Plate Tectonics 1
What landforms can be found at a C-C Divergent boundary?
Block mountains and rift valleys and shield volcano
What landforms can be found at an O-C Convergent boundary?
Oceanic trench, volcanoes and fold mountains
List all the different types of tourism.
Honeypot tourism, Heritage tourism, Film-induced tourism, Pilgrimage tourism and Dark tourism.
State the 3 main stakeholders in ensuring sustainable tourism. Give a named example where possible.
The media (Travel Writers)
International organisation (World Health Organisation and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO))
The Government (Singapore Tourism Board)
What landform(s) can be found at a transform boundary?
Fault line.
(Yes, fault lines count as landforms!)
Explain how the slab-pull force influences plate movement.
The slab-pull force causes the subducted oceanic plate to move more quickly.
Slab-pull force occurs when the denser oceanic plate is forced beneath the less dense continental plate resulting in subduction. As the plate subducts, it pulls the rest of the plates along. The subducting plate drives the downward moving portion of convection currents. The mantle material, which is found away from where the plate subducts, drives the rising portion of convection currents.
Describe 3 ways that the oceanic and continental crust
Continental crust is lower in density whereas oceanic crust has a higher density. Continental crust is thicker, on the contrary, the oceanic crust is thinner. Continental crust floats on magma freely but the continental crust being buoyant and the oceanic crust being more likely to subduct
List the 3 economic advantages and 3 economic disadvantages of tourism.
Advantages: Employment opportunities, growth in income, infrastructure development
Disadvantages: Economic leakage, seasonal employment, underuse of facilities, shortage of services
What is community-based tourism?
Community-based tourism (CBT) ensures that local communities have full ownership and management of the tourism experience, so that the economic benefits of tourism stay within their community.
Describe the limitations of earthquake monitoring and warning systems.
Earthquake sensors are expensive to obtain, install and use.
An earthquake usually occurs seconds after a warning is sounded. Therefore, warnings may not provide sufficient time for an evacuation.
Noise, lightning or device failure may interfere with the seismograph and result in false warnings being given. It is difficult to give accurate warnings when multiple earthquakes occur close to each other.
Describe 3 ways that shield and stratovolcanoes differ from each other.
Stratovolcano:
-high silica lava (high viscosity), slightly concave profile (steeper at the top and gentler at the base), gently sloping sides, short with large base (as lava flows fast and far, one main cone, broad summit
Shield: Tall with smaller base, concave in shape (steeper at the top and gentler near the base as pyroclasts travel further distances when ejected, landing further away from volcano), secondary cone may be present, low silica lava (lower viscosity, allowing gases to escape more easily, leading to less explosive volcanic eruptions as it flows more easily through the vent before reaching the surface)
Explain 2 ways that tsunamis can be formed.
Caused by an earthquake, landslide or volcanic eruption taking place underwater.
Seismic energy from an offshore earthquake forces out a mass of seawater; tsunami waves may start at a height of less than 1m, with wavelengths of 100 to 150 km at speeds of 800km/h on reaching shallower water; greater friction slows the waves and forces them to increase in height.
With the use of a named example, explain how different places provide different opportunities for tourist activities.
1000 people visit the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam each day, which were dug and used in the 1960s and 1970s during the Vietnam war.
Annual Hajj to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the world’s largest pilgrimage.Over 3 million pilgrims, including 1.8 million from other countries, religious duty for every physically able Muslim.
Machu Picchu, Peru, the last stronghold of the Inca civilisation, attracted nearly 1.2 million tourists in 2013.
Walt Disney World, Florida, is the most visited tourist site in the world it attracted 17 million visitors in 2011 and occupies an area 1/5th the size of Singapore, consisting of 6 theme parks and 23 themed hotels
Explain how developments in technology have helped global tourism to grow.
(i.e. E-services: online booking of tours and tickets, better and affordable transport, ease of access to information)
Technological advances have made travelling easier and cheaper, and shorter travelling time. Allows more passengers to be transported at a shorter duration over longer distances so more people would want to travel as the duration to go to a country further away is shorter. Thus, increase tourism in the country as people who stay further away are coming as well.
Ease of access of information: updated information is more readily available and accessible, to help to promote air travel and global tourism AND online booking and research has enabled travellers to buy own tickets without going through travel agents, have more options and control, gain better access to information at their destination, eg places to see, social etiquettes, train timetables, view feedback and recommendations from other travellers
So people don't need to pay extra money to travel agents and don't have to waste time travelling to places to buy tickets. They can just purchase online [CONVENIENCE], and can also look at people's feedback about the country which might influence the decision to go to which country.
Why do tectonic plates move?
Convection currents are movements of heat within the mantle. Magma is heated by the radioactive decay of the core and expands, rises and spreads out beneath the plates. This causes the plate to be dragged along and to move away from each other. The hot mantle material then cools slightly and sinks, pulling the plates along. The sinking mantle material heats up again, it sinks closer to the core and the whole process repeats.
