Edexcel A-Level Geography - Paper 3 - Advance Information Topics

Edexcel A-Level Geography - Paper 3 - Advance Information Topics Why might the level of wealth and development affect the impacts of tectonic hazards? - ANS - High levels of wealth can lead to more investment in preparedness, e.g. Japan's aseismic building architecture - Increasing poverty often leads to more shanty towns, which don't have proper building codes and are often built in vulnerable locations, e.g. favelas in Rio, Brazil Why might geographical isolation increase a population's vulnerability? - ANS More isolated communities will take longer to reach with aid teams, which could increase the number of preventable deaths Why might governance affect a population's vulnerability? - ANS Weaker governments will lead to less preparedness: - Corruption and accusations of misspending aid loans in Haiti - 150 people died in Somalia following the 04 tsunami despite hours of warning How might the level of infrastructure influence a population's vulnerability? - ANS - More investment in prediction and warning systems can let people evacuate earlier - Better travel infrastructure can allow aid to reach people quicker How can the level of education in a population affect its vulnerability? - ANS - More education about the risks of tectonic hazards can lead to effective measures to protect life, such as Earthquake preparation day in Japan What were the impacts of the Pinatubo eruption? - ANS More than 800 died, 1.2 million left homeless, $700 million in economic damage, 15-20 million tonnes of SO2 caused global cooling of 0.6 degrees Celsius and farmland was destroyed, making 650,000 lose their jobs. What physical factors increased the severity of the Pinatubo eruption? - ANS It was a VEI 6 eruption, many settlements are built in coastal lowlands, increasing the risk of lahars, or on the steep mountainsides, increasing the risk of pyroclastic flows and tephra. Also, Typhoon Yunya had just struck, which people had not recovered from, and provided water for lahars. What human factors increased the risk of the Pinatubo eruption? - ANS Many settlements have a high population density due to rapid urbanisation, so 25% of the population lived in