Geopolitics

GEO1010 Interconnected World -

  • Geopolitics in Relation to the State and Territoriality

    • Focus on the influence of geography on international politics and relations.

  • Definition of Geopolitics

    • Geopolitics encompasses various dimensions, including:

    1. Formal Geopolitics:

      • Refers to the production and circulation of geopolitical theories and perspectives generated by intellectuals involved in statecraft.

    2. Practical Geopolitics:

      • Involves the geographical vocabularies employed by political leaders in public addresses to help citizens comprehend global matters.

    3. Popular Geopolitics:

      • Refers to various manifestations found in visual media, news outlets, novels, radios, and the internet.

  • Key Differences Between Classical and Critical Geopolitics

    • Classical Geopolitics:

    • Primarily state-centered, focusing on international rivalries (economic, military, cultural).

    • Aligns with realist perspectives—views the world as it is.

    • Critical Geopolitics:

    • Challenges state-centered dynamics, emphasizing the role of individuals in geopolitics.

    • Encourages cooperation, discarding the notion that conflict is inherent in international relations, striving for improvement and change—an idealist perspective.

  • Why Does Geopolitics Matter?

    • Importance of safeguarding the Arctic from hazardous climate engineering practices.

    • The influence of states utilizing technological power to control other countries.

    • Recent geopolitical developments:

    • Europe deploying troops to Ukraine contingent on a ceasefire agreement due to the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

    • Israel's return to a ceasefire following Gaza strikes.

  • Historical Context of Classical Geopolitics

    • Dominantly influenced by the prevalence of empires and state power during the end of the 19th century, involving:

    • UK:

      • At its imperial zenith, boasting the world's most robust Navy and industrial capabilities.

    • Germany:

      • Rapidly industrialized after its unification in 1870, challenging UK’s dominance.

    • USA:

      • Adopted an isolationist foreign policy yet had a significant economy.

    • Concert of Europe:

    • Power and alliance systems in Europe leading up to World War I, described by de Siegel (1890-1914) as a state of malaise influenced by rising nationalism, countering imperialism, and the emergence of new nations while weakening established empires.

  • Scientific Developments Affecting Classical Geopolitics

    • The rise of Darwinian theories, particularly Social Darwinism, contributed to the development of geopolitics, linking perceived racial superiority to state power outcomes.

    • Alfred T. Mahan’s Six Principal Conditions (1840-1914) impacting sea power:

    1. Geographical Positions

    2. Physical Conformation

    3. Extent of Territory

    4. Population Size

    5. National Character

    6. Character of Government

    • The essence of Mahan’s theory pivoted on the necessity of maintaining a battle fleet for successful geopolitical strategy (e.g., Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941).

    • Classical geopolitics emphasizes geographical determinism, arguing that a state’s physical geography plays a crucial role in dictating its cultural and political landscape.

  • Cold War Geopolitics

    • Transitioned focus from Europe to the USA, distancing itself from classical definitions while still reflecting on historical narratives associated with Nazi ideology.

    • Henry Kissinger (US Secretary of State, 1973-1977) articulated a historical perspective that encompassed pragmatic, sensible strategies within geopolitics.

GEO1020 - River Geomorphology

  • Fluvial Definition:

    • Pertaining to rivers, derived from their processes and influence on the landscape.

    • Geo: Refers to Earth's surface.

    • Morphology: The scientific study of form and structure.

  • Fluvial Geomorphology:

    • Defined as the investigation of sediment sources, fluxes, and storage within river systems and floodplains over varying timescales (Sear and Newson, 1993).

    • Understanding fluvial geomorphology is crucial for:

    • Analyzing the development of contemporary river landscapes and predicting future changes.

    • Contributes to sustainable river basin management, and informs environmental policies and land management decisions (e.g., EU Water Framework Directive).

  • River Basin Evolution:

    • River systems evolve through both internal (autocyclic) and external (allocyclic) processes over short to long timescales.

    • Autocyclic Controls:

      • Influences including drainage network changes, river aggravation, and channel behavior.

    • Allocyclic Controls:

      • Environmental factors such as climate variations, tectonic activities, and eustatic changes (sea-level fluctuations).

  • Historical Context of Geomorphology:

    • Early geomorphological advancements focused on erosion cycles, best exemplified by Davis (1899).

    • This approach was criticized for not encompassing integral components of the Earth's system (e.g., climatic variations).

  • Erosion and Uplift Relationship:

    • Erosion rates can be influenced by uplift rates, with different outcomes based on their balance:

    • If uplift > erosion, mountains (e.g., Himalayas) rise.

    • If uplift balances with erosion, mountains maintain elevations (e.g., Taiwan).

  • River Basin Morphometry:

    • Dominant control over drainage patterns is influenced by bedrock structure.

    1. Dendritic: Uniform bedrock, often flat-lying sedimentary or massive igneous rocks.

    2. Trellis: Alternating bands of resistant and weak bedrock.

    3. Radial: Rivers diverge from a central elevated point (e.g. volcanic domes).

    4. Centripetal:

    5. Rectangular:

    6. Deranged:

    • Research by Hack and Montgomery noted consistent relationships between river basin size and length, leading to the idea of self-similar patterns as scale increases, with basin forms also minimized for energy expenditure.

  • Climate’s Influence:

    • Critical to the regional water cycle and steam flow generation, affecting channel erosion and vegetation resistance.

    • Climate significantly influences drainage network development, with basin shapes varying:

    • Elongate in arid regions, dendritic in humid zones.

    • In dry subhumid environments, denser, more branched networks emerge as flow accumulates and channels connect.

  • Tectonic Impacts:

    • River profiles often become more concave in tectonically active environments.

    • Increased proximity to tectonic boundaries correlates with steeper slopes and greater uplift observed over geological timelines.