Transcript Humans and the Environment * SOL WG 2b

Humans and the
Environment – SOL WG 2b
Physical and Ecological
Processes
A. Earthquakes – More
common near plate
boundaries and
Ring of Fire
B. Floods
C. Volcanic eruptions
– volcanic soil is
fertile and good for
farming
D. Erosion
E. Deposition
Water Diversion
A. Aral Sea
B. Colorado River
C. Aswan High
Dam
D. Canals – man-
made channels for
water or ship
navigation
E. Reservoirs – man
made lakes
F. Irrigation – to
water plants
Aral Sea
A. The Aral Sea is located
in Central Asia.
B. The Aral Sea is
shrinking because of
over irrigation of the
rivers that flow into it.
C. The Soviet Union
diverted the rivers to
grow cotton in the arid
climate.
Colorado River
A. The Colorado River
flows from Colorado
to the Gulf of
California.
B. Many states use the
river for irrigation in
the dry climate.
C. The Hoover Dam and
Grand Canyon are on
the river.
Aswan Dam
A. The Aswan Dam was
built on the Nile River
to stop seasonal
flooding and provide
hydroelectric power.
B. Farmers now have to
buy fertilizer because
the river no longer
overflows its bank.
Landscape Changes
A. Agricultural
Terracing – flat
areas cut in the side of
mountains to farm
(Andes Mountains and
in parts of Asia such as
China)
B. Polders – areas of
reclaimed land from
the sea (Belgium and
Netherlands)
C. Deforestation
D. Desertification –
expansion of arid
conditions into nonarid areas (the desert
gets bigger) – problem
in North Africa near
Sahara Desert - Sahel
Agricultural
Terracing
Rice terraces in Asia.
Polders
Desertification
Environmental Changes
A. Acid Rain – forests
in eastern North
America, China,
Scandinavia and
Germany
B. Pollution
A. Air pollution in
Mexico City
B. Oil spills
C. Radiation from
Chernobyl
(nuclear power
plant that
exploded in 1986)
Acid Rain
Pollution
Mexico City = Air
pollution
Exxon Valdez = Oil
spill
Chernobyl = Nuclear
pollution
Influence of Technology
A. Agriculture –
better fertilizer,
pesticides,
machines
B. Energy Usage
C. Transportation
D. Automobiles
E. Airplanes
Environmental Impact on
Humans
A. Settlement Patterns –
People settle on flat
ground near rivers or
the coast
B. Housing Materials –
Adobe in dry
climates, log cabins in
Siberia
C. Agricultural Activity
D. Types of Recreation
E. Transportation
Patterns