1. Natural Disasters and Urban Areas
Chapter 16 and 29 Big Ideas
December 2018
Environmental Science AP: It is Global Ecology

3. New Orleans & Katrina: Intro. case study –
Given(beyond) the Cat down to Cat. 3 hurricane of Aug. 29, 2005, describe four major factors which contributed to the severity of this event

6. Katrina: Drive-Thru Redefined

7. 1. Common denominators of especially destructive natural events: p
1. Common denominators of especially destructive natural events: p. 320 left column

8. 2. The major reason why the economic costs of environmental disasters (overall) are increasing?

9. (based on text rdg, & many other sources)
3. They are now considered the most deadly of all weather-related hazards.
(based on text rdg, & many other sources)

10. 4. Please picture a floodplain in your mind’s eye
4. Please picture a floodplain in your mind’s eye. Describe two natural service functions of flooding (naturally).

11. 6. Identify a major cause of subsidence:
5. Describe subsidence:
6. Identify a major cause of
subsidence:

12. When the well is dry*, we learn the worth of water. - Ben Franklin
Groundwater Overdraft
Subsidence in the
San Joaquin Valley:
-1925 to 1977-
When the well is dry*, we learn the worth of water. - Ben Franklin
*… when the well/aquifer(s) becomes drier …?
Joe Poland, USGS scientist shows subsidence from 1925 – 1977, 10 miles southwest of Mendota, CA. Sign reads "San Joaquin Valley California, BM S661, Subsidence 9M, " From USGS Professional Paper 1401-A, "Ground water in the Central Valley, California- A summary report“ Photo by Dick Ireland, USGS, 1977

13. (relate to the “Great Levees Race”) 7. Describe a levee:
8. Describe two potential drawbacks to levees:

18. 9. The primary reason for sea level rise (given warming due to some change) is:

19. 10. Describe the “Fall Line”:

20. 11. (a.) Approximate percentage of world population living in cities “today”: (Nat Geo 3 min. video; next slide reminder)
(b.) Approximate percentage of world pop. living in cities in 1800:

22. also commonly cited: _______ 13. The first megacity:
12. “Megacity” defined: B/K: ______ ;
also commonly cited: _______
13. The first megacity:
14. Approximate number of
megacities/metroplexes:

23. 8 million acceptable; often noted as 10 million – -- either = fine

25. A Few Megacities
Tokyo, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Jakarta, Seoul, Delhi, Mexico City, Karachi, Manila, NY, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Beijing, LA, Osaka, Moscow, Dhaka, Cairo, Kolkata, London, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Istanbul, Lagos, Tehran, Rio de Janeiro, Shenzhen, Paris, Tianjin

26. 15. The “City” as a system: linear metabolism, circular metabolism and sustainability:

27. 16. The “site” and the“situation” of a city:

28. Site: sum of ALL environmental features (e. g. of features …
Site: sum of ALL environmental features (e.g. of features …?) Situation: placement w/ respect to surroundings

29. 17. Major challenges facing most large cities:
18. The urban heat island effect -and- ways to potentially reduce tis phenomenon

30. Describe 12 (3 would be fine) of these:
19. In addition to the
Urban Heat Island Effect, cities often bring about a variety of other environmental changes.
Describe 12 (3 would be fine) of these:

31. 20. How can cities affect the hydrologic cycle?

32. a. ↓ I & P …. ↓ GW recharge
b. SPM as CN … Precip. ………? Change ?

33. 21. Combined vs. Separate “Sewage”/Stormwater Systems*
(as previously stated, this tends to be one of the sexier topics in the course);
-Pro(s) of Combined; of Separate
-Con(s) of Combined; of Separate
[ *presented recently in the course: p. 648, Ch. 30 ]
(Avg. annual rainfall/precip ……
LA = 14 in., Seattle = 37 in., Boston = 42 in.,
Miami = 62 in., Baton Rouge = 62 in.)
(did he really use those English Units?)

34. and the Woodlands, Texas case
-Other approaches: Ian McHarg
and the Woodlands, Texas case
study (I.M’s. label for such an approach …?)

35. Design with Nature

36. Land Use:
how to regulate the way in which land is used?
For Cities, this is typically done via ?

37. Zoning Laws

38. The Most Visited Urban Park in the United States:
approx. 840 acres

39. An 1858 “Design a Park” contest

40. Cal Vaux & FLO

41. FLO, Jr.
Masterplanner for PVE … you probably knew that …