Chapter 5 Changing the Balance in Ecosystems
5.1 Natural Phenomena and Ecosystem
NATURAL WEATHER EVENTS
Flood
August 30, 2005- Hurricane Katrina caused a flood
Drought• In 2005, the Amazon basin in South America
(mostly in Brazil) suffers the worst drought in 100 years
Fire
• October 20, 2007 California wildfire
• Burning over 2000 km squares
• 1500 homes destroyed
• 9 people died
Tornado• May 6-May 9,
1999- Oklahoma tornado outbreak
• 66 tornadoes broke out in Oklahoma and nearby states
HurricanesHurricane Katrina-August 30, 2005-New Orleans (Louisiana),
Florida, Mississippi-$81 billion US of damages~2000 people died
Blizzard
• March 6-8, 2008 a huge blizzard (winter storm) hit North America east coast.
• Ontario and Quebec were majorly affected
• SWC French Immersion students stranded
Infestation• Pine beetle infestation in
B.C. and Alberta, including Banff National Park
• Pine beetles drill through bark and feed on inner layer of pine tree. They also lay their eggs in the “sapwood” layer
• Normally, -30 to -40 degree winter would keep the population in check
• Global warming lead to interior B.C. and Alberta not experiencing cold winters anymore.
• Beetles strive, killing pine trees
NATURAL GEOLOGICAL EVENTS
Volcanic Eruption• Mount St. Helen on
May 18, 1980• Earthquakes and
steam-venting before eruption
• Ashes covered Interstate-5 highway• Ashes travelled all the way to Vancouver
Earthquake• May 12,2008 in Sichuan
province of China, magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit, followed by two magnitude 7.9 earthquakes
• 70,000 people dead• 400,000 people injured• 4.8 million people
homeless
• Deadliest earthquake of 20th century: Tangshan Earthquake (July 28, 1976) in China
• 8.2 on Richter scale
• 779,000 people died(~600,000 live in the city of Vancouver)
Tsunami-2004 Indian Ocean
Tsunami, aka. Boxing Day Tsunami
-Triggered by 9.1 scale Earthquake
-230,000 people died
-$7 billion US of damage
• We had tsunami in BC as well• March 27, 1964, Port Alberni on Vancouver Island
was attacked by a tsunami originated from an Alaskan Earthquake
Landslide
• San Salvador, El Salvador landslide in 2001 triggered by an earthquake
Avalanche
• Big White (Ski Resort) in Kelowna experienced a huge avalanche
• 2 skiers died
