Practical Assigment 1
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School
The University of Sydney *
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Course
1001
Subject
Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by GeneralTank12681
\Part 1: Earthquakes and Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean
1.
Include a map of the region that you generated in the Week 3 Challenge class. [ 5
Marks ]
2.
Write 5-6 sentences on the following: What does the distribution of major
earthquakes indicate about crustal deformation? What kind of tectonic boundaries
and forces do you think are at play? Why is there so much significant seismicity along
Sumatra (east of India)? [ 5 Marks ]
The major earthquakes, indicated by pink circles in the map, are distributed along the
boundary between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate known as the Main Himalayan
Thrust. The boundary, indicated by a black line on the map, is a zone of compression, where
the Indian Plate’s collision with the Eurasian plate forces it beneath the Eurasian Plate,
causing the crust to deform. This leads to the formation of the Himalayan mountain range.
Due to the collision between the Indian and Australian Plates with the Eurasian Plate,
Sumatra is a location of significant seismic activity. In the area where these plates meet, the
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denser oceanic plate is being forced beneath the less dense continental plate, which acts as
a subduction zone.
3.
Write 2-3 sentences on the following: What area of India is most susceptible to
tsunami hazard – the northern interior, the western coastline, or the eastern
coastline? Why? [ 3 Marks ]
The eastern coastline, which is indicated with the blue line on the map, is most susceptible
to tsunami hazards because it is near the Indian plate and the Burmese microplate
boundary. The boundary, indicated by the black line on the map, has crustal deformation
and seismic events. Moreover, the Bay of Bengal which is along the eastern coastline has
shallow waters and occurrences of underwater landslides and is hence prone to Tsunamis.
4.
What kind of distances from the coastlines could be affected? [ 2 Marks ]
About 9 km (minimum) to 26 km (maximum) from the coastline could be most affected,
although the extent of destruction and inundation distance varies depending on the
magnitude of the seismic activity and other factors. Such as with the 2004 earthquake, with
magnitude 9.0-9.3 reached a few kilometres from the Sumatra coastline.
5.
What Indian cities are most at risk from tsunamis originating from Indonesia? [ 2
Marks ]
Major cities, as indicated by the red star on the map, most at risk are along the east
coastline are Chennai, Puducherry, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata.
6.
In 2-3 sentences, why do you think the light intensity may not, on its own, be a great
indicator of population density? (Hint: wealth) [ 3 Marks ]
Light intensity does not correlate with population density because zones of high economic
activity and development, such as industrial or commercial zones, may have high light
intensity and low population density, where as residential areas with less access to
electricity may have higher population density. Factors such as land use, urbanization
patterns, and economic activity may be better indicators.
Part 2: Past and present climate
1.
Include the map and graph that you generated in the Week 4 Challenge class. [ 9
Marks ]
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2.
Was the Cretaceous hotter or cooler than the present? [ 1 Mark ]
The cretaceous period, represented by the blue line, was hotter than the present.
3.
In 4-5 sentences, address how the latitude of temperature bands change since the
Cretaceous? [ 4 Marks ]
During the Cretaceous period, the poles were not as cold and with barely any ice, because
higher temperature bands were situated towards the poles than they are at present. In the
graph, at the poles (near to 90
latitude) temperatures barely go below 0
C during the
Cretaceous era. Earth's climate cooled overtime, and the temperature bands shifted towards
the equator. Today, the warmer temperature bands are situated roughly between the Tropic
of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. There was also no isolation of cold temperatures just
at the poles.
4.
What are the minimum and maximum temperatures at the two timesteps? [ 2
Marks ]
Timesteps
Maximum
(
C)
Minimum(
C)
Present
29
-48
Cretaceous
33
8
5.
What differences did you observe in the pole-to-pole temperature pattern between
the two timesteps? [ 4 Marks ]
The temperature is at average 20-25 degree Celsius higher for both poles for Cretaceous
than present. Moreover, present temperature are below 0 degree Celsius, making
temperatures extremely cold and habitable to only certain flora and fauna, while at
Cretaceous period the poles were temperate and habitable for most species.
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Part 3: Icehouse and Greenhouse sea levels
1.
Include the two maps (will typically be regional views) that you generated in the
Week 5 Challenge class. [ 4 Marks ]
1.
In 5-6 sentences, what are some key differences in the shapes of continents and
coastlines in the Icehouse (Glacial Maximum) scenario? What might it mean for
biogeographic dispersal and migration pathways? [ 2 Marks ]
During the Glacial Maximum, Europe was covered in ice sheets and glaciers which reshaped
its coastline and landscape. Sea level were lower, exposing now submerged continental
shelves, which created land bridges between the UK and Asia, and the UK and North
America. Australia, whereas was surrounded by shallow sea so made land bridges with Papa
New Guinea which connected to Asia. This resulted in the creation of biogeographic
dispersal and migration pathways. The pathways in Europe being larger and well connected
resulted in higher the movement of terrestrial animals, plants, and people. Whereas,
because Australia was mostly isolated, it led to limited dispersal of land-based organisms,
resulting in the development of a unique and highly endemic biota.
2.
In 5-6 sentences, what happens to coastlines in a Greenhouse climate? What regions
and cities (consider population sizes) might be most affected? It may be easiest to
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also include a summary table from your results of cities that may be most affected.
[ 4 Marks ]
Cities Underwater
24
People Affected
1128821
In a greenhouse climate, the coastlines of Europe and Australia would experience sea-level
rise, increased storm surges, and erosion. As can be seen on the map, cities will be
submerged which would lead to the loss of infrastructure, valuable coastal habitats, and
human settlements. Globally 24 cities would submerge according to data, and a population
of 1128821 would be affected. Regions in the Mediterranean and the North Sea coastlines,
in Europe, with cities Venice, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen would be most at risk. In
Australia, cities on the east coast such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane would be
vulnerable.
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