Glaciation EQ4 Flashcards
What are the 5 industries that glaciated landscapes have economic value for?
Farming, forestry, mining, HEP and tourism
What industry categories do these 5 industries that glaciated landscapes hold economic value fall into?
Farming, forestry, mining - Primary
HEP - Secondary
Tourism - Tertiary
Why do glaciated landscapes hold economic value for the farming industry?
The fertile clays and sands of glaciated landscapes allow great agricultural development. For example: the Mendoza province (mountains and glaciers in the west of the province) of Argentina is one of the country’s prime wine growing areas.
Why do glaciated landscapes hold economic value for the forestry industry?
The steeper slopes unsustainable for agriculture and agricultural development (due to gradient) can be used to develop forestry. For example: the Southern Alps in New Zealand.
Why do glaciated landscapes hold economic value for the mining industry?
The upland areas of glaciated landscapes are perfect for the development of quarries proving building stone and cement. For example: green slate from Honiston (Lake District) and cement from Exshaw Cement Works in Canada
Why do glaciated landscapes hold economic value for the tourism industry?
The ribbon lakes in the glacial troughs have proved to be an attractor of visitors in the Lake District
In the glaciated landscape of the French Alps skiing in the slopes and glaciers has proven to be extremely successful with millions flocking from around Europe every year to ski in the Alps
The flat valley floors of glacial troughs (e.g. Saas Grund in Switzerland) allow transport routes to be developed for tourists AND locals
Why do glaciated landscapes hold economic value for the Hydro-Electric Power industry?
Glaciated landscapes offer the opportunity to develop HEP in sparsely populated areas. For example: the reservoir at Saas Mattmark which has an earth filled HEP dam made out of moraine material.
For what 3 reasons do glaciated landscapes have environmental value?
Biodiversity
Water storage and role in global water cycle
Habitat
Why do glaciated landscapes hold environmental value in terms of biodiversity?
They have distinct ecosystems. For example, Greenland has a fragile biodiversity of endemic plants, large mammals such as polar bears and whales as well as as a diverse range of fish and birds (organisms and ecosystem also offer important opportunities for ecological and biological research).
Why do glaciated landscapes hold environmental value in terms of the water cycle and water storage?
The cryosphere (ice) is an important store of water in the global water cycle, the vast majority of the cryosphere is glaciated landscapes. For example, Greenland ice sheet contains approximately 10% of the total global ice mass, therefore, it is an important store of global ice, if it were to melt it would cause sea level rises or up to 7m globally with devastating implications.
Also play a critical role in human water supply. Rivers around the globe are fed by glacial meltwater and supply water to populations to fulfil their demands. For example, Mekong river in China fed by Himalayan meltwater supplies water to high demand populations in China (world’s most populous country). Also, Arapaho glacier in Colorado produces 260 million gallons of drinkable water per year for the people of Boulder Colorado. Without meltwater historical population centres wouldn’t have been established where they are today, and modern settlements would likely not be as sustainable.
