World Wise volume 16 - Geography magazine

World-Wise From 2018 to 2023, many things have changed in the Geography department, none more so than Mr Newbeys hairline!

Highlights this issue: The Sixth Form take over!

Yosemite National Park The Paris Agreement

A fond farewell from Mr Newbey to World Wise Hi, I have taken over the introduction this week as I wanted a chance to say goodbye. I joined WGGS just over six years ago and from the moment I walked in the doors I felt at home. Teaching Geography at this school has been an honour and the reason I love it so much is due to you guys, the students. Every lesson I am asked some awkward question about an obscure topic which I have to at least pretend to know something about until I’ve had time to search my brain for the answer or google it.

Your passion for the subject and how you all approach your Geography lessons is truly inspiring and makes leaving this wonderful school so much harder than I thought it would be. I have loved every moment.

I find goodbyes awkward, and I wouldn’t say I am a particularly emotional person.

Thank you for all the memories, the questions, for supporting the silly Xmas Videos and for making me smile and laugh so often. Thank you for giving me space to ramble on about something geographical and for tolerating my ‘dad jokes’. I feel very lucky to have been your teacher and I know each and every one of you will do wonderful things and make a difference either at a small level or potentially much bigger. I cannot wait for the day when I turn on the TV and can say that I taught that young person and now look at what they are doing and I look forward to being approached whilst shopping in Watford and you telling me what you have been up to.

I’ll leave you with this, Geography is everywhere. From the minute you wake up in the morning and look outside and decide what to wear to the reason you visit a place on holiday. It involves you, your community and the world around you. We are all linked by our common places and geographies which is very exciting. All you need to do is embrace the opportunities that come your way, listen more than you talk and ask questions, that is the trick to being a true geographer.

Have a lovely Christmas break and a great rest of the year. I will miss you all very much and cannot wait to hear all about what you have been up to.

Best Wishes and Merry Christmas Mr A Newbey

The Aral Sea

Yosemite National Park- The Geological Story

By Sanjna 13G Three Million people flock to Yosemite National Park each year. Many are familiar with the classic Tunnel View - a postcard picture of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome - an image that first comes to mind when thinking of the park. Staring at these distinct, colossal landscapes poses the question of how they came to be. How did nature stir up formations as striking as those in Yosemite?

What is its geological story?

Caption

One of the first things that people usually notice about the park is the pale grey and white hues worn by the rocks. The foundation of the park is the grand granite batholith which formed over 100 million years ago. When bodies of molten rock are unable to erupt due to the intense pressure and weight of the crust, they sometimes are forced to change state and cool, freezing within the earth. This forms plutonic rock.

The type of pluton formed depends on the chemical and/or crystal composition of the magma (molten rock), and the appearance and mineralogy of plutonic rocks can later be changed due to weathering. Granite is a plutonic rock.

Now, imagine a huge amalgamation of different plutonic rocks, creating an array of greys and whites with observable differences in grain size, texture and hues: this is a Batholith.

Research published in the Journal of Geology (M.Petrov) explains the effect that this batholith had on allowing for the bold structures in the park to exist today. The slow cooling of magma beneath the Earth’s crust allowed for large mineral grains to form, creating rugged and coarse textured grains which are visible in the El Capitan and Half Dome.

The grains formed in the batholith are all minerally interlocked making the granite base of Yosemite extremely hard to erode and weather. This is why the structures are so prominent and ‘sharp’, and the landscape doesn’t feature many gentle slopes

December 2023 ● Volume 16●

The Granite batholith we see today wasn’t always visible - it had formed deep beneath the earth’s crust. In order for it to have become exposed, a huge force was necessary to uplift the overlying crust, the tectonic activity of the region provided this. Yosemite is situated near a convergent plate boundary where the Pacific plate is subducting underneath the North American one; this caused a tilting and uplifting of the crust and formed the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in which Yosemite sits. Without this tectonic activity and the help of weathering, the stunning batholith would be buried away.

Weathering and glacial activity further carved this granite foundation and sculpted some of the most beautiful features we observe in the park today. Glaciers cause a mixture of sliding and abrasion. When a glacier lies on a section of land, the meltwater near the bottom lubricates the glacier against the rocks and allows it to slide across, smoothing out certain areas of the landscape. This meltwater and the moving glacier also carry rock fragments which erode against the underlying rock as well. The combination of these two glacier-driven processes have transformed the Batholith into an exciting landscape with many iconic structures like the Half-Dome and El Capitan.

