Glacial Processes and Human Activity

Question 1

What is a GLOF?

Answer 1

A powerful flood caused by sudden discharge of a subglacial or ice moraine-dammed lake. Can occur whenever meltwater is obstructed and contained.

Question 2

What are the 6 ways that GLOFs can be triggered?

Answer 2

Increased ice flotation as water levels rise
Overflow and melting of an ice dam
Breakdown of ice dam due to tectonics
Irreversible overtopping of moraine dam by tsunami-style waves caused by avalanches/landslides
Failure of a moraine dam by slow ice melting or sdeiment being removed by ‘piping’.
Enlargement of pre-existing tunnels beneath an ice dam because of an increase in ice pressure.

Question 3

What the case study of the GLOF in Luggye Tsho - Bhutan?

Answer 3

Increased pressure from an increase in depth due to meltwater caused moraine to fail - 18million m3 of water released at 12 km/h.

Question 4

What were the effects of the Luggye Tsho GLOF?

Answer 4

Punakha, a village 86km down-valley had 21 dead, 700ha flooded and 12 houses washed away. Fish stocks took 10 years to recover and livestock still havent.

Question 5

What are the Andes and Himalayas river systems fed by?

Answer 5

Glacial meltwater

Question 6

What % of Himalayan glaciers are in extreme retreat and what impact does this have?

Answer 6

95% - the discharge changes affect the amount of sediment in drinking water and therefore water quality.

Question 7

What are the Yangtze and Ganges fed by, and what is the implication of them drying out?

Answer 7

Meltwater and a loss of a steady water supply means populations will suffer.

Question 8

In China’ semi-arid desert, how many farmers in there are dependent on meltwater from the Tibetan glaciers?

Answer 8

350M

Question 9

How many people could water shortages in rivers affect in China?

Answer 9

538M people - 42% of population.

Question 10

What steps are being taken to prevent water shortage in China?

Answer 10

South-North Water Transfer Project. This involves transport of bottled water and diversion of rivers down different paths in order to increase water flow to the North.

Question 11

What % of India’s bread basket is affected by water shortage currently?

Answer 11

40%

Question 12

What % of glaciers does CC affect the mass balance of?

Answer 12

75%

Question 13

What are the main stressors facing the Arctic Glacier environment?

Answer 13

Greenhouse gas pollution
Resource exploitation
Tourism

Question 14

How does mining and quarrying affect glaciers?

Answer 14

Glacial erosion removes regolith to expose economically valuable rocks. In lowland areas, outwash deposits provide an important source of materials for the building industry. The UK building industry uses 250M tonnes of sand & gravel/year.

Question 15

What is regolith?

Answer 15

Unfrozen, loose topsoil.

Question 16

How is Hydroelectric power used in glacial areas?

Answer 16

90% of New Zealand’s electricity comes from this - a majority coming from rivers fed by glaciers.
Switzerland has 500 HEP stations from natural ribbon lakes.

Question 17

How has tourism affected the British Colombia?

Answer 17

Brought huge economic benefits to the area.
Has a multipurpose resort which forms a honeypot enclave in glaciated communities.
The remaining economic benefits of mountain tourism requires careful management.

Question 18

What is the pleasure periphery?

Answer 18

Long-haul travel and modern communications have brought mass tourism to non-traditional areas. They have become increasingly popular in the form of cruises.

Question 19

What are the 5 levels of conservation?

Answer 19

Business as usual
Sustainable exploitation
Sustainable development
Comprehensive conservation
Total protection

Question 20

What are the 4 elements in the sustainability quadrant?

Answer 20

Futurity
Greenness
Pro-poor
Bottom-up community involvement

Question 21

What is significant about the Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria?

Answer 21

1995 Alpine Convention promotes sustainable development in alpine regions. Hohe contains Grossglocker, a 3798m tall mountain. Mountain tourism accounts for 10% of tourism income and 5% of Austria’s total GDP.

Question 22

What have been the impacts of tourism in Hohe Tauern?

Answer 22

Erosion of ski pistes
Overuse of footpaths
Increasing number of buildings
Use of snow cannons prevents natural spring thaw
Increases in air, water and noise pollution

Question 23

What are the main conservation methods in Hohe Tauern?

Answer 23

Footpaths well-maintained to avoid trampling fragile areas
Park has zones - a core pristine area then a periphery with settlements
Numerous schemes in place to support and promote sustainable farming
Scientific research carried out to find better protective methods.
Certain villages are designated tourist resorts, with eco-friendly public transport to the slopes.

Question 24

What is ground subsidence?

Answer 24

It is prevalent where the upper layer is ice-rich, close to rivers or on fine-grained highly porous sediments. It is when the ground is not secure and shifts as it thaws and is saturated by meltwater.

Question 25

What is the effect of large buildings on the permafrost

Answer 25

Transmit additional heat - exacerbate effect of reduced insulation below.

Question 26

What are the new construction methods that preserve the permafrost?

Answer 26

Houses built 1m above ground, allowing air to circulate and heat to dissipate.
Larger structures are built on ‘aggregate pods’, 1.5m deep of sand and gravel which provides a substitute for insulating vegetation.
Utilidors are heated containers which transport sewage, water, electricity, broadband and heating services all together.