October- December

Hi again students!

I will begin to upload your topics for the 2nd bimonthly evaluation.

COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

The coast as a system

The coast is also an open system. It has inputs, flows, stores, and outputs.  The coast is the transition zone between the land and the sea.

Coasts have two main zones: the ONSHORE (inland), and the OFFSHORE (sea).

To understand the coast as a system, we have to consider 4 basic elements:

·         LAND. Physical processes, geology and river sediments, and ecosystems

·         SEA. Physical processes, sea level, water depth, ecosystems

·         WEATHER. Wind strength and direction, rainfall, temperature, storms

·         HUMAN ACTIVITY. Settlements, development, coastal management.

 

Marine processes.

Water can change the aspect of the land. Waves can erode, transport and deposit materials. Waves are created by the wind. Wind moves the surface of the water.

As waves get near the coast, they enter into shallow water. When this happens, we can observe two phases:

·         SWASH. It’s the forward movement of water  through  the beach.

·         BACKWASH. It is the water running back down the beach.

 

Because of this movement, we may recognize CONSTRUCTIVE and DESTRUCTIVE waves.  Constructive waves deposit material on the beach (deposition). Destructive waves drag down material from the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

Coastal landforms

The coast may change its form mainly because of:

·         Hydraulic action: this results from the force of the waves hitting the cliffs

·         Abrasion: cause by waves picking up stones and hurling the at cliffs

·         Corrosion: the dissolving of rocks by sea water

·         Weathering: breakdown of rocks caused by freeze thaw, salt crystals,  vegetation

·         Erosion: caused by wind and rain

·         Mass movement: caused by gravity (rocks falling down)

 

The most common coastal landforms shaped in the coasts are the HEADLANDS and the BAYS. As a result of these, we may also find cliffs,  caves, arches, stacks, and stumps

 

 

 

 

Spit

 

 

Tombolo

 

Cuspate foreland

 

Lagoon

 

 

Sand dune

COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS UNDER THREAT

 

Coastal ecosystems offer some value to people, but, some of human actions threatens their existence.

Coral reefs

Coral reefs are important to people because of:

·         Their biodiversity: lots of coral and fish species

·         Protection from tropical storms

·         Rich fish stocks (food supply for LICs)

·         Tourism

 

Since coral reefs presents these benefits, they attract a lot of persons. This may have negative results to the reef, such as:

·         Increased pollution

·         Removal of fish

·         Sewage and fertilizers to the sea

 

Mangroves

Mangroves, as the other ecosystems, provide some benefits to people:

·         Nurseries of fish and crustaceans

·         Mangrove roots trap sediments and help creating new land

·         Protection from storm surges

Threatens to mangroves:

·         Aquaculture

·         Deforestation

·         Land reclamation to build hotels

·         Expanding agriculture

 

 

Salt marshes

Specific threatens to salt marshes include:

·         Reclamation of land to create farmlands (agriculture), industrial and port development

·         Industrial pollution (power stations and oil refineries).

·         Agricultural  pollution: fertilizers and pesticides

·         Development of marinas and recreatiñonal facilities

 

Coastal sand dunes

·         People uses these areas as recreational spaces (biking and horse riding)

·         Loss of vegetation

·         Risk being built over

·         Tourism (golf courses and caravan sites)

 

 

COASTAL CONFLICTS

The coast is also a SYSTEM. We have things entering the system (INPUTS), and may stay in there (STORES), or also, they may pass through it (TRANSFERS) to then leave (OUTPUTS).

If there is a balance between inputs and outputs, is said to be in EQUILIBRIUM. Equilibrium can be easily broken by human activities; Human can use ecosystems lands and their resources to develop industry and for recreational activities.  As a result of this, we can find conflicts between CONSERVATION and DEVELOPMENT

CONFLICTS BETWEEN COASTAL USERS

Since coasts offer a lot of goods, we can find  types of users competing for them:

·         Local residents

·         Employers (shops, offices, factories

·         Farmers

·         Fishermen

·         Port authorities

·         Transport companies

·         Tourists

Because of the people taking advantage of these ecosystems, the natural environment is being damaged. Coastal ecosystems are being affected by 3 activities: the ships serving the oil and gas terminals; discharges from industrial plants; agricultural chemicals into the sea. One effective solution would be to separate or assign areas to the different activities.

