Project Log

I have finished the la Nina Natural Disaster Fact Sheet
I have just started the el Nino   "        "        "         "
Matt has nearly completed the first world map for el Nino.
Parts left to complete:
-World map for La Nina
-Australian Map for La Nina
-Australian Map for el Nino
-el Nino Fact Sheet
1.6.11

2.3 Severe Storms and Strong Winds

1. A flood is water that inundates land which is normally dry.
2. Flash flooding is when  rivers and streams are unable to cope with the sudden volume of water caused by heavy downpour. Urban areas are especially vulnerable due to the drainage systems which can become overloaded, resulting in flooding.
3. The inland rivers generally cover thousands of square kilometres in water lasting weeks, whereas the Coastal River systems tend to be short and fast flowing, generally lasting from a few hours to a few days.
4. Flooding affects farms, when it comes to stock and crops, but it also destroys infrastructures like roads and railway lines.
5. The town of Katherine received 374 millimetres of rain while the surrounding catchment area received between 400 and 500 millimetres over a short period of time (48 hours). The catchment was already saturated from previous weeks rainfall so most of the new rainfall ran off into the river which quickly caused a flood. The reason it was considered worse than the 2006 flood was because the 1998 flood peaked at 20.3 Metres above its usual flow level, where in 2006 it only peaked at 19 Metres.
6.
Economic: The flood would of impacted the Economy in Katherine due to the damage caused by the flooding, which cost a lot of money in repair costs.
Social: The social impact was bad because it caused 500 businesses and 1170 homes to be evacuated and Four people were killed as well as flooding the Whole town.
Environmental: The flooding can drown plants and crops and livestock.
7.
b) The Coastal gradient was a lot smaller than compared to the Inland River Catchment Gradient.
c) The gradient in a Coast area is a lot smaller so the water hasn't got that much land to pass through before it is cleared, compared to the inland river systems which have thousands of kilometres to pass through.
10. I had just moved to the town called Katherine, I decided to buy the local Motel because it seemed to be just about the only place tourists would be able to stay meaning it would be money well spent, if not profitable. Little did I know that it was in one of the worse areas if a flood were to occur. It was almost February of 1998, and one of the worst floods I've ever seen hit. 2 Metres of water came rushing through taking cars with it. As soon as I saw the water I knew the damage would be devastation. We moved to the highest floor in the motel avoiding the water, but we could hear it as it seeped through the doors and open windows flooding the motel below us. We came outside to see people crying at the loss of their possessions and one person actually asking why the floods had taken his son. It was truly one of the worse days that Katherine had seen.

2.5 Tropical Cyclones

1. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure centre and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain.

2. They occur anywhere in the tropics.

3. Queensland, Northern Territory and North Western Australia.

4. out of the 10 that form in the Australian region 6 of them cross the coastline.

5. Hurricanes or typhoons.

6. a. tropical    b. moist    c. heat     d. high    e. spiral   f. surface

7. The eye is middle of the cyclone and it is calm and has clear sky.

8. 

9.  By moving over land, or move to cooler oceans, they tend to dissipate or lose energy as the supply of warm, moist air is no longer present.

11/05/11 Weather Report

11/05/11 Weather Report Partly clouded with altostratus'. The chance of late showers. Winds westerly averaging up to 35 km/h. Max 17. Min 7.

4 May 2011 Weather Report

Clear skies and wind coming from the South-West, possible rain in afternoon from alto stratus clouds, averaging 25kph. Moderate humidity and fine throughout Sydney.

       1.       Landslides are when a mass of rock or sections of the Earth’s crust moving caused from gravity.

       2.       Rainfall, earthquakes, waves or rivers can cause landslides.

       3.       Humans can contribute to landslides by roads on a hill or mining in weak areas.

       4.       Earthquakes are tension and shaking from plates on the Earth’s crust. They are measured by the Richter scale.

        5.       Intra-plate tension causes earthquakes.

        6.       Australia experiences earthquakes approximately once every 15 months for a 5.5 (Richter scale) earthquake. It has minimal impact on the community because it has no large effects on buildings, people etc.

        7.       The impacts were that other communities had to watch out for earthquakes in their own areas. It impacted the buildings, the lives of many and the community of people for years.

