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