 

 

 HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS

A hazard is an event that threatens or causes damage or destruction to people and/or their property.  A natural hazard is one produced by environmental processes and involves events such as storms, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

GEOLOGICAL	CLIMATIC	BIOLOGICAL	TECNOLOGICAL
Earthquakes	Storms	Fires	Nuclear explosions
Volcanic eruptions	Floods	Pests	Accidents
Landslides	Drought	Diseases	pollution

 

An important aspect of all hazards is related to risk. Risk is the probability of an event to happen and the scale of its possible damage. Also, there are 4 main aspects to know about a hazard:

·         Distribution: Where do they occur?

·         Frequency: Do they occur regularly?

·         Scale: How much damage?

·         Prediction: Can the hazard be predicted?

To minimize the damage made by a hazard, we must take precautionary actions. These actions are known as ADJUSTMENT or MITIGATION

 

 

EARTHQUAKES

An EARTHQUAKE is a sudden and brief period of intense ground-shaking. They are caused by the different movements of tectonic plates.

There are two scales to measure the intensity of earthquakes. The RICHTER SCALE measures the movement  strength according to the amount of energy released. This strength is measured with a seismograph, and the scale runs from 2.4 to over 8.0.  The MELCALLI SCALE is based on the amount of damage done and it runs from 2 to 12.

We can identify different elements of earthquakes. The first one is the focus. The FOCUS is the centre of the earthquake underground. The EPICENTRE is the point on the surface directly above to the focus.

The main threat of earthquakes is their ability to shake building so they may fall apart and collapse. Nowadays, buildings are designed so they can resist earthquakes. Another effect of earthquakes is the tidal wave or TSUNAMI. Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes happening under the sea, so they generate large and destructive tidal waves.

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

What is a volcano? A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Lava, ash, and gas emissions threaten not only people but their environment.

Volcanoes can have a very serious effect on the lands and people around them when they erupt.

·         Buildings are destroyed and people are made homeless.

·         People are killed.

·         Clouds of ash cover plants making them inedible.

·         Poisonous gases kill people and animals.

·         Dust causes pneumonia and illnesses to the survivors.

·         Dark skies, severe winds and heavy rains may follow an eruption for months afterwards.

                           

 

 

Reasons for living in high risk areas

People build cities and live in them knowing that many of these are high risk areas. Some of these cities are constantly hit by hurricanes and earthquakes. Why?

·         A lack of education may mean that residents DO NOT KNOW about the risks of living in these cities.

·         Because of the benefits of living in these places

·         People are unable to move from hazardous areas due to the lack of money or permanent jobs. Also, some of these persons and/or families have been for generations and they feel comfortable living there despite the hazards.

·         The investment made in these cities. People have invested in houses, buildings, attractions, etc., and since living there will represent a certain amount of risk, houses and living will be cheaper.

Living near a volcano may offer some other benefits, such as minerals (diamonds, gold, and copper), fertile soils, tourism, etc.

 

 

Homeworks

Hellooooooo! Please bring this exercise printed (or copied) for the forth session. You are going to work in teams of four (made by your teacher! you are so happy about that, right?).


1.  a) Name the two zones of the coast
     b) Describe the 4 marine processeses

2. Describe the constructive and destructive waves.

3. Describe the necessary conditions for the formation of sand dunes.

4. Name 4 activities that affects the coastal ecosystems.

5. (p. 42) a) A rising sea-level gives rise to what is called: _____________
    b) An ______________ is associated with a falling sea level

6. a) Name two structures related to hard-engineering management (beach)
    b) Name two examples of soft-engineering managment

7. Who are the COASTAL STAKEHOLDERS?


All of this can be found in your book or in your nb!  :)


Hi again! How was your long weekend?  Here is the written exercise I promised you!  :´)
Remember you can print it and bring it ANSWERED! 

