Thailand in the Future!

While researching Thailand, I have explored the amazing physical characteristics that define this country. Many people who have visited or live(d) in Thailand have no idea of the significance of Thailand’s limestone, tropical monsoon climate, and northern mountains. Thailand is categorized as Tropical Asia which affects the country’s vegetation, climate, hydrology, and many other factors. Also, it lies on the Eurasian plate, moving at an average of 2 cm per year away from the North American plate in an eastward movement.  That being said, the physical geography of Thailand will have notable changes in years to come.

As you can see the plate is moving eastward away from the North American plate.

 

 10,000 years from today:

In 10,000 years the Eurasian plate will have moved .124274 miles eastward. This calculation means that Thailand will have a minor change in its mountain belt. The Shain-Thai terrane, part of the Eurasia, will collide with the Western Burma terrane changing geological structures.

Also, there will be a change in the distribution and behavior of the rainforest in mountainous areas of Thailand. It is predicted that by this time, tropical forest areas will increase from 45% to 80%. An increase in evapotranspiration and rainfall changeability will result in contraction and desiccation. All of these changes to Thailand’s ecosystem is caused by changes in sea level and temperature.

These are some mountains of Thailand and you can observe the large amount of vegetation and humidity.

1,000,000 years from today:

At this point in 1,000,000 years the Eurasian plate will have moved 12.4274 miles eastward. Since Thailand is a coastal land, it is prone to many changes in its physical geography including sea flooding, land loss, coastal erosion, and rise in sea level. Thailand’s most prominent attractions are its limestone karst areas where you find incredible caves. However, since Thailand is a coastal land, the limestone in karst areas will change following a dissolution process. In 10,000 years, tropical karst will form due to an abundance of water and organic acids. It starts with the rise of sea level, then acidic water starts to break down limestone bedrock, making the cracks bigger. After that, a drainage system will form underground and karst features will increase.

This is a famous limestone cliff formed by waves and tectonic processes.

 

100,000,000 years from today:

Finally, in 100,000,000 years, the Eurasian plate will have moved 1242.74 miles eastward. At this point Thailand is dramatically changed, especially due to seasonal variability and increase in temperatures. There will be a glacial backdrop and most of Thailand will probably be under sea level considering it is on the coast and only the northern part of Thailand has a mountain belt. Basically, the northern mountains will be the border between the ocean and land, and will eventually erode because changes in sea level will cause coastal processes to begin again. Changes in temperature makes Thailand vulnerable today, therefore, land erosions and sea flooding will not be uncommon for Thailand in 100,000,000 years.

This is what the world is predicted to look like in 100 million years and as you can see, sea level rises drastically.

 

 

Thailand will experience dramatic changes in its physical geography in the next 100,000,000 years. Karst area formations will increase in the next 10,000 years. By this time the Eurasian plate will have moved significantly enough to impact Thailand’s mountain belt and vegetation. Lastly, due to sea level rise and temperature variability, Thailand will be notably smaller in area and the Thai highlands will be the boundary between ocean and Thailand.

References:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Asia

http://www.dmr.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/dmr_web/main.php?filename=GeoThai_En

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Plate

 

  

 

 

 

Thailand's Climate Marvels!

Thailand's climate is described as tropical monsoon climate. This climate is characterized by a significant amount of sun, rainfall, and humidity. Most of Thailand has three seasons: dry/cool season, hot season, and rainy season. Northern Thailand's climate is classified as Aw climate by the Koeppen- Geiger climate classification, and the southern coast is classified as Am ( both shown below). Aw and Am both consist of the Savanna biome with a general circulation of ITCZ(Intertropical Convergence Zone) in summer and STH (Subtropical High) in winter. As you can tell by now, Thailand offers you a pleasing climate for visit any time of the year (well maybe)!

The Koeppen climate classification Aw is shown across the north of Thailand and the Am in the south. Cwa is not much relevant to the overall climate being discussed.

The rainy season of Thailand typically begins between May and July and ends somewhere between October and November. This season is dominated by the southwestern monsoons causing flash flooding and heavy storms. Although the term "rainy" sounds like it provides cool temperatures, it is typically sunny and very humid in Thailand during this season. The average temperature high during this season is 34 degrees Celsius( 93 degrees Fahrenheit), and the average low is 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 degrees F).

The distribution of rainfall is shown in the graph above in mm. Phuket (south) obviously receives the most rainfall.

The hot season runs from March to June. It has occasional rain that starts in April but is relatively hot all throughout. The average temperature high for this season is 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The average low temperature is 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 degrees F).

The hot season has cloud coverings but temperatures are still at their highest.

The dry and cool season starts in November and ends around February. Most of Thailand stays hot throughout the whole year, therefore the cool season is really only present around the northern mountains. The southern part of Thailand does not really experience the cool season. The average temperature high this season is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). The average temperature low is 16 degrees Celsius (60.8 degrees F).



Temperatures drop, although not significantly, with a lot more cloud covering. Temperature drops are more apparent near the northern mountains.

 References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Thailand
http://www.tourismthailand.org/Thailand/weather
http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Thailand.htm

Nature's Weapons!

Thailand is explicitly known for all its magnificent temples, but there is one in particular that will amaze anyone. The Prasat Hin Phanom Rung temple sits on the rim of a volcano, but don't worry the volcano is extinct.  Extinct volcanoes are scientifically considered to not erupt again because they do not have lava supply. You might ask yourself: Well what's the difference between a dormant and extinct volcano? Are they not the same? A dormant volcano is an active volcano (has erupted at least once in the past 10,000 years) that is not currently erupting but potentially can. An extinct volcano has not erupted, not even once, in the past 10,000 years. The only volcanoes that exist in Thailand are both extinct. Phanom Rung and Doi Pha Khok Hin Fu are the two extinct volcanoes in Thailand. There is not much information about these two volcanoes other than their elevation, but it is still interesting to know that at one point the temple of Phanom Rung was a deadly site for the living organisms near the area.



This is a satellite overview of the Phanom Rung volcano and it is obviously scary big but it is pleasing to know that it is extinct.

Just for fun! The Phanom Rung temple sits on the rim of the volcano and it is absolutely stunning. 

Although the volcanoes of Thailand are not a threat to its citizens, there are several faults that are responsible for earthquakes. The Mae Chan Fault is responsible for the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Chiang Rai on May 16, 2007. This fault is considered "the most potentially damaging one in the country" (http://www.cicc.chula.ac.th/en/2012-04-26-04-31-26/203-likelihood-of-earthquakes-in-thailand.html) The Mae Chan Fault is a strike-slip fault, in other words a side-by-side fault or transform fault. Since this fault has been active recently, it is unsafe for new construction plans to take place. According to Wikipedia.org, the Mae Chan Fault has been ""more active" since the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake." Faults may just seem like snaps of rocks, but a massive fault like the Mae Chan are unavoidably dangerous.



This picture maps the faults in Thailand. They are obviously taken into consideration for potential earthquakes. Most of the faults are located in the west of the country which concerns the people of the vicinity.



References:
Wikipedia.org
(http://www.cicc.chula.ac.th/en/2012-04-26-04-31-26/203-likelihood-of-earthquakes-in-thailand.html

 http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcanoes/faq/active_erupting.html

Thailand Rocks!

Apart from attracting numerous tourists, limestone caves in Thailand are an important feature of its physical geography, more specifically its sedimentary structures. To appreciate the wondrous view of the Tham Lot cave (cave in northern Thailand), we must understand the features of such cave first. A cave like Tham Lot has stalactites and stalagmites, also known as dripstones. Stalacites resemble huge drips that hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites are somewhat similar to stalacites but rise from the ground. All of these features of a limestone cave are due to chemical reactions of sedimentary rocks.



This is a picture of Tham Lot cave

This diagram shows how a limestone cave forms

Something unique about Thailand is that it contains rocks ranging from as old as from the Precambrian to the Quaternary. That is 4.6 billion years ago to 2.5 million years ago! The Precambrian rocks are primarily distributed along the northwestern side of Thailand, but they can also be found in some Eastern and Southern parts. Thailand also contains rocks from the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic (Tertiary and Quaternary) times. Moreover, the most common group of igneous rocks in Thailand are granites.  The distribution of the granites in Thailand appear to age from east to west, Lower Triassic (252.2 million years ago) to Late Cretaceous (100.5 million years ago) respectively. It is quite amazing how we in 2014 can appreciate a rock from millions of years ago! The diversity of the ages of these granites are thought to be caused by “metamorphism, tectonic deformation, hydrothermal activities and simple cooling processes.” Although they are not so common, mafic and volcanic rocks are also exposed in some parts of Thailand. Although igneous rocks in Thailand are proven to be extremely old, the limestone caves can easily steal anyone’s attention. However, learning about the sedimentary and igneous rocks of Thailand can enhance one’s gratitude towards the entire physical geography of the country.

 

 

References:

 

http://www.dmr.go.th/main.php?filename=GeoThai_En

http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/about/geology-of-limestone-caves/cave-formations-speleothems/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tham_Lot_cave

 



 

 

Introduction

Hello fellow humans! My name is Nora Sepulveda, and I am a Biology major at CU Denver. I have lived in Denver, Colorado my whole entire life giving me a great desire to travel the world and visit all the extravagant places. One of my points of interest is the beautiful country located in Southeast Asia: Thailand! I chose Thailand mainly because of its culture and amazing monuments. However, studying the physical geography of Thailand will benefit my knowledge before I visit. Thailand attracts numerous tourists all year-round, but studying the geographical traits will make me a smarter tourist. Its natural beauty will capture anyone's interest, and that is my goal for everyone who reads this blog.



This is a picture from Google images of Railay Beach, located in a small peninsula in Thailand.