Geology of Shanghai - Term Paper Example

The Geology of Shanghai, China The Geology of Shanghai, China Introduction From the dawn of human civilization, mankind has been fascinated with the geology around us. Earth, in fact, is one of the four essential elements that sustain life, according to ancient philosophy. By examining the geology around us, we can learn a great deal about our history. We can gather the way our ancient ancestors lived, what types of conditions they lived through, and how the earth around us has changed through the centuries, just to name a few items. The land in our community can also help us understand the types of people who walked before us, in addition to how long the ground has sustained life. In other words, geology is a living history of our species. In an effort to facilitate this understanding of geology, it is beneficial to explore the geology of our own hometown. For this activity, the area surrounding Shanghai, China will form the backdrop for a most interesting and educational geological experience. Through the study of geology, various landforms of the region, and other aspects governing Shanghai, this student hopes to gain a better understanding of how the earth has shaped our history. Geology of Shanghai Shanghai is a large and extremely fascinating city in many respects. Not only is it the largest city in China, it is one of the largest in the world. There are many geological features in the area that can support the massive influx of people that has occurred; yet there is limited land. The city itself is on the coast of the East China Sea, which puts it right on the front edge of the Yangtze Delta. Because of its proximity to the water, the city only rises to 4 meters above sea level at its highest point. This limits, some degree, the geological structure that can be studied, but the surrounding area does have many interesting land formations, as will be discussed in the next section. In order for people to survive in any given area, the land must be able to support them. For quite some time, it has been evident that geological structure of Shanghai can support such a massive population as it has today. Geologists first uncovered a more than adequate ground water supply nearly a century ago. This allows people to have enough subsistence to survive, providing adequate food sources can be found. Over time, however, the numbers of people living in the region, coupled with the depletion of land and further erosion of soil, different types of impacts are now just being realized. Two plate-shaped depressions, for example, have recently been discovered in urban areas of Shanghai that are beginning to disrupt resources in suburban areas. Upon further study, it has been discovered that, “In the Shanghai area, unconsolidated materials, about 300 meters thick, of alternating marine and continental [material] were deposited on the bedrock during the Quaternary Period” (Jiangang, 2007, p. 21). This provides for quite an array of soil and rock formations present in Shanghai and the surrounding areas. There is, for example 150 meters of clay soil alone along the delta region. This data also provides the researcher with a living history of the structure of the entire region that explains how life has evolved in the region over time. All of the clay and soil formations have caused at least five aquifers to be created over time. These aquifers are quite flat and thick. They provide for an extensive flow of ground water that continues to this day. These aquifers cover all areas of Shanghai, except for certain parts of the Eastern coast and localized areas along the Whangpoo River (Xu, 2009, p. 481). In essence, nearly every area of Shanghai, if properly resourced and developed, has access to a continual and ground water supply. Origin and Date of Land Formation For the most part, as mentioned, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date that landforms around Shanghai were created. Because the area is so flat, there are not many rock formations to speak of, other than spots of bedrock. The main geographical feature of the region lies in its system of tributaries and natural canals. This is what has sustained life in the area around Shanghai for thousands of years. In addition, many islands have been formed over the years and the region around Shanghai. These include Dajinshan, Xiaojinshan, and Fushan Islands. Interesting enough, Dainshan Island does reach as high as 103.4 meters at its peak, by far the highest point in the Shanghai region. This small mountain formed over hundreds of years through a variety of geological events that occurred over time (Xu, 2009, p. 484). The islands that have formed all around Shanghai have done so over thousands of years. This not only contributes the beauty of the region, but to the practicality as well. The islands supply much needed vegetation and other forms of sustainable life. This is the type of landform that used to exist around the Shanghai region, but overdevelopment has caused the destruction, or elimination of. It is important that these islands remain a part of the region in order to combat certain environmental issues that are plaguing the area (Jiangan, 2007, p. 22) Geological Influence on Regional and Community Development It appears that Shanghai has developed over time, ironically, because of its lack of certain geological features, namely large rock formations. Because of its flat area, proximity to the sea, and access to shipping and other transportation options, please have flocked in the millions to this region. In that sense, the geology of Shanghai and its surrounding regions have largely influenced the development of the community. On the other hand, that same geographical influence is now creating grave environmental concerns and problems moving forward into the new millennia. According to Wu (2009), “Land subsidence due to excessive withdrawal of ground water has occurred in numerous regions around Shanghai and constitutes a costly geological hazard” (p. 1410). The primary obstacle to further development in Shanghai is the erosion of clay in the region. This clay has been a part of the geological land structure of Shanghai for thousands of years, yet it depends on the extensive systems of aquifers to keep functioning properly. With the influx of people has come overdependence on ground water, which is depleting the clay formation at a frightening pace. Already, geologists are noticing a change in the rock and clay formation in the region, and the ground is becoming increasingly unstable. This has resulted in some concern that buildings may be at risk in the future if these geological trends do not begin to reverse themselves (Zhang, 2009, pp. 56-57). As the population has mushroomed seemingly out of control in Shanghai, we also now understand the importance of the earth in terms of sustaining life. With the fact there is already a limited area of vegetation and other natural geological formations in the area, urbanization has further depleted this. There is no farmland to speak of, and virtually no wild animals or livestock to sustain the region. The only food of note is an abundance of seafood. Most meat and vegetables and other products must be trucked or shipped into the region. Considering the amount of food and other natural resources required to sustain a population of over 20 million people on a daily basis, it is little wonder that the land is beginning to show severe signs of strain (Gong, 2009, p. 1165). Geologically speaking, it is also important to understand that Shanghai has few natural resources to speak of. There is not any natural gas, petroleum, or coal looming hundreds of meters under the earth, as there simply is not that much land to speak of around Shanghai in the first place. This has increased the dependence of the region on outside regions in order to sustain the population. This has been able to happen through the years because China as a whole has many different land formations present throughout the continent that enables one region to support another. The features that make Shanghai unique, mainly groundwater access, are the same features that help to support other, less arid regions of the country. This interdependence upon one another is what has kept the Chinese people growing both economically and culturally for thousands of years. Geology’s Influence on Our Understanding of Shanghai’s History and Dynamics Research shows us that parts of the land in Shanghai were formed more than 6,000 years ago. The people living during that time survived by hunting, fishing, and, to a smaller extent farming. It is interesting to note that the entire region, including the current city center of Shanghai, appears to have been fully developed by the year 1,000. It was at this point that the people began to develop a coastal fishing village area (Huang, 2009, p. 1164) History has shown us that the land says a great deal about the people. Shanghai was developed, historically, because of the land surrounding the region. Now only could people hunt wild animals, but they could fish, have an adequate water supply, and begin to farm as well. This was the manner in which the entire region grew and thrived. Whenever you have all of these dynamics working together to support a people group, it is little wonder that the population can quickly grow exponentially. The dynamics of Shanghai encouraged population growth. Other regions in China simply did not have all of the qualities that Shanghai possessed in order to sustain people and give them a high quality of life. This same dynamic, however, has now caused many concerns mentioned previously in this essay. Gone are the days of hunting and farming. Only fishing remains, while the economy of Shanghai remains stable thanks to industry (Huang, 2009, p. 1167). That same industry, however, has taken over the land and created a lack of those abundant resources that once made Shanghai some special from a geological perspective. The hope is that the area can be sustained for centuries to come, but in order for that to happen, the people must be willing to give back to the earth that has contributed so much already to its rich history. The Influence of Geology on My Life/Conclusion Shanghai is my hometown and I am very proud of its heritage. It has developed into one of the most prosperous and industrial regions in the entire world. Much of this is owed, I now understand, to the unique geological features present in Shanghai and the areas nearby. Many families have lived in Shanghai for generations. They have been fishermen, farmers, and hunters. Now, few people make a living in these industries, but the historical significance remains. Other families have moved to the region recently, not fully understanding the history of the land we have come to cherish so much. They have come with the hope of a better way of life, yet they do not truly appreciate the land that has created this wealth. Certainly this is not their fault, as I myself did not truly appreciate the vast scope of our geology until begin asked to write this assignment. It can now be said the geology truly does impact a region. No matter if we are talking about Shanghai, China or Miami, Florida, the landscape around us has a rich history. That history has contributed to the continued survival of generations of families, just like my own. If we do not learn to appreciate that earth around us, however, that history may eventually die as people must move on to other locations that can continue to sustain life. That is what frightens me. Shanghai will certainly continue to be an economic center of the world for years to come, but one can wonder at what cost this will happen. In Shanghai, we have lost our farmland, and we have no more animals or livestock to hunt. With our groundwater supply gradually becoming compromised, people must begin to wake up and reverse the process. This will help to ensure that the home loved by millions of Chinese people today will continue to be loved by millions more tomorrow. References Gong, S. (2009). The microscopic characteristics of Shanghai soft clay and its effect on soil body deformation and land subsidence. Environmental Geology, 56(6), 1051-1056. Huang, Y. (2009). Seismic response analysis of the deep saturated soil deposits in Shanghai. Environmental Geology, 56(6), 1163-1169. Jiangang, X. (2007). Urban spatial restructuring in transitional economy: Changing land use pattern in Shanghai. Chinese Geographical Science, 17(1), 19-27. Wu, J. (2009). Numerical simulation of land subsidence induced by groundwater overexploitation in Shanghai area, China. Environmental Geology, 57(6), 1409-1421. Xu, Y. (2009). Geo-hazards with characteristics and prevention measures along the coastal regions of China. Natural Hazards, 49(3), 479-500. Zhang, D. (2009). A rapid loess flowslide triggered by irrigation in China. Landslides, 6(1), 55-60. Read More