Geography Case Studies

Andes in Peru

Farming
Terraces of flat  land created from slopes
These retain water + reduce soil erosion

Arable farming = plants
Pastoral farming = animals

Llamas are used for transporting goods, wool and meat

Subsistence farming = farming to feed local community

Mining
Rich mineral ores in fold mountains
These provide jobs and income for villages.
Causes pollution and rapid development which can be difficult to cope.

Power stations
HEP- hydroelectric power as there are reliable steep slopes.

Tourism
Mountains, lakes, glaciers are tourist attractions.
Ancient Lacas settlements like Machu Picchu


Mount St. Helens

Location
NW of USA in washington, Cascade mountains.
 18 March 1980

Signs
Impending eruption as there were increasing volcanic activities. The water became acidic and earthquakes.

Effects
Primary-
5.1 richter scale earthquake.
Biggest recorded landside NW of the volcano
27 km squared North of volcano wiped out and trees uprooted
57 people died.
Secondary-
Fish market affected as river was affected by the ash. (Salmon)
Communications were blocked as roads and railway bridges destroyed


Response 
Short term-
Search and rescue team were sent to rescue survivors trapped.
People were evacuated from the area.

Longterm-
Buildings rebuilt
Roads rebuilt
Trees replanted
Drainage is checked
Ash allowed better fertility for the soil around it.
Tourism is boosted

Yellowstone
Location
Located in Montana

Effects
Last erupted 600,000 years ago
An eruption would be 1000 time bigger than the Mt. St Helens eruption.
It is a caldera (huge depression)
Formation:
A bulge is formed when magma can't escape.
Forced out of cracks.
When magma escapes, the bulge collapses forming a caldera

Evidence of close eruption
Caldera is bulging up
Increasing activity at Norris
Ground has risen 70cm at places,
2mil, 1.3mil, 600k,  so in sequence, eruption is likely to be in the next 100,000 years.

Effects
10,000 km squared destroyed
87,000 people  dying

15cm ash in 1000 km squared.
1/3 affected will die

Transport, electricity, water farming affected
Cause a global climate change and crops will fail leading to many people dying


Japan Earthquake
11 March 2011

Richter scale 9
32 km deep 70 km away

200+mph max speed

40m+ max height

700k buildings destroyed
250k damaged
16k dead
235 billion USD in damage

3 Plates
Philippine plate
Pacific plate
North american plate

Haiti Earthquake
12 January 2010

12 km SW of Capital City Port au Prince
8km deep

7.0 Magnitude
230k people died
1.5m homeless

3 plates surround the caribbean plate
North american
South American
Cocos

Reasons
1.7USD GNI
UK has 40k USD
It is a LEDC
Poor medical service
Heavily urbanised- densely compact
Poor infrastructure
One road route - congestion
No resources to act quickly



Mauritius
Indian ocean near to the east coast of Madagascar
1960-
Fertility rate was 6
Death Rate was decreasing.
The population was 500 thousand but it would increase to 3 millions in a few generations.
Farming was outdated and inefficient.

Solution
Family planning
Education + publicity for contraception
Derocking scheme.
New farming techniques are placed - different crops were grown between rows of sugar cane.

Foreign investors are encouraged to locate in Mauritius with lower taxes.
This gave people jobs and money
Goods were exported and resources were imported.
Education produced a skilled workforce which was attractive to investors.


China
In the 1970s they realise that they would be in serious problems if they didn't do anything about the population.
In the 1960s they had a famine which 35 million people died.

In 1979 they introduced the one child policy
before that, they had 3 Ls
Longer, later, Fewer (Less)
Longer time before they have another children
Later in marriage before they have children
Fewer children.

The one child policy
sterilised after first child or abortions
5-10% salary increase if only 1 child
Housing priorities
Family benefits
Free education
Free health care

If they disobeyed, they will have a penalty
10% salary cuts
large fine
Pay for education + healthcare for both children

Controversy
Women pressurised
Local officials had power over people's private lives
Daughters were often preferred so many were placed in orphanages or let to die
Little emperor

Benefits
Slowed down population growth
Enough food and jobs to sustain the population
400m fewer people
Increased technology and plantations

Changes
Birth only parents to have 2 children to keep the population the same
Ethnic minorities were released
Rural areas released
Cities released as aging population.