1. The coast as a system has 4 elements or factors which affect it: land, sea, weather, and ___________

2. The ___________ is the frontier between the sea and the land.

3. The coast may be considered an _____________ since the amount of water can change.

4. The coastline may be divided in two different parts: the onshore and the  _____________

5. Waves have two moments or movements called:  ____________ and ______________.

6. A ___________ is a wave that deposits material in the coast.

7. A ____________ is a wave that removes material from the coast.

8. An ___________ is created when water finally breaks or erodes the rocks of a cave.

That's it! Only 8 sentences! Copy and paste them on Word, print it, paste it, and anwer them with the help of your notes or books!




Hi students Remember that we'll have our Geography exam on Tuesday 17th. For your exam, please study ALL of your topics, but specially:

* The hydrological cycle
* Flows or transfers of the hydrological cycle
* Drainage basins
* Water uses
* Consequences of floods


Good luck!  :)

Glossary

Hi students. Here is the glossary for you to copy. Please use colors to write the concept!  :)


Hydrological cycle. It's the global circulation of water
Evaporation. Water converted into water vapour
Transpiration. Process by which water that is absorbed by plants, usually through the roots, is evaporated into the atmosphere
Condensation. It is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization.
Precipitation is any type of water that forms in the Earth's atmosphere and then drops onto the surface of the Earth.
Overland Flow: When water flows over the surface of the ground.
Percolation: The movement of water through the soil or underlying porous rock. This water collects as groundwater.
Infiltration: The downward movement of water that seeps into the soil or a porous rock.
Tributaries: rivers running into the main one, that form part of the same drainage basin system.
Watershed: The imaginary dividing line between neighbouring drainage basins.
Drainage Basin:The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.
Mouth: The end of the river, where it meets the sea, or a lake.


Flood. Whenever it rains and rains and rains, there's the danger of a flood, a type of disaster where water is out of control

Fresh water. water that is not salty especially when considered as a natural resource

Dam. A barrier constructed to contain the flow of water. Usually built to create a reservoirs to store water and maybe generate electricity.

Aquifer. an underground water supply

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies such as rivers, oceans, lakes, and groundwater caused by human activities

Welcome students

GEOGRAPHY 1ST GRADE

 

 

Welcome back students. This year, you will have different subjects, including Maths, Technologies, English, Spanish, Sciences (Biology), Arts, and -of course- Geography among others.

Only two of these subjects will be completely taught in English : Technologies, and Geography.

 

Well, my name is Israel Castilla Domínguez, and I will be teaching you Geography during this year.

 

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

Geography is the study of Earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. It is, quite simply, about the world in which we live.

 

Geography informs us about

• The places and communities in which we live and work
• Our natural environments and the pressures they face
• The interconnectedness of the world and our communities within it
• How and why the world is changing, globally and locally
• How our individual and societal
  actions contribute to those changes
• The choices that exist in managing our world for the future
• The importance of location in business and decision-making

Hydrological cycle

It' the global circulation of water. Water is constantly moving in a cycle called the Hydrological cycle or water cycle. It's a giant closed system, the amount of water in the global water cannot change.

Water is held in a number of STORES, and them it moves by a series of flows or transfers.

• Atmosphere. Water exists there as water vapour or droplets in clouds
• Land. Water is also stored in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Plants also stores water. We may also find groundwater stores
• The sea. 95% of the water is stored in the sea. Almost all of it is found as liquid, but we may also find it as ice.

