Geology Natural Disaster Final
"deep time" Correct Answers >very hard concept to grasp
>if the history of the earth was compressed into a 24hr clock:
-Oldest rocks-->10:27am
-first fish -->11:53pm
-first land plants -->11:54pm
-first dinosaur-->11:57 pm
-ice ages-->11:59.2pm
-modern man -->11:59.9pm
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Aftermath Correct Answers >Ohio river
crested at 46 feet (flood stage =25 feet)
>initial estimates stated at ~33 feet
>Therefore many people returned to homes
or never left
>Power or water cut off
>Water contamination by sewage
>Damage:
>108 dead in PA(153 total people)
>500 injured
>135,000 homeless
>$250,000,000 in property damage (2.9
billion in 2010 dollars)
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Consequences of the 1936 flood Correct
Answers >Flood control Act of 1936
>Full federal funding for large civil works
project
>Dams,Levees, Etc..
,>recognized flood control was the
Federal government's responsibility
>Flood control Act of 1938
>Army Corps Engineers(ACE) had the right
acquire land for flood control
>Later amendments stipulated that the ACE
limits construction
>Incorporate recreational functionality
1936 Pittsburgh flood: March 17th Correct Answers >24hours
heavy rains
>
1936 Pittsburgh flood: March 18th Correct Answers >Large ice
jams on monongahela and Allegheny
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Primary causes Correct Answers
>Prolonged precipitation (snow & rain)
>high intensity , shorter duration rain
>certain areas had large flash floods
>steep slopes,thin soil cover, low vegetation
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Summary March 17-10 Correct Answers
>Widespread flooding in many northeastern states
>Pennsylvania
>Heavy snow throughout the winter with very
little melting
2004 Pittsburgh Flood Correct Answers >Due to the remnants
of Hurricane Ivan
, >5-9" inches of rain fell on southwestern PA
>16 Dams control about 40% of the drainage
area
>Two 7-million-gallon storm drainage ponds captured much of
the rain fall
2007 fires in Greece Correct Answers >23-27 August
>3 consecutive heat waves of over
40'C(105'F)
>severe drought in 2007
>Wildfires tore through many of villages and olive groves
>Killed 84 people
>destroyed ~10% of Greece's cover
>670,000 acres of forest,olive groves and scrub vegetation
Anthropogenic Factors Correct Answers >Urbanization
>Slope modification
>Timber Industry
>Flood control measures
agriculture
Biodiversity Correct Answers >has changed markedly over
geologic time
>example: Cambrian Period
- name given to a particular time in geologic history
- 545 million years ago
- an "explosion" of diversity in marine Phyla
)from almost none to near today's
amount
)in less than 100 million years !
, )Why?
>unknown , but likely some large geologic events that disrupted
the species
>sudden increase in ecological niche were rapidly filled in by
the evolution of new species
>many older species quickly die out
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" :Summary Correct Answers
>534 counties in 9 states were declared for federal disaster
>costs
>$4.2 billion (direct federal aid)
>$1.3 billion (federal flood insurance)
>~$6 billion(State , county,private)
>Total :~$20 billion(in 1993 dollars ) / ~33.7
billion today
>Relocation
>30,000 sq.miles flooded
>50,000 homes destroyed
>20%(~54,000 people) who lived in the flood
plain
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" effects : Biological Correct
Answers >Positive:water flow attracted , reclamation of old
wetlands
>negative :large loss of domestic animals and grazing lands
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" effects : Health Correct
Answers >Sewage treatment plants flooded & sewage released
>mosquito breeding grounds enlarged
>release of harmful chemicals
"deep time" Correct Answers >very hard concept to grasp
>if the history of the earth was compressed into a 24hr clock:
-Oldest rocks-->10:27am
-first fish -->11:53pm
-first land plants -->11:54pm
-first dinosaur-->11:57 pm
-ice ages-->11:59.2pm
-modern man -->11:59.9pm
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Aftermath Correct Answers >Ohio river
crested at 46 feet (flood stage =25 feet)
>initial estimates stated at ~33 feet
>Therefore many people returned to homes
or never left
>Power or water cut off
>Water contamination by sewage
>Damage:
>108 dead in PA(153 total people)
>500 injured
>135,000 homeless
>$250,000,000 in property damage (2.9
billion in 2010 dollars)
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Consequences of the 1936 flood Correct
Answers >Flood control Act of 1936
>Full federal funding for large civil works
project
>Dams,Levees, Etc..
,>recognized flood control was the
Federal government's responsibility
>Flood control Act of 1938
>Army Corps Engineers(ACE) had the right
acquire land for flood control
>Later amendments stipulated that the ACE
limits construction
>Incorporate recreational functionality
1936 Pittsburgh flood: March 17th Correct Answers >24hours
heavy rains
>
1936 Pittsburgh flood: March 18th Correct Answers >Large ice
jams on monongahela and Allegheny
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Primary causes Correct Answers
>Prolonged precipitation (snow & rain)
>high intensity , shorter duration rain
>certain areas had large flash floods
>steep slopes,thin soil cover, low vegetation
1936 Pittsburgh flood: Summary March 17-10 Correct Answers
>Widespread flooding in many northeastern states
>Pennsylvania
>Heavy snow throughout the winter with very
little melting
2004 Pittsburgh Flood Correct Answers >Due to the remnants
of Hurricane Ivan
, >5-9" inches of rain fell on southwestern PA
>16 Dams control about 40% of the drainage
area
>Two 7-million-gallon storm drainage ponds captured much of
the rain fall
2007 fires in Greece Correct Answers >23-27 August
>3 consecutive heat waves of over
40'C(105'F)
>severe drought in 2007
>Wildfires tore through many of villages and olive groves
>Killed 84 people
>destroyed ~10% of Greece's cover
>670,000 acres of forest,olive groves and scrub vegetation
Anthropogenic Factors Correct Answers >Urbanization
>Slope modification
>Timber Industry
>Flood control measures
agriculture
Biodiversity Correct Answers >has changed markedly over
geologic time
>example: Cambrian Period
- name given to a particular time in geologic history
- 545 million years ago
- an "explosion" of diversity in marine Phyla
)from almost none to near today's
amount
)in less than 100 million years !
, )Why?
>unknown , but likely some large geologic events that disrupted
the species
>sudden increase in ecological niche were rapidly filled in by
the evolution of new species
>many older species quickly die out
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" :Summary Correct Answers
>534 counties in 9 states were declared for federal disaster
>costs
>$4.2 billion (direct federal aid)
>$1.3 billion (federal flood insurance)
>~$6 billion(State , county,private)
>Total :~$20 billion(in 1993 dollars ) / ~33.7
billion today
>Relocation
>30,000 sq.miles flooded
>50,000 homes destroyed
>20%(~54,000 people) who lived in the flood
plain
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" effects : Biological Correct
Answers >Positive:water flow attracted , reclamation of old
wetlands
>negative :large loss of domestic animals and grazing lands
Case Study :1993 "Great Flood" effects : Health Correct
Answers >Sewage treatment plants flooded & sewage released
>mosquito breeding grounds enlarged
>release of harmful chemicals
