Geography: December 2018

Climate change and spread of insect-borne diseases

Friday, December 28, 2018 | Posted by lily_lee68@yahoo.com.sg

Nepal reported its first case of dengue fever 14 years ago. Now, dengue patients can be found even in the Kathmandu Valley, nearly 1,400m above sea level. The disease has spread as a result of climate change, which has created warmer, more hospitable environments for the Aedes mosquito to breed and bite. There is also fear of the spread of Zika disease via mosquitoes.
Source:
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/a-modern-plague

Click on the link below for interactive on how climate change increase dengue cases in Singapore.
https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/11/warm-mosquito/index.html

Where are the areas affected by the spread of insect-borne diseases due to climate change?
Why does climate change affect the spread of insect-borne diseases?
What are the major causes of climate change?
How can climate change be mitigated?

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Deadly tsunamis from Anak Krakatoa volcanic eruption

Monday, December 24, 2018 | Posted by lily_lee68@yahoo.com.sg

Watch the video below and find out more about the Ring of Fire and how it had created the many disasters in 2018. From the volcanic eruptions of Mt Mayon and Kilauea to the tsunami which hit Sulawesi killing thousands and the most recent volcanic eruption of Anak Krakatoa leading to a tsunamis which had killed more than 400.

Read the following article on why many lives would have been saved if the tsunamis early warning system was working.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-tsunami-buoy-warning-system-not-working-since-2012-11059044

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-tsunami-death-toll-rises-to-281-disaster-agency-11059130

Reflect on the following:
Where is the Ring of Fire?
Why are there more seismic activities (volcanic eruptions and earthquakes) at the Ring of Fire?
When did Anak Krakatoa erupt?
What type of volcano is Anak Krakatoa?
What are the impacts of volcanic eruption?
Who are affected by volcanic eruptions?
How can the impacts of earthquake and volcanic eruptions be mitigated?

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-tsunami-krakatoa-rescue-heavy-rain-11064258

Read more about the hazards associated with volcanic eruptions and why travel advisories are issued m affected areas in the news article below:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-raises-alert-level-of-anak-krakatoa-volcano-tsunami-11065646

Update:
Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait has shrunk to almost a third its original height, from 338 meters to 110 m. The scale of the collapse of anak Krakatoa can be seen from the satellite images below. The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) estimated that the volcano reduced to between 40 million and 70 million cubic meters in size from a mass of about 150 million to 180 million m3, following eruptions that occurred between Dec. 24 and 27.