![Local Population Growth (1) Local Population Growth (1)](https://i0.wp.com/people.wou.edu/vspacer.gif)
Prince William County, Virginia which is located 30 km south of Washington D.C., is one of the fastest growing entities in that region. Between 1940 and 1990, the population growth rate was 4% per year.
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Population Growth
When population grows exponentially, the amount of time it takes for the population to double in size is termed the doubling time. Calculating Doubling TimeT = (ln 2/growth rate) x 100 |   | T = doubling time ln 2 = 0.693 growth rate is the percentage increase or decrease |
Multiplying both sides by 100 gives
T = 69.3/growth rate |
How long will it take to double the population if the rate of population growth is 7%? T = 69.3/growth rate Rounding 69.3 to 70 allows us to simplify the mathematics. T = 70/7 = 10 A population growing at 7% will double about every 10 years. After 20 years, the population will be four times as large as it originally was. |
Doubling time is useful for projecting and analyzing the implications of growth (i.e.,the rate of increase of electricity consuption, rate of farmland loss, deforestation rate, the depletion of natural resources such as coal, oil, or natural gas, etc).
"Long ago in India, according to legend, the inventor of the game of chess so delighted his king that the king asked him to choose one of a number of 'princely' rewards. The inventor bowed and modestly declined, murmuring that he would be happy if the monarch would allow him some wheat to feed his family. He asked that the monarch place one grain of wheat on the first square on his chessboard, two on the second, and double the award for each additional square. The monarch smiled and eager complied, calling for his steward to bring the grain."*
| *Bartlett, A.A. Forgotten fundamentals of the energy crisis. American Journal of Physics 1978, 46, 876-888. |
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Impervious Surface
Development, the erection of human-built structures, is a result of local population growth. Development brings with it an increase in the amount of impervious surface in the environment. Any surface material (such as pavement) which water cannot penetrate is an impervious surface. Impervious surfaces collect runoff preventing it from filtering into the soil and surface sediments where the water is filtered removing some pollutants and stored. Runoff which comes from rain and snowmelt can collect pollutants in paved areas from man-made sources such as vehicles.Paved areas also increase the risk of flash flooding. To lessen the potential hazard of flash flooding, stormwater management systems are incorporated into development plans. Such systems consist of a network of drains that collect runoff from streets and large parking areas and divert the runoff into local waterways. Sometimes the runoff is treated by a sewage treatment plant before discharge into a natural water resource. Unfortunately, during times of heavy runoff the additional water flow can overload a sewage treatment plant allowing a mixture of untreated sewage and stormwater to be dumped into the natural water resource.
Stormwater management systems work only as well as the weakest link in the system. Pipes can become clogged with debris, and if the initially installed pipes are too small, increased development may overwhelm the system. Thus, the design and maintenance of stormwater management systems is critical. It is always true that the greater the development in an area, the higher the risk of flash flooding.
Hurricanes pose a great danger to the populations of the southern and eastern U.S. because such storms can, in just a few hours, deposit an amount of rainfall equivalent to several month's normal amount. The Potomac Mills Mall in Prince William County is one of the largest in the U.S. Its building and parking area represent 5,675411 ft2. In 1972 hurricane Agnes dumped 14 inches of rain on the area over 3 days. The effects of this storm were described as the most costly disaster in the history of the Eastern Seaboard. The Potomac Mills Mall did not in 1972.
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Find U.S. Census data on growth for an Oregon county and make calculations similar to those you just did with Prince William County.
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