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