Case Studies –Geography 12

  • Refer to data
  • Look at prompts
  • Don’t just list the physical influences-show the relationships!
  • Don’t use information not taught in class

Thesis

  • Show relationship
  • How Iceland can sustain its economic growth

Looking at the physical environment of Iceland (excluding man’s effects)

Location:

Relative- just south of Arctic Circle in the North Atlantic (insolation more angled, less effective, amount of light?)

Absolute- latitude/longitude

Climate-cold (due to latitude), precipitation?

Wind- northern part hit by Polar Easterlies, southern part affected by Westerlies

Ocean Current- northwest part is affected by Greenland Current (cold), South (some affect by North Atlantic Drift (warm), therefore: they have chosen to put cities on south coast

-good breeding ground for fish due to currents hitting each other thereby stirring up nutrients which provide food for food chain

Land formation- island in N. Atlantic, shield cone (therefore made of basalt), created over divergent zone in Atlantic, access to geothermal energy, new rock

Soil-

Biomes-

Resources-

Introductory paragraph

  • What is your essay about? (5 W’s)
  • Where is it? What’s it like?
  • Nature of place
  • Population
  • Divergent zone
  • Climate
  • Back up with thesis statement

Ex. The physical environment has had an influence on the people of Iceland and there are many ways they can sustain their economic growth. (you must defend this statement)

Body 1

There are many physical characteristics that have influenced the people of Iceland. For instance, . . . (transitional phrase)

-location

-currentstheses factors influence

-winds

Therefore we can understand the location of the cities.

Climate and soil: 1% arable, 20% grazable, therefore greenhouses are a viable alternative

Island currents: therefore fish (food jobs, 80% of Iceland’s exports)

Conclusion

Body 2

T.S. There are other natural features which have had an impact on Iceland. (keep it vague to allow room to expand).

For example, volcanoes: Fire and Ice (a curse turned into a blessing, a negative into a positive)

  1. location of volcanoes impact city location
  2. due to volcanoes, an abundance of geothermal energy-greenhouses, heat homes, spas ( this is cheap and plentiful energy)
  3. living with volcanoes-evacuation drills, testing (refer back to data)

Conclusion

Body 3

T.S. The economy of Iceland must be sustained by many ways.

First, protection of their fishing industry is a must if Iceland is going to continue economically. For instance, -allowable catch (quotas), methods of fishing (fish farms, licences, hatcheries, etc.), keep pollution down (eutraphication by household phosphates and derelict boats), fish treaties, monitor, fines, protection of harbour

Second: geothermal is another industry that needs to be sustained

Data: cable to Europe to sell power, tourism spas, greenhouses

Finally: your own ideas

Conclusion