World regional geography

Assignment:“Transformed Landscape”Explanation

1. Choose a location where the geography has been radically transformed in the last few decades.

Begin by coming up with a short list of places on Earth that have undergone radical landscape transformations in the last few decades. The transformations could be caused by physical (natural) processes, by human activities, or by a combination of both physical and human processes. If you are struggling to come up with a location, it may help to review world news stories or to ask friends, family members or co-workers if they know of any places that have changed dramatically. You may also peruse your textbook or the links that I have provided on D2L for inspiration.

Next, navigate toyourtransformed locations in Google Earth Pro. If your navigation tools do not display automatically, go to the View drop-down menu > Show Navigation> and select Always. This will allow you to zoom in and out, to pan, and to otherwise alter your view.

Use the Show Historical Imagery Tool to see what historical images are available for each of the locations on your list. (You should be able to see the Historical Imagery Tool button near the top of your screen. It looks like a clock with a counter-clockwise green arrow.    If you don’t see that, select the View drop-down menu and then check the box next to the Historical Imagery option.) Choose one location for which the transformations are clearly illustrated using Google Earth Pro.

2. Save one current/recent and one historical Google EarthPro image of the location that you have chosen.

Once you have selected the location that you would like to work with, zoom in/out or center the location in your field of view. Don’t be afraid to explore and play with the Google Earth Pro tools and features. You are encouraged to add placemarks or other information to your maps. When you are satisfied that your location is clearly shown, save at least two versions of the image: one that is current/recent, and at least one that is historical (prior to the transformation).

You may save each version of the image (current/recent and historical) by going to the File dropdown menu, selecting Save, Save Image, and then clicking on the Save Image Button that appears. As you are saving, a white rectangle will appear with the words “Untitled Map.” Click on this and change the title of the map to your name and the name of the location.

Please note: searching for comparison images online and copying them is not an acceptable substitute. You are expected to use Google Earth Pro to create and customize the current/recent image(s) and the historical image(s).

3. Display the recent/current and historical images of the location by inserting the saved images into a Word documents or a Power Point Presentation. Include the place name, latitude and longitude coordinates, and imagery dates. More than two images may be included if you wish.

4. Address the following questions in your Word Document or Power Point Presentation as well:
5. Are the transformations to your location primarily the result of physical processes, human activities, or a combination? Explain.
6. What are some of the factors that have contributed to this transformation?
7. What effects may this transformation have on people and environment?

Additional relevant information and images may be included if you wish.

You should conduct some research in the process of answering these questions. This will allow you to support your responses with data or other relevant information. Be sure to choose authoritative sources and to cite your sources.  Avoid plagiarism.

5. Post your TransformedLandscape Word Document or Power Point Presentation to D2L.

Example Post for Assignment: “Transformed Landscape”

Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates                        25^o00’00” N, 54 ^o59’30” E                 12/30/1984

Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates                        25^o00’00” N, 54 ^o 59’30” E                12/30/2016

1. Are the transformations to your location primarily the result of physical processes, human activities, or a combination?

The transformations illustrated above are primarily the result of human activity. In this ambitious project, tons of sand were dredged from the floors of the Persian and Arabian Gulfs and deposited to form islands in the shape of a palm tree.  Global Positioning Science (GPS) was used to ensure that the shape was precise. The resulting landscape is entirely a cultural, rather than a natural landscape. The intention was for homes, businesses, roads and other features to be constructed on the islands, as has occurred on neighboring projects such as Palm Jumeirah, but most of the planned infrastructure and architectural development has not yet occurred on Palm Jebel Ali.

1. What are some of the factors that have contributed to this transformation?

The construction of the Palm Jebel Ali Islands occurred when the global economy was growing rapidly and a great deal of oil revenue was flowing into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As the economy of UAE slowed during the global financial crisis of 2008-9, oil and real estate prices dropped. The Gross Domestic product (GDP) of UAE dropped from US $ 315.47 billion US in 2008 to US $253.55 billion in 2009 (World Bank, 2017). Dubai was granted a $20 B US bailout from the UAE Central Bank and Abu Dhabi Government to allow them to pay their debts (Central Intelligence Agency, 2017) When the economic growth slowed in Dubai, so did the development of artificial islands.  Palm Jebel Ali remains unfinished today.

The palm tree is an important cultural symbol in UAE, hence the shape of the artificial islands. The date palm tree can survive in very hot, dry conditions such as those found in UAE. The daytime summer temperatures in Dubai range from 104 to 113 °F. (Climates, 2017) Dates from the date palm are a staple of the diet in UAE.

1. What effects may this transformation have on the people and environment?

Development Palm Jebel Aliis essentially stalled, but other man-made islands in UAE such as Palm Jumeirah have attracted many tourists and foreign investors, and have helped promote Dubai’s reputation as a world class destination.

Unfortunately, the dredging process was detrimental to local marine wildlife. Construction of Palm Jebel Ali, is believed to have destroyed 8 square kilometres of natural coral reef (Cressey, 2011). The constructed outer ring of rock and sand surrounding the islands also blocks the water currents, resulting in stagnant water and algal blooms. Because the islands are composed primarily of compacted sand, there are concerns that they will be prone to erosion and subsidence (sinking). Their long-term viability is questionable.