4b. Human activity causes change within glaciated landscape systems

Question 1

CASE STUDY: human activity in a glaciated landscape?

Answer 1

Karahnjukar dam in Iceland to power the Alcoa aluminium plant

Question 2

Reasons behind the human activity?

Answer 2

• supply hydroelectric power from Karahnjukar dam to the power station for Alcoa aluminium production plant
• Alcoa produce 2% of world’s aluminium so would boost the economy (GDP from $12B to $27B)
• But, price of aluminium has dropped, costing Icelandic people

Question 3

Impacts on processes/flows of material?

Answer 3

• sediment trapped behind dam –> making the dam smaller –> clear water returning to river –> increases erosional power of water
• risk of flooding when water needs releasing

Question 4

Impacts of glacial landforms?

Answer 4

• outwash plains: dam means there won’t be sediment available to be deposited so cant form outwash plain
• braided streams: sediment will be ‘flushed out’ so will form mounds, not braided streams

Question 5

Impact on the landscape?

Answer 5

• total affected area = 3000km2 (3% of Iceland’s land mass)
• aesthetic degradation/loss of landscape scenery