 

 

FLOWS or TRANSFERS

Water is always moving between the different stores by different ways such as:

 

• EVAPORATION: Water is converted from liquid into gas. This takes place from the water of the sea and from water sufaces (ponds, lakes, rivers)
• TRANSPIRATION: plants "breathe" water into the atmoshpere
• CONDENSATION: this is when cater cools and changes into liquid (in the atmosphere) taking the form of water droplets
• PRECIPITACION: this is the transfer of water from the atmosphere to the land or sea (rain, hail, snow)
• OVERLAND FLOW. Water on the ground moves and enters a stream, river or lake (run off).
• GROUNDWATER FLOW: This takes place in the aquifer or ground water
• INFILTRATION AND PERCOLATION: This is te transfer of water downwards through the soil into the groundwater store.
• THROUGHFLOW. Takes place bewteen the ground surface and the top of the groundwater store.

 

 

DRAINAGE BASINS

Every river has its own drainage basin  or catchmen area. Each drainage basin is a system and has a cycle. We can think of the drainage basin as the water cycle but in a smaller scale. The main difference between the water cycle and the drainage basin is that this one is an OPEN CYCLE.

 

Every drainage basin has INPUTS and OUTPUTS.

 

Inputs:

• Energy from the Sun
• Precipitation from outside the basin
• Possibly water from tributary drainage basins

 

 

Outputs:

• The river's discharge
• Evaporation and transpiration

 

 

A WATERSHED is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place.

 

 

 

The main river borns in the higher parts of the basin close to the watershed. This is where most precipitacion falls. Smaller streams or tributaries enter the main river channel at locations known as confluences. The mouth or estuary of the river is where it flows out into the sea.

WEATHERING AND MASS MOVEMENT

Rivers play a major part in shaping landforms. This happens in three ways:

·         Erosion

·         Transport

·         Deposition

 

But not only rivers shape landforms. These river processes act in a sort of partnership with two other processes: WEATHERING AND MASS MOVEMENT

WEATHERING involves elements of the weather, particularly rainfall and temperature. There are three types of weathering:

·         PHYSICAL WEATHERING: This breaks rocks into smaller pieces. It’s done by changes in temperature.

·         CHEMICAL WEATHERING: This causes rock to decay and disintegrate (mainly by acidic rainfall.

·         BIOLOGICAL WEATHERING: The roots of plants, specially trees, break down the rocks

 

EROSION refers to the gradual destruction or diminution of something. Rivers may erode materials in different ways:

·         HYDRAULIC ACTION. Water hits the river bed very hard, and so the material is dislodged and carried away

·         ABRASION. The material being carried by a river is rubbed against the sides and floor of the channel.

·         CORROSION. Minerals in the rocks are dissolved by the water

The TRANSPORT is the movement of material (known as load) by the river. The water may carry different types of materials.  Whenever these materials stop moving or settle down, we might say that we have a DEPOSITION. Deposition is the laying down of material transported by the river. This happens when there is a decrease of energy, speed, and discharge of the river.

Water uses:  demand and supply

Only 3% of the water on Earth is fresh water. Over 75% is locked up in glaciers and ice sheets. 20 Percent is groundwater.

 

 

 

 

We need fresh water for different purposes:

·         INDUSTRIAL USE: Most factories are large consumers of water. Water is used for cooling machinery and to generate electricity.

·         DOMESTIC USE: Families need water to flush toilets, bathing, showering, drinking, watering the garden, etc.

·         AGRICULTURAL USE: Water is mainly used irrigation.

 

When talking about different water uses, it’s imperative mentioning about SUPPLY and DEMAND. Demand refers to the amount of water needed. Supply refers to the amount of water that we can obtain.

Demand obeys to different factors:

·         Rising standard of living-----piped water, flush toilets, showers, washing machines, swimming pools

·         A growing population

·         Agricultural productivity to feed the growing population

·         Industrialization

To meet the increasing demand, water is obtained from three different sources:

·         Rivers and lakes

·         Reservoirs: they are artificial lakes created by building DAMS

·         Aquifers and wells: much of the world’s fresh water lies underground