case examples and stats A level geography

includes coasts not glaciers

When did the drought in Spain begin and end

2020 - 2024

Spain specific reservoir drought example and facts

Reservoir Sau

• North Barcelona

• was at 7% capacity so they drained the rest of it to save it and stop it mixing with the mud at the bottom 2023

  • killed 4,000 fish

    • destroyed the ecosystem

• the reservoir was a previously flooded village so tourists would visit and get stuck in the mud making officials come down and rescue them

Introduction to droughts in europe

• Europe suffered its driest period in over 500 years

• Drought in 2003 cost around €13 billion (20 countries affected)

2020 Spain drought what % of land was affected

80%

Spain drought intro

• intensive agriculture (biggest exporter of olive oil)

  • overgrazing of livestock causing there to be less vegetation leading to soil erosion and drought

  • over cultivation reducing soil fertility and plant growth leading to soil erosion and drought

  • Consumes a lot of water

• 80 villages have their water turned off

  • pipes expand with the heat causing leaks

• average reservoir capacity is 46.5%

• grass should be 2ft but is only 2in (past optimal

• mainly due to climate change

Peak optimum temperature for plants is… and past this point growth starts to slow

40 C

Spain 2020-24 how many villages had water turned off overnight

80

average reservoir capacity in spain during 2020-24 drought

47% capacity

other drought concerns in Spain

Hotels had to buy water which threatened them to close as maintenance costs were too high

planes wont be able to collect water from reservoirs to fight wildfires

lack of plant growth threatened farmers livelihood

How much does California make from its farmland?

$50 billion a year

What does California mainly produce?

fruits, nuts, vegetables, and wine

Since when has California experienced drought?

2011

Causes of drought in California

Over abstraction of the Colorado river

over abstraction of aquifers — 1/3 of californias water supply

Rocky Mountains prevent rain (orographic rainfall) inland

Enso cycles with La Niña

water pollution

50% of precipitation falls between November and March, leading to seasonal shortages

Intense agriculture - 40% of the USA's vegetables

Effects of drought in California

• 2014 $5 billion in losses in agriculture (increase in food prices)

• reduced wetlands (less fish)

• lowered groundwater levels

• subsidence from low ground water levels caused properties to be damaged

• Wild fires

• The cost of 2011-17 drought was $2.7 billion a year, meaning less state money to spend on services such as schools and hospitals

• salt water intrusion due to low groundwater levels

where does el nino cause drought

Australia, indonesia, aisa and central africa

How does California try to combat drought?

up to $500 fines for water overusage

where does la nina cause drought

south america in california

how many million in California rely on snow melt and winter rain for water

25 million

how many acres of farm land in California

24 million

Australian millennium drought

• 2001 to 2009

• 1 in a 1000 year event (hence the name) in 2006 called the big dry

  • Affected more than half the farmland including Murray Darling (which was 50% lower than record minimum) basin which provides 40% of the nations agricultural output which led to less food supplies less exports and far less crops due to reliant on water.

  • sheep stock fell by 7 million in 2002-3 due to dehydration

  • 100,000 people employed in agriculture lost their jobs

• in 2001 and 2003 el nino causes drought

• reservoirs at 40% capacity

• crop yield went from 25 million tonnes to 10 million

• overabstraction

  • before farmers could take as much water as they wantes

• high water consumption

  • 340 L a day (over double world average)

• overgrazing and Deforestation

• water shortages in cities like Adelaide

• 2010 la Nina floods Australia and ends drought

Boscastle floods General info

• 2004 August

• convergence of 3 major rivers

  • Valency, Paradise and Jordan

• 2 billion liters of water ran towards the town

• 89mm fain fell within 1 hour

• Unprepared

  • river valency had never flooded before

  • flooded at high tide

  • No flood control system

• old sewage and drainage system

  • not very effective

• Very wet summer (2 weeks before ground very saturated)

• Deforestation for agriculture

  • less interception

• steep, V-shaped valleys

• 90% of income is tourism

• 1000 residents

Boscastle Floods effects

• Cost of damage £15 million

• 29/31 fire brigades of cornwall helped

• Church filled with 6 m of mud and water

• 58 properties flooded

• Low Bridges trapped debris creating mini dams

  • release of this pressure caused 5m high surges

• higher insurance

• coastal pollution

  • 80 cars went into the ocean

  • 30 of them are still there

  • oil leaks of cars harmed environment

• Evacuated 100 people

  • 7 helicopters

  • very expensive

Boscastle flood recovery

• £4.5 million for flood defense scheme

• car park risen to reduce likelihood of flood

• new drains

• deeper channel

Great Lakes of North America. contain what % of all accessible water

20%

Average water consumption in the world?