Above: Half Dome Right: Glacier Point

Overtime, water sourced from these glaciers made up the rivers and waterfalls which further helped mould the landscape through hydraulic action, abrasion and attrition. Alluvial fans, plunge pools, valleys, hanging valleys and canyons are just a few of the ways waterfalls have diversified the topography of Yosemite. Alluvial fans are fan-shaped deposits consisting of sand, gravel and rocks; they form when waterfalls deposit their sediment. Plunge pools are areas directly underneath waterfalls where hydraulic action is at a maximum, essentially, the water excavates the land and makes it deeper than the surrounding area. Hanging valleys are valleys which have been carved out by smaller waterfalls caused by tributaries; they exist on the side of the central main valley because the waterfalls that form them are less powerful. They dramatise the landscape and add layers to the valley, inspiring many artists, writers, scientists and other visitors.

Yosemite National Park, without a doubt, is one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world. The landscape is as interesting and fascinating to see as it is to understand. Every landscape is a story, and the story of Yosemite only adds to its beauty.

Page 3

Assessing the Success of the Paris Agreement in Combating Climate Change

By Abirah 13F The Paris Agreement, a landmark international accord aimed at addressing climate change, marks a turning point in the global effort to tackle this pressing issue. By uniting 197 parties from across the world, it has been in existence for several years now, and it is essential to evaluate its effectiveness over an eight-year period.

The Paris Agreement's Successes: • Broadened Participation: The Paris Agreement achieved a remarkable feat by bringing together 197 countries to acknowledge the urgency of addressing climate change. This near-universal consensus represents a global commitment to combat climate change.

• Ambitious Targets: One of the Agreement's key successes is its call for countries to set ambitious targets. It emphasizes the importance of keeping global temperatures "well below" 2°C above pre-industrial levels and limiting the increase to 1.5°C. These goals are more stringent compared to previous international climate agreements, demonstrating increased commitment to climate action.

• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): The Agreement recognises that each country has different starting points and paces of progress. Consequently, nations can set their own NDCs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This flexibility accommodates the unique circumstances of each nation, making it more politically feasible for them to participate.

• Climate Finance: Financial support is crucial for developing nations to transition to low-carbon economies and enhance their mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Developed countries have committed to providing financial assistance to these nations, helping them work toward their climate goals.

• Private Sector Engagement: The Paris Agreement has pushed the private sector to consider sustainability factors, reduce their carbon footprint, and invest in renewable energy. This engagement from businesses and investors enhances global efforts to combat climate change.

• Raising Public Awareness: The Agreement has played a significant role in raising public awareness about climate change. It has spurred a growing global movement for climate action through discussions and activism, pressuring governments, and corporations to take climate policy and action seriously.

Where Does It Face Challenges?

• Inadequate Commitments: One major criticism of the Paris Agreement is that countries' commitments, as outlined in their NDCs, fall short of achieving net-zero emissions by the target year of 2050. Many nations, including the UK, require substantial improvements in their climate targets, policies, and finances to meet the Agreement's goals.

• Lack of Strong Enforcement: The Agreement relies on voluntary commitments without strong enforcement mechanisms, resulting in less ambitious pledges. The absence of legal consequences reduces accountability, necessitating stricter measures.

• Absence of Timelines: The Agreement lacks specific timelines for countries to reach emission reduction milestones, causing disparities in progress. The absence of deadlines can decrease the pressure on nations to take immediate, meaningful action, delaying climate progress.

• Limited Range: The Paris Agreement primarily focuses on emissions from the energy and industrial sectors, neglecting emissions from agriculture, deforestation, and other sectors contributing significant greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

• Political and Economic Hurdles: Some countries face resistance to climate action due to their economic reliance on fossil fuels. For instance, Kuwait, heavily dependent on fossil fuels for its GDP, has been slow to progress toward its climate goals.

In conclusion, the Paris Agreement represents a pivotal milestone in the global fight against climate change. It has achieved significant successes, such as broadening participation, setting ambitious targets, and raising public awareness.

However, challenges, including inadequate commitments and a lack of strong enforcement, persist. The Agreement's ultimate success depends on ongoing individual and collective efforts to address the critical issue of our time.