        8.       Landslides are on top of the earth’s crust, where earthquakes are under and cause landslides.

        9.       A tsunami is a giant wave that is caused by earthquakes in the ocean.

      10.   Sudden shifting in the tectonic plates, earthquakes and landslides will cause a tsunami.

      11.   A tsunami is formed by tension in tectonic plates, it will then rocket to land at an average 800 kph, it will then squeeze in height because of the shrinking depth of the water.

      12.   Shake Drop and Roar.

      13.   An Earthquake with a reading of 9.3 Richter reading.

      14.   There 23 stations and it took 20 minutes.

      15.   The tsunami compacts and grows in height as the depth shrinks.

      16.   The United Nations coordinated the development of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean.

      17.   He is a geoscience university professor. He issued a warning for the Alpine Fault which is to go off in 100 years or so.

       18.    

a.       105’E, 10’N

b.       

                                                               i.      2 hours

                                                             ii.      7-9 hours

                                                            iii.      5-6 hours

                                                           iv.      10 hours

     19.   The Meckering earthquake in Western Australia occurred on 14 October 1968 and measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. Railway lines were damaged and pipelines were ruptured, causing a total damage of $50 million. It is called a fault scarp, and was 37 kilometres long and 2.5 metres high.

20.

      

1.7 Completion

11. The Waratah

 12. Graph of # of Species

1.10 Australia's Natural Resources

1. Resources are natural materials that can be used by humans.
2. Renewable-sources are sources that can be recycled. Non-renewable sources are sources that can't be recycled and used again.
3. Renweable sources can become non-renewable if it is over used and mistreated.
4. Soil is a valuable resource because it is the basis for all Austrailian agriculture.
5. Sivilculture is controling the growth of agriculture.
6. 164.4 million hectares.
7. It is important because it is worth more than $2 billion annually.
8. by pacing a limit on fish caught per year. For example; a limit of 5265 tonnes of blue fin tuna per year.
9. Australia hs the largest uranium deposit on the world.
10. The improved prospecting is letting it grow.
11. Australia has nearly 1.7 million square kilometres of forest most of whuch is native forest. There are seven main types of forest types in Australia. These are very important to Australia's exports.
12. Uranium is a valuable resource because it is very expensive and Ausatralia has the most in the world. Almost doubling the second country; Kazakhstan.
13. It is so, because they are significant on a national and global scale.
14. The uranium mines are going to repel tourist because they are seen as dirty and unsafe.
15. The fishing grounds surround Australia's borders on all islands and main lands.
16. a. It is fairly even, except in the Northern Territory, where it is clumped together.
      b. Radium Hill
      c. Ranger
17. See Below.

 18. a. Value of Uranium exports
                i $299 million
               ii $250 million
              iii $530 million
       b. $379.6 million
       c. peaks at '88 slows at '94, then peaks again at '06.(up down up up down same up same up down up up down up)

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami March 2011

1. The epicenter was 250 kilometers to the north and east of Tokyo. On the East Coast of Japan.
2. 8.9 on the Richter Magnitude Scale.
3. The most affected areas of Japan were Sendai, Natori, Soma and Minamisoma.
4. The nuclear power reactor in Fukushima, has had an extreme meltdown. This has caused the radiation to spread over the globe.

1.7 Australia's Unique Flora and Fauna

1. Australia's flora and fauna is unique because it has been a seperatre island for over 50 million years. The anuimals have evolved seperately from the other continent's animals and plants.
2. The stability of Australia has meant that many species have survived for millions years.
3. Endemic means unique for a certain place.
4. 89% of reptiles are endemic to Australia.
5. The Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Rain Forests of Queensland and the Batanical Province of Western Australia.
6. The Tropical Rain Forest in Queensland.
7. Marsuipials are classified as the pouched mammals. Kangaroo is an example of one.
8. Monotremes are classified as the egg laying mamals. Platypus is an example of one.
9. The difference between a kangaroo and a wallaby is that a wallaby is smaller and likes rugged terrain.
10. The duck-billed platypuses are found in the rivers and lakes of the eastern Australia. They are very shy and solitary creatures. They spend around 12 hours a day swimming and searching for food and the remaining time in their burrows that they dig into the banks close to the water.