150L per day

What percentage of peoples daily salary is spent on water in Papa New Ginuea (port moresby)

54%

How much does China's WTS cost?

$62 Billion

how many people in China are supplied by the WTS?

600 million people

How many people have been displaced due to China's WTS?

at least 330,000

How many cities were flooded when the 3 gorges dam was being built?

13

How much water does China's WTS move?

12 trillion gallons per year

What is the numerical amount for water stress/insecurity?

<1700m³ per person per day

what is the numerical amount for water scarcity?

<1000 m ³ per person per day

What % of people in the world are dependent on transboundary water sources

50%

Name 3 water bourne diseases

typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery

% of fresh water in the world

less than 3%

Amazon Rainforest case study

• largest tropical rainforest

• covers 40% of south Americas land mass

• produces up to 75% of it’s own precipitation

  • from evapotranspiration

• 2001-2020 lost almost 9% of its forest (deforestation)

  • 54.2 million hectares (size of France)

  • ¾ of it is due to cattle rearing

• home to 30% of the planet’s biodiversity

Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland (2010) VEI

4

How many people were evacuated in Eyjafjallajökull eruption?

700

How many countries had to close their air space due to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption?

20

How many flights disrupted by Iceland eruption?

10,000

How much tephra was released in Iceland eruption?

110 million m^3

Total cost of disrupted flights due to Iceland eruption

2.2 billion euros

% of Iceland that is actively volcanic?

25%

What plates is the Iceland plate?

North American and Eurasian plate (constructive boundary)

% of earthquakes that occur at a plate boundary

95%

% of volcanoes around the ring of fire

75%

% of tsunamis that occur in the Pacific ocean?

70%

Because Iceland eruption disrupted so many flights what were the impacts of this

Perishable goods like fresh fruit and flowers were ruined and it cost Kenya US$1.3 million a day leading to 5,000 workers being laid off.

How many fatalities in the Iceland March 2010 eruption

none

How many people were evacuated due to glacial flooding after the volcanic eruption 2010

- 500 cattle farmers

Environmental benefit of E15 2010 eruption

Iron rich ash went into the the North Atlantic, triggering a plankton bloom, driving an increase in biological productivity.

2004 asian tsunami cause

• 9.1 magnitude earthquake at the Sunda Megathrust fault (destructive/convergent)

  • boundary between the Burma (eurasian) plate and the subducting Indo-Australian Plate

• Made 1500km of seabed rise by 15m

• caused a 30m wave

Social impacts of 2004 tsunami

• 15 countries affected

• estimated 228,000 moralities

• Coastal communities taken by surprise as there were no tsunami warning systems

• Many people ventured onto exposed beaches due to the drawback effect, causing many casualties by drowning

• displaced an estimated 1.7 million people

Economic impacts of the 2004 Boxing day tsunami

• caused an estimated $13 billion in economic losses

• farmers were affected

  • salt water affected soils

  • irrigation systems broken

• many communities were fishing dependent

  • boats and equipment were broken leading to food shortages and job insecurity

Environmental impacts of 2004 boxing day tsunami

• Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and forests destroyed by the wave surge.

  • mangroves and coasts were more vulnerable as they were being cut down for other land uses as they could’ve absorbed some energy (tourism or agriculture etc)

• Many more ecosystems polluted by human and chemical waste in the floodwater.

• Earth’s orbit altered

  • Days are now 2.68 microseconds shorter.

responses to the 2004 boxing day tsunami

• US$14 billion was provided in aid.

• The US provided aircraft for Search and Rescue, surveying, and transport of aid cargo.

• Corruption hampered aid efforts.

  • For example, Sri Lanka refused Israeli aid efforts.

• Tsunami warning system implemented in response.