\,\text{million}$ in donations.

Long-Term Responses to the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake

Prolonged recovery outcomes where $98\%$ of the rubble remained uncleared $6\,\text{months}$ later, and the government of Senegal offered land to Haitian citizens wishing to relocate.

Tacloban City

A Philippine city that suffered $90\%$ destruction as a primary effect of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.

Primary Effects of Typhoon Haiyan

Immediate damage from the November 2013 typhoon, which affected $14\,\text{million}$ people, left $6\,\text{million}$ without a livelihood, and destroyed over $30{,}000$ fishing vessels.

Secondary Effects of Typhoon Haiyan

The delayed fatal impacts following the storm, most notably $6300$ deaths caused directly by the massive storm surge.

USS George Washington

The US aircraft carrier deployed to the Philippines to assist in search and rescue missions as an immediate short-term response to Typhoon Haiyan.

Cash for Work Programmes

Long-term recovery initiatives launched after Typhoon Haiyan that paid local survivors wages to clear away storm debris.

Oxfam (Typhoon Haiyan Response)

An aid organisation that provided long-term economic support after Typhoon Haiyan by financing the building and replacement of destroyed fishing boats.

Heat Dome (UK Heatwave July 2022)

A persistent high-pressure weather system settling over northern Europe that trapped extreme heat, causing the UK heatwave on 18–19th July 2022.

Impacts of the UK Heatwave (July 2022)

Consequences including $4500$ heat-related deaths, $8000$ properties without power, a $40\%$ drop in rail travelers, and the London Fire Brigade handling $2600$ calls daily compared to the normal $500$.

UK Temperature Records (July 2022)

Environmental benchmarks set during the July 2022 heatwave, consisting of an all-time UK high of $40.3\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ and a new record in Sheffield that was $4\,^{\circ}\text{C}$ higher than previously observed.

Hammersmith Bridge

A bridge structure in London that was covered in a giant sheet of tin foil to reflect heat and keep it cool during the July 2022 heatwave.

Urban Greening

A sustainable management method increasingly adopted by UK municipal councils to counteract elevated urban temperatures during extreme heat events.

Cattle Ranching (Amazon Rainforest)

An agricultural enterprise responsible for $70\text{--}80\%$ of deforested land in the Amazon, expanding from $5\,\text{million}$ cows in the 1970s to over $200+\,\text{million}$ and earning Brazil over $\$149\,\text{billion}$.

Mercury Contamination (Amazon Rainforest)

A toxic byproduct of gold mining that has contaminated $90\%$ of fish caught by rural villagers living near Amazonian mining sites.

Slash and Burn

A traditional land-clearing method practised by over $400$ indigenous tribes in the Amazon rainforest to open up plots for agriculture.

Amazon Carbon Storage

The role of the Amazon rainforest in sequestering $76\,\text{billion tonnes}$ of $\text{CO}_2$, which prevents greenhouse gases from escaping into the atmosphere and accelerating climate change.

Soil Erosion (Amazon Rainforest)

A destructive consequence of Amazon deforestation that has stripped away half of the biome's topsoil across the last $150\,\text{years}$.

Burj Khalifa

The world's tallest building, developed in the UAE as part of a national strategy aiming to draw $20\,\text{million}$ tourists by 2020.

Desalination (UAE)

A process providing $98\%$ of the UAE's water supply to overcome severe freshwater scarcity, which simultaneously creates environmental pollution.

1991 Gulf War (UAE Environmental Impact)

A conflict that prompted a surge in sheep populations in the Arabian desert, accelerating widespread overgrazing and desertification.

Badia (Jordan)

An arid region in Jordan, reflecting the climatic reality that $90\%$ of the country receives under $200\,\text{mm}$ of annual rainfall.

Lower Don Valley Flood Defence Scheme

A $\pounds 20\,\text{million}$ flood alleviation initiative along the River Don comprising $1.8\,\text{km}$ of concrete flood defense walls.

Meadowhall Flood Defences

Private flood alleviation protections along the River Don implemented independently at a cost of $\pounds 2\,\text{million}$.

Sphagnum Moss (Moors for the Future)

Vegetation restored in upland catchment areas of the River Don that retains substantial moisture, dampening the downstream flood hydrograph peak by $30\%$.

Dredging (River Don)

Channel clearance work carried out by the Environment Agency, which routinely clears debris across $211\,\text{km}$ of river waterways.

Holderness Coast

A coastal stretch along the East coast of North Yorkshire recognised as the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, losing between $2\text{--}10\,\text{m}$ of land each year.

Hornsea Coastal Defences

Hard engineering installations protecting a Holderness tourist town, incorporating rock armour, a sea wall on the beach, and wooden groynes to halt longshore drift.

Mappleton Coastal Defence

A rock groyne constructed on the Holderness Coast in 1991 using imported Norwegian granite boulders to protect the village and the B1242 road.

Easington Gas Terminal Defences

Rock armour installed at the base of Holderness cliffs to defend one of only two UK terminal locations delivering $25\%$ of the country's natural gas onshore.