1.6 Australia's Climate and Vegetation

1. a. Climate is the predicted average pattern of temperatures and humidity is a certain place.
    b. Weather is the day-to-day temperature and humidity at one certain time.
2. Being closer to the equator makes the average climate greater because there isless atmosphere for the sun's rays to travel through making there more, therefore making it hotter. There is also a smaller area to heat up.
3. High pressure associated with sinking air brings dry settled weather. Low pressure caused by rising by rising air bags unsettled weather.
4. Currents from the nearer the poles bring cooler conditions and those from nearer Equator bring warmer conditions.
5. Temperature decreases with height. Moist air that is forced to rise by mountians cools, and the water vapour condenses, producing increased cloud cover and precipitation. Highland areas are cooler and wetter than lowland areas.

1.3 Aboriginal Perspectives

1. 50,000 years
2. The dreamtime is the 'time before time'. It is the time when all things were created by spirit ancestors.
3. Dreaming stories contain valuable lessons and morals about how to survive, where to find food and water, and how to avoid danger.
4. Aboriginal knowledge is passed on through story telling.
5.
6. It is found in different forms in all Aboriginal cultures.
7. By slithering on the land using the snake-like wriggle forming mountains and ranges.
8. To respect the laws that the rainbow searpant created.
9. Animals or mythical creatures that transform into landforms.
10. There was a group of women were dancing and playig in the skies. They were making the Milky Way. One of the woman dropped her baby unto the world, therefore making the rock walls of Tnorala. This is very sacred to the Aboriginal people.

Amine Brahim - Paris, France

This is the average rainfall in Paris. It is what you are experiencing right know. In May the average rainfall is 0.3 cm.

This is the average rainflall in Sydney. This is what you will have to get ready for. In May the rainfall is 0.42cm. This is about 1 cm more then Paris. This means that you might have to bring a raincoat and a jumper incase it it really bad rain.

This is the high and low temperatures in Paris. The average for May is about 13 deg C.

This is the high and low temperature in Sydney. The average for May is about 17 deg C. This is about 4 degs C more than Paris. You will have to take more shorts and T's and less Jackets.
See you soon,
Morgan

Christ Church Earthquake 22/02/11

Two tectonic plates colliding together causuing the Earth's crust to shift and shake as the two plates (the South-Pacific and the Oceanic plates), grind against each other.
150-300 people are missing, while 75 are confirmed dead.
Major buildings have fallen down and many buildings over 3 stories have taken major structural damage.
Electricity, Water and Food is at short causing the city to fear. Aftershocks are expeted to be brutal to the remaining survivers. Dust in the air is seen to be toxic so masks have been handed out to the citicens of Christ Church.

1.5 Australian Landforms

1. Western Plateau, Central Lowlands, Eastern Highlands.
2. The Australian Alps are situated from the Brindabella Range to the Baw Baw Range east of Melbourne.
3. The Australian Alps are rounded in shape because of millions of years of erosion and weathering.
4. Uluru islocated south-west of Alice Springs in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
5. Uluru lies in the Amadeus Basin. It is millions of years old and only exposed becuase of millions of years of eroded, softer rocks, surrounding it. It is the second largest monilith in th world, measuring 9.4 kilometres around the base and extending for several kilometres underground.
6. It glows red at dusk and dawn because of the positioning of the sun, when it has more atmospheric particles to travel through to hit the rock. the sun's rays change colour the more particles it has to go through.
7. A drainage basin is an area of land that is drained away by a river and its tributaries.
8. The Murray-Darling and the Lake Eyre Basins.
9. The Murray, Darling and the Murrumbidgee Rivers.
10. Most of the water dissapeares by evaporation.
11. The Finke River is the oldest river bed in the world and only flows a few days a year.
12. The Franklin River flows from the Cheyne Range to the Gordon River in Tasmania.
13. 'Battle to Save the Franklin'

1.4 Origins of Australia

1. The continental drift is the movement of the Earths continents, along the surface.

2.Techtronic processes associated with plate margins that are responsible for creating major landform features.

3.Rodinia.

4.About 100 to 300 million years ago.

5.South America, Africa, India, Antarctica and Australia.

6.Australia is moving North at about 5 cm Per Year.

7.Less than 1 million year old.

8.The Aridity water is the main agent of erosion in Australia.

9.The study of Landforms.

10A geomorphologist studies landforms to determine the processes that form and transform the continent.