Assignment: Lab 1: Population: People Increasingly at Risk

Spring 2020 - Geologic Hazards (GEOL-3400-01, GEOL-3400-10, GEOL-3400-11, GEOG-3400-12)
2019-12-20T18:11:50Z

Due:

For much of Earth and human history, the number of humans on the planet was very small and their ecological impact, although important locally and regionally, did not have global implications. However, in recent decades, human population has started to grow rapidly (Figure 1).

The world's population was estimated to have exceeded 6 billion in 1999. The human population did not attain a billion until 1804, i.e. several million years after humans first appeared on the planet (Figure 2). Since that time the Earth's population has grown rapidly. For example, 123 years were necessary to add the second billion to the human population and merely 47 years were necessary to double that.

This type of increase is exponential growth. Population growth is, however, slowing, particularly in the developed nations. The global growth rate peaked in the late 1960s at about 2% per year (doubling time of 35 years), but has declined to approximately 1.6% at the present time. Even at this lower growth rate, 86 million people are added to the world's population each year. That is equal to the population of Mexico or twice that of England. (These figures take into account the persons dying each year.) Clearly this increase in population has important implications for the numbers of people at risk of geologic hazards.

Information Source: 1 Population lab text.pdf

Activity worksheets:

Activity 1 - world population 3400.pdf

Activity 2 - energy consumption 3400.pdf

Activity 3 - MEDC vs LEDC 3400 Ans.pdf

For much of Earth and human history, the number of humans on the planet was very small and their ecological impact, although important locally and regionally, did not have global implications. However, in recent decades, human population has started to grow rapidly (Figure 1).

The world's population was estimated to have exceeded 6 billion in 1999. The human population did not attain a billion until 1804, i.e. several million years after humans first appeared on the planet (Figure 2). Since that time the Earth's population has grown rapidly. For example, 123 years were necessary to add the second billion to the human population and merely 47 years were necessary to double that.

This type of increase is exponential growth. Population growth is, however, slowing, particularly in the developed nations. The global growth rate peaked in the late 1960s at about 2% per year (doubling time of 35 years), but has declined to approximately 1.6% at the present time. Even at this lower growth rate, 86 million people are added to the world's population each year. That is equal to the population of Mexico or twice that of England. (These figures take into account the persons dying each year.) Clearly this increase in population has important implications for the numbers of people at risk of geologic hazards.

Information Source: 1 Population lab text.pdf

Activity worksheets:

Activity 1 - world population 3400.pdf

Activity 2 - energy consumption 3400.pdf

Activity 3 - MEDC vs LEDC 3400 Ans.pdf