Effects of Topography on People
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Weather
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Topography influences regional climate and weather patterns in a given area. The reason is that the elevation and natural land formations of a given area determine the high- and low-pressure systems that create cloud formations, which lead to precipitation. Without natural forms of precipitation, people must invent other means of irrigating crops for agriculture. This explains why most major cities are located near a body of water.
Natural Disasters
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Topography determines why and where most natural disasters occur. Flatland areas, such as the Midwest, are particularly vulnerable to tornadoes due to how tropical storms that form in the nearby Gulf of Mexico can build up enough wind speed to travel many distances across land. The consequences of topography within this area explains why it is commonly referred to as Tornado Alley.
Earthquakes
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The topography of regions in with previous earthquakes makes them vulnerable to recurring seismic disturbances from plate tectonics. These areas are defined topographically by the presence of an earthquake fault, which indicates where specific plates have shifted upon one another to create an earthquake. Seismic waves are amplified within these regions, and the threat of earthquakes and landslides are a very real danger to the lives of people who live there.
Disease
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The topography of a region also determines which kind of diseases threaten the people that live there. Malaria is a disease that mosquitoes transmit, and is present in hot, humid areas where the specific mosquito that transmits the parasite breeds. This mosquito cannot breed in higher elevations due to the colder air temperature of mountain areas, and thus malaria does not pose an immediate threat to the people who live in these regions.
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