Rabble rally rescuing Aral- rifting rivers

By Ava 13D The Aral Sea was a body of fresh water which began shrinking in the 1960’s and largely dried up by the 2010’s. It was a natural source for the fishing industry but due to the start of the production of cotton using the Aral Sea it has over time dried up and evaporated. Efforts are now being made in order to save some of the lake.

The Aral Sea was once one of the four largest lakes in the world covering an area of 68,00 sq km, now a fraction of its size. It runs from the north in Kazakhstan to the south in Uzbekistan. While its western and central parts are covered by plains, the east is mountainous going into the Himalayas which every summer releases the ice and snow collected in the winter, adding to the river. The Aral Sea was once part of the Soviet Union. It was planned to use its channels to develop irrigated cotton and rice farming. In the 1960’s canals were built to keep the industry maintained, however up to 70 percent of the irrigation water either leaked or was evaporated. From this the sea started to shrink. In 1987 the shrinkage caused a split into two seas- the North Aral Sea and the South Aral Sea. By 2007 the Aral had shrunk even further to 10 percent of its original size. In 2003 a dam was proposed to separate the two seas. In 2005 the dam was completed and allowed the water level in the North Aral Sea to rise with more fresh water flowing in. Since 2005 the level of the North Aral Sea has risen by 10 metres.

Caption

The fishing industry because of the shrinking of Aral, has been heavily impacted. The Aral Sea once supported a fishing community employing up to 40,000 people. As the sea shrank the water became even more polluted and Saline meaning fewer species of fish could survive. Fishing boats, in turn, had to be abandoned leaving people unemployed and as there were little jobs, most fishermen had to move away causing local shops and services to not be needed. These closed and people who still lived there found it hard to survive without necessary services.

Environmentally, the sea bed that was now left exposed as it dried up affected the local climate as the winters became colder and summers warmer. The sea bed also contained chemical residues from the pesticides and fertilisers used on the cotton. This caused huge toxic dust storms which led to high rates of respiratory diseases, cancer and high rates of infant and maternal mortality rates.

To add to this, over time less water became usable as it was to saline and in some cases toxic. At one-point 83 percent of children had a disease from contamination. Crops became toxic and were harder to grow, increasing poorer diets and starvation. Plants couldn’t survive in the toxic saline environments and so died from not receiving enough water. Plants and animals that lived there could no longer find food so had to move or just died.

Additionally, crime increased as more people were in poverty and distress leaving people helpless.

The dam that has been put in the North Aral Sea has allowed fish to come back into the sea meaning that fishing as an industry can return. In order to save as much of what we can there has been a drive to improve irrigated farming by measures such as lining irrigation canals with concrete to reducing water loss and by improving drip irrigation. There are also plans to diversify agriculture in Kazakhstan and to plant drought resistant trees to help improve the local climate.

While the North Aral is working on restoration the South Aral is still shrinking and receiving less fresh water. However, Uzbekistan has now reported to be more interested in exploring for oil and gas in order to pay for the improvement in the sea bed and cotton industry. There is very little hope of saving the Western South Aral Sea with the impacts of desertification, habitats dying and change in climate being accepted. The North Aral Sea is on the other hand very hopeful and is looking to build a second dam to raise the level of the sea and to bring back the ports of Kazakhstan. Whatever can be done to save as much of the sea as possible should

be approached in order to restore the lives of people living by the Aral Sea.

Revealing Reads: Worlds in Shadow

by Patrick Nunn

The traces of much of human history - and that which preceded it - lie beneath the ocean surface; broken up, dispersed, often buried and always mysterious. This is fertile ground for speculation, even myth-making, but also a topic on which geologists and climatologists have increasingly focused in recent decades.

We now know enough to tell the true story of some of the continents and islands that have disappeared throughout Earth's history, to explain how and why such things happened, and to unravel the effects of submergence on the rise and fall of human civilizations.

Worlds in Shadow sifts the facts from the fiction, using the most up-to-date research to work out which submerged places may have actually existed versus those that probably only exist in myth. Nunn looks at the descriptions of recently drowned lands that have been well documented, those that are plausible, and those that almost certainly didn't exist.

Going even further back, Patrick examines the presence of more ancient lands, submerged beneath the waves in a time that even the longest-reaching folk memory can't touch. Such places may have played important roles in human evolution, but can only be reconstructed through careful geological detective work.

Exploring how lands become submerged, whether from sea-level changes, tectonic changes, gravity collapse, giant waves or volcanoes, helps us determine why, when and where land may disappear in the future, and what might be done to prevent it.