Explain how and why recovery from an earthquake might differ across different countries.
This could be because the country might lack the funds and also the manpower to do so. A country with a large amount of funds and manpower is able to recover quickly due to the fact that they have the resources ready to build and recover.
As compared with less developed countries that may not have the resources to deal with such crises and thus take much longer to recover from natural disasters.
Explain which response to earthquakes you think is the best.
Be sure to justify your answer based on a geographical perspective.
Provision of healthcare: This helps those people caught in the earthquake to receive medical treatment, helping them to recover as soon as possible. It is the best as people can quickly recover and get back to rebuilding their lives, while other factors such as search and rescue is more limited because search it is not a guarantee where people can be found and rescued, causing loss of lives to occur and manpower to be wasted on searching for people trapped under infrastructures.
What factors cause fluctuations in global tourism? Explain one factor in detail.
disasters
● events that cause great damage to properties, lead to injuries or cause great loss of life.
● discourage tourists from visiting a destination, because it poses greater risks to the safety of tourists and may disrupt essential tourist infrastructure.
For example,the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 caused Japan’s tourist arrivals to fall 28% that year - there was a sharp decrease in tourism in March and April, despite the fact that it is usually a peak season for tourists
regional and global recessions
● a period of general slowdown in economic activities
● many people experience a loss of income or jobs, causing disposable income to decrease; thus, people cut down on spending and travel less
● those who travel, travel for shorter lengths of time, while staying in cheaper accommodations and spending less per day, resulting in loss of tourism receipts
● some also opt for domestic travel, as it involves shorter distances and thus lower transport costs, and also allow people to contribute to their own country’s economy. For example, tourist arrivals to Singapore in 2007 and 2008 broke the general increasing trend and can be partially attributed to the global financial crisis (2007-2008) - during the crisis, 5.4 million jobs in the USA alone was lost.
unfavourable political situations
● can be caused by disagreement between different groups of people and countries, possibly resulting in violence and war
● poses dangers to residents and tourists, and disrupt/damage services and infrastructure
● government authorities issue travel advisories to discourage citizens from travelling to certain countries. For example, for most of 2011, most governments banned their citizens from visiting Libya as there was a civil war taking place, where armed groups pose a threat to civilian lives. between March and October 2011, there were no commercial flights into Libya, and thus no tourist arrivals by air.
outbreak of diseases
● sudden and widespread occurrence of disease in an area
● can cause a huge drop in tourist arrivals and tourists do not want to risk being affected
● government authorities issue travel advisories. For example, the SARS epidemic in Singapore in 2003 caused tourists arrivals to decrease 67% in April compared to the previous year, as several regional conferences were cancelled or postponed
What factors cause the growth of global tourism? Explain one factor in detail.
Better transport: great improvements in safety, shorter travelling times and lower travelling costs, ongoing technical developments in commercial air travel has revolutionised the tourism industry
Affordable transport: larger carrying capacity and range, higher maximum cruise speed
Affordable transport: allows more passengers to be transported at a shorter duration over longer distances - a commercial flight from Singapore to London would take 2-4 days with many stopovers in the 1950s, but now takes 14 hours non stop
Affordable transport: rise of budget lines has made air transport more affordable since the 1980s
Better: enables people to travel internationally and more frequently, to places further away
Better: travellers can go to destinations not covered by major commercial airlines (e.g. Bhutan)
Air Asia X offering Sydney-Kuala Lumpur flights was expected to inject close to A$140 million into the NSW economy annually and bring in 55 000 more international visitors to the state each year
What are the benefits of living in volcanic areas? Explain 2 of them.
1)Benefits are that volcanic rock and ash provide fertile land and that tourists are attracted to the volcano. Fertile land helps crops to grow faster which then increases the farmers’ income as more crops can be sold each year. In addition, less money is spent on fertiliser as farmers can rely on the volcanic ash to fertilise the ground.
2)The volcano being used as a tourist attraction helps locals to earn money (provides more business opportunities) through setting up businesses such as hotels, restaurants, selling souvenirs, and being tour guides. Thus growing the local economy.
3) Geothermal energy can be harnessed, which provides cheaper electricity for locals
4) Precious minerals/gems are contained in volcanic areas, eg diamonds - these can be mined to be sold for money
“Long term responses are more important than short term responses in mitigating the impact of earthquakes.” To what extent is this true?
Describe your body paragraphs and a conclusion (with geographical perspective)
Short term response is an immediate response right after the earthquake,attending to immediate needs. Lasts for a few weeks depending on the impact. For example, search and rescue, those trapped for 48 hrs are unlikely to survive due to lack of food and water. Another example is the emergency,food and medical supplies. They help treat injured survivors and provide clean drinking water for survivors to prevent dehydration.
Long-term responses are less immediate and will take more time to do. For example, rebuilding of infrastructure. They basically help rebuild and improve infrastructure after an earthquake event. Another example is the provision of healthcare. They help to improve mental and emotional health by providing counselling for the emotionally traumatised and those who have lost family members in the disaster.
Both are interdependent of each other because if any of these are missing none of it will be beneficial to anyone. For example, without the search and rescue system the emergency, food and medical supplies will be less effective because there are fewer people to help. Hence, both strategies are most effective when they work hand-in-hand.
“The benefits of living close to a volcano outweigh any risks.” To what extent is this true?
Describe your body paragraphs and a conclusion (with geographical perspective)
Staying close to a volcano can bring benefits like tourism, fertile soil to grow crops in. Tourists will visit the volcano and locals staying near the volcano can set up shops like food and beverages and tour guide services to bring in income to the locals and help the growth of the economy locally. However, when the volcano erupts, it can cause loss of lives, damage to infrastructure and crops, and homelessness as the extremely hot lava flows down to the town and melts anything in its way. Lava and ash from volcanic eruptions break down to form fertile volcanic soil. Richest soils on earth and are very favourable to agriculture. Minerals are only available after rocks have been weathered and broken down over thousands of years.
SOCIAL
Loss of lives cannot be recovered, whereas homelessness and destroyed crops can be recovered overtime.
Therefore the disadvantages outweighing the advantages of staying close to a volcano.
Explain how to go about investigating the environmental impact of tourism on Coney Island. Include pre, during, and post fieldwork elements.
(Note: This question is for both groups to attempt. The group with a more comprehensive answer will get the points. If both groups are equally strong, points can be awarded to both)
>Pilot test
: get to know how to get around the place, find for shelters in case of bad weather, find most suitable place to record their data before the actual investigation
>Investigation
: Researchers come up with an environmental quality survey (bipolar survey) to fill out/get people to fill out at Coney Island. Perhaps even at different parts of the island
:Interview the people around the place and ask them what they think about the cleanliness out of 10.
:Count the litter around the place
>Post Investigation
: plot data and conclude how has the environment been affected at Coney Island
: Use bar graph
: Y axis- Age group
:X axis- cleanliness out of 10.
Between tour operators, the government, local communities and international organisations, who do you believe is the most important stakeholder in ensuring sustainable tourism?
Compare at least 2 stakeholders, describe how they are essential in ensuring sustainable tourism, and provide a final justification (with a geographical perspective)
government
● promote tourism in their country through tourism agencies
○ eg tourism marketing campaigns, promotional events
● develops tourism as an industry, facilitating tourism related businesses to invest (eg international chain hotels)
● administration
○ influence number of visitors and length of stay
○ authorise air landings
○ allow buildings of facilities such as hotels
○ fund and build infrastructure projects linked to tourism (eg airports, roads, ports)
○ ensure safety and security of tourist hotspots
For example, Australia has a China 2020 strategic plan which aims to attract more Chinese tourists to Australia.
media
● media: any form which news and information are communicated to the public
○ television, radio, newspapers, internet
● media reports could influence the decisions of tourists to visit
○ positive reports can encourage tourists to visit, and increase awareness of destinations previously not
considered
○ negative reports (eg incidents of violence, disease outbreaks) can deter visitors
● travel writers make use of the internet to offer their comments as well
international organisations
● OECD tourism committee
○ 38 member countries which are mostly developed
○ actively promote sustainable growth of tourism
○ discuss economic, sustainability and employment issues in tourism
○ produces guidelines on measuring social and economic impacts
○ analyses key challenges that affect tourism
○ works primarily with governments and other international organisations
● United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
○ promotes tourism as a way of spurring economic growth and environmental sustainability
○ strives to improve tourism knowledge and policies worldwide
○ introduced global code of ethics for tourism
○ works primarily with private organisations (eg tourism organisations)
● World Health Organisation (WHO)
○ provide situation updates and health advisories on diseases
■ eg avian influenza from 2003 to 2013
○ discourages tourists from visiting at-risk countries
POLITICAL POWER/SCALE OF IMPACT
In my opinion, I think that the government plays the most important role in promoting sustainable tourism. This is because the government is the one who builds good facilities, who ensures that the place is clean and has a high level of safety and security and also prevents disease from spreading into the country. Only if the government does something about it, then the international organisation and media will be useful.
With the use of a well-annotated diagram, explain the formation of the hazard that is formed at a transform plate boundary.
Along transform plate boundaries, plates slide laterally past each other in opposite directions and this results in the formation of a transform fault. No land is destroyed or formed. There is also no volcanic activity. However, this sliding movement is not smooth and builds up tremendous stress. This stress is eventually released in the form of violent earthquakes.