Before the virtual visit
Prepare for your geographical study of the Georges River catchment. Complete the following key activities to familiarise yourself with geographical terminology, locate the river using mapping applications, and anticipate how extreme weather might impact floodplains in urban areas.
Activity 1: Locate the Georges River
Use Google Maps to locate the George River in Sydney. Open the application and search for "George River, Sydney, NSW." Zoom out to view the general area, then zoom in to examine the sections of the river near the suburbs of Liverpool and East Hills.
Make notes on the following:
- Identify locations where you observe parks, open spaces, roads, or bridges.
- Where is the river situated in relation to the surrounding suburbs?
- What information would you like to know about how the river behaves during heavy rainfall?
- What human-made landmarks or features can you spot near the river?
After answering these questions, create a map that includes annotations—such as labels, specific landmarks, a north-pointing arrow, and, most importantly, a title for the map.
Activity 2: Learn the key vocabulary
Before studying the site, you should be familiar with the following geographical terms to ensure a better understanding:
Land use: How an area is utilized by its inhabitants, including industrial, residential, or transportation-related activities.
Floodplain: A broad, flat area located adjacent to a river, which may become submerged during a flood.
Flood risk: The impact that a flood has on the surrounding area, property, population, or environment.
Catchment: The area of land where rainwater collects and drains into a specific river system.
Inundation: The covering of land by water.
Mitigation: Strategies employed to reduce the potential impacts of a hazard.
Select three of these terms and write a sentence for each, explaining them in your own words.
Activity 3: Make a prediction
Consider the following scenarios:
Which areas might be affected if heavy rainfall causes the river level to rise and overflow its banks?
Predict the impact of prolonged heavy rainfall within the Georges River catchment. What actions could be taken?
Provide a prediction along with the reasoning behind it. You will revisit this prediction later, once you have examined the geographical evidence.
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