THREE GORGES DAMHow has our environment changed over t ime?

In many ways, humans have changed their environment in order to better suit a different way of life. The Three Gorges Dam, built in the Hubei province of China, is just one example of a man-made feature that has changed the environment. This massive construction project, one of the world’s largest power station, was completed in 2012. This man-made feature benefits China by producing incredible amounts of electricity, by allowing ships to use the Yangtze River to transport goods, and by controlling flooding in the area. However, like most man-made changes to the earth, the Three Gorges Dam has also hurt the environment. After the dam was completed, about 100 small towns were submerged and 1.3 million people had to find new homes. Some local animals, such as the Yangtze dolphin, Chinese sturgeon, and finless porpoise have become endangered.

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benefit: help that you get from something

transport: carrying passengers or goods from one place to another

flooding: land becomes covered by water because of rain

submerged: to cover something with water

extinct: an animal or plant that does not exist anymore

PANAMA CANALHow has our environment changed over t ime?

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canal: a long passage dug into the ground and filled with water.

extinct: an animal or plant that does not exist anymore

This man-made feature would have really made things different for the explorers during the “Age of Exploration.” The Panama Canal project began in 1881 by the French and was finished in 1914 by the United States. This project dug a 77 kilometer canal through the country of Panama. This canal connected the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. This man-made change to the environment has greatly helped international trade and transportation. Instead of traveling around South America, travelers can now easily pass through the Panama Canal and save months of travel time. However, this change to the environment has not been all positive. We are still learning about the changes the Panama Canal is making to the environment, but we do know that many animals and plants went extinct because of the construction.

Panama Canal

DIAVIK DIAMOND MINEHow has our environment changed over t ime?

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People need resources from the earth in order to make tools, cars, computers, buildings, and other useful items. People mine places which are known to have a lot of a particular resource. In 2001, people began mining for diamonds at DiavikDiamond Mine in Northern Canada. This particular mine is still active today, and about 1,400 kg of diamonds are found here every year. This land feature has drastically changed since 2001. Before mining began, this landform was a flat, desolate area with very little to see. Now, every year, thousands of miners dig deeper into the earth in hopes of finding more diamonds. Sometimes miners even use explosives in order to get deeper into the earth. Miners will continue to dig in this area until diamonds aren’t found anymore. What will happen to these two huge holes in the earth after miners are finished?

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drastically: extreme and sudden

How has our environment changed over t ime?

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Bering Land Bridge

Man-made features, such as Three Gorges Dam and Diavik Diamond Mine, have drastically changed features of the earth in a very short amount of time. Natural features, such as the Bering Land Bridge, changed our environment over a much longer amount of time. The Bering Land Bridge existed during an ice age and it was a path that humans took to reach North America from Asia. As this ice age ended, glaciers melted and the ocean levels rose. Now, the Bering Land Bridge is submerged in water and humans cannot walk across it. This natural feature has changed our environment because it separated North America and Asia. The Bering Land Bridge might be the most famous example of a land bridge from an ice age, but it was not the only land bridge from an ice age that disappeared. Some historians say that a land bridge also previously connected Australia to New Guinea and Tasmania, and that the English Channel was previously a land bridge connecting the British Isles to Europe.

drastically: extreme and sudden

existed: to be real or alive

submerged: to cover something with water

glacier: a large amount of ice that moves slowly down a mountain valley.Watch video

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How has our environment changed over t ime?

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Norway is famous for their fjords, and the Geirangerfjord is probably the best known fjord in the country. A fjord is a narrow area between high cliffs. Norway has some of the deepest fjords in the world. Geirangerfjord is surrounded by tall mountains, over 1700 meters tall. But how did this area become this way? During the ice ages, glaciers slowly moved across Norway, scraping away the top layers of rock. Each glacier carried along the top layers of broken rock until the glacier eventually melted. Then, the rocks and minerals would be left behind. After hundreds of years, these glaciers carved long, narrow, and deep valleys which are called fjords.

The Geirangerfjord

fjord: a narrow area between high cliffs

erosion: process by which rock or dirt is slowly destroyed by wind or water.

glacier: a large amount of ice that moves slowly down a mountain valley.

scrap: to take away something from the surface.

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Mount St. HelensHow has our environment changed over t ime?

Old Summit9,677 ft.

New Summit8,365 ft.

Mount Saint (St.) Helens is an active volcano located in the Northwest of the United States. This volcano is known for its major eruption in 1980. This eruption was the most deadly eruption in U.S. history. Shortly after the eruption, U.S. president Jimmy Carter visited Mount St. Helens and said the area looked more desolate than the moon. The explosion completely toppled trees in a 370 square kilometer area. Hot volcanic ash and rock burned the landscape around the volcano, about 109 square kilometers. Lava from the volcano flowed out at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour. All animals, trees, and plant life surrounding the volcano were destroyed. The fish in Spirit Lake, near Mount St. Helens, all died during the eruption. In fact, so much volcanic debris slid into the lake that its bottom was raised 60 meters. It wasn’t until 1990 when fish were seen back in the lake. After more than 30 years, plants have grown back and animals have returned to most parts of Mount St. Helens.

eruption: explodes and sends smoke, fire and rock into the sky.

desolate: a place that is empty and sad because no one is there.

toppled: to make something fall over

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How has our environment changed over t ime?

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Research a Landform