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Geography > Glaciation - Unit 8 > Flashcards

Glaciation - Unit 8 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is an avalanche?

A

Falling masses of snow that can contain rocks, soil or ice

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2
Q

What are the 6 possible trigger mechanisms for an avalanche?

A

1- Sudden increase in temp
2- Heavy rain
3- Long, cold, dry winter
4- Human factors, e.g. vibrations from skiing
5- Deforestation
6- When warm atlantic air meets cold polar air = heavy spring snow fall

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3
Q

Where do avalanches impact on human activity?

A
  • Global skier destinations
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4
Q

How many skiers are attracted to mountain ski resorts each year?

A

300 million

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5
Q

Which mountain range will have the largest number of skiers?

A

Switzerland - the Alps

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6
Q

On average, how many people die from avalanches each year?

A

40

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7
Q

Of the 40 people that die from avalanches each year, what percentage of them were involved in winter sports?

A

80%

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8
Q

What are the impacts of avalanches on human activity?

A

1- Deaths/injuries

2- Property damage - pressure to expand villages and recreational facilities in mountain areas has increased

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9
Q

What is the annual property loss to the USA?

A

$1 million USD

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10
Q

What is the annual property loss to Switzerland?

A

$20 million USD

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11
Q

Describe 4 management strategies that can be used to manage avalanches

A

1- Closing avalanche prone slopes
2- Trigger small avalanches - before the snowpack builds to a dangerous state. These ‘artificial’ avalanches are triggered remotely by small fires from a large gun
3- Controlling avalanche activity - stabilising snow pack in starting zone (wedges), planting trees & building walls
4- Planning - where not to build in mountain areas

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12
Q

Name an avalanche case study

A

The Galtur avalache, Austria

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13
Q

When was the Galtur avalanche?

A

February 1999

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14
Q

Describe the Galtur avalanche

A
  • A powder avalanche
  • Snowfall in preceding days had exceeded all records, with more than 4m of snow lying on slopes
  • 170,000 tonnes of snow involved in initial movement
  • Travelled at 200 miles per hour
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15
Q

Give 3 impacts of the Galtur avalanche

A

1- 31 people died, 26 tourists, 5 locals
2- 16 buildings destroyed
3- Ski resorts closed in region, costing the industry £5 million for each day they were closed

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16
Q

What does GLOF stand for?

A

Glacial Outburst Floods

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17
Q

Where can a GLOF occur?

A
  • Where a terminal/recessional moraine acts as a dam for glacial meltwater
  • Behind the moraine a pro-glacial lake develops
  • If the lake overtops the dam or the dam gives way, a torrent of floodwater will cascade down the valley
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18
Q

Give 7 potential triggers of wave generation

A 
1- Contact glacier calving
2- Icefall from hanging glaciers
3- Rock/ice/snow avalanches
4- Dam settlement and/or piping
5- Ice-cored moraine degredation
6- Rapid input of water from supra-, en-, or subglacial sources
7- Seismic activity
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19
Q

Give 4 conditioning factors for dam failure

A

1- Large lake volume
2- Thin dam wall
3- Melting of buried ice in moraine structure
4- Low point in dam wall

20
Q

What are the 3 common key stages of a GLOF?

A

1- Formation of displacement waves in lake
2- Dam failure
3- Resultant flood wave down-valley

21
Q

Name a GLOF case study

A

Bhutan. a small mountainous, undeveloped kingdom located in the eastern Himalayas

22
Q

How many potentially dangerous lakes are in Bhutan?

A

25

23
Q

Give an example of a dangerous lake in Bhutan

A

Thorthomi Lake

24
Q

Why does lake Thorthomi pose a threat?

A
  • Several supraglacial ponds on Throthomi glacier are growing quickly and merging
  • Their proximity to other large glacial lakes causes a threat
25
Q

What would be the impact if Thorthomi lake burst?

A

Cascade onto other lakes surrounding them

26
Q

How is the threat of the Thorthomi lake being managed?

A
  • Early warning system - 2 staff members report lake water levels
  • Lake lowering - project to lower water level by 1.67m by removing litter and loose rocks/rubble
27
Q

Name 2 other places that are threatened by GLOF

A
  • Nepal

- India

28
Q

Name 2 other places that are threatened by GLOF

A
  • Nepal

- India

29
Q

What is a reservoir?

A

A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply

30
Q

Where are reservoirs located?

A

In upland glaciated areas by constructing dams across glaciated valleys

31
Q

Give 2 positive impacts of reservoirs

A
  • Creates local jobs and new opportunities, e.g. fish farming
  • Provides people in other parts of the country with water and renewable electricity
32
Q

Give 2 negative impacts of reservoirs

A
  • Major impact on local environment
  • Flooding valleys and altering the course of river affects the water cycle and prevents the land being used by farmers, tourists and wildlife
33
Q

Name a reservoir case study

A

The Elan Valley Reservoirs in Wales, constructed in 1893

34
Q

Why were the Elan Valley Reservoirs needed?

A

To provide ample supplies of fresh water to be sent along a huge pipeline of over 70 miles long to Birmingham

35
Q

Why was Wales chosen to construct a reservoir?

A
  • Shape of river valley was large enough to store large amounts of water
  • Rocks wouldn’t absorb water but would hold it
  • Rains a lot
  • Few people living there
36
Q

What are sands and gravels quarried for?

A
  • Road construction
  • