Post 4: Cambodian Landscapes

The curviness of the Mekong River shows its meandering nature

Image from huongviettravel.com

Fluvial formations can greatly affect the landscape and the people who live nearby. The Mekong River is no exception and it is a perennial stream that flows year round and meanders, meaning that it flows wherever it wants to. This allows for relative stability of the river, especially when compared with intermittent rivers that flow only during the rainy season or ephemeral rivers that flow immediately after it rains. Its stability has made it a key method for survival for 60 million people. The river is endangered, however, as both the Chinese and the Thai are competing to be able to build dams along the river and produce hydroelectric power to fuel their growing cities.  People fear that with increased damming, the migration patterns of fish will be altered and the water flow downstream will be slower, which affects the types of load the river can carry.

Tropical karsts in the jungles of Thailand, which has a similar topography as Cambodia

Image from http://www.luxury-thailand-travel.com

Cambodia borders the Gulf of Thailand, which has a combination of a tropical environment with lots of water and limestone in the soil. Together, they allow for the formation of tropical karst landscape, which has the unique features of steep towers composed of limestone.

The Koh Kong Beach in Cambodia

Image from allcambodia.com/

The Gulf of Thailand also features a beautiful coastal landscape.  There are beaches, which are a depositional landform that catches sediment washed up by the tides. Beaches are influenced by a wide variety of things, including wind, sea levels, and weather, so they can change dramatically throughout the years.

Sources:

http://www.africanwater.org/mekong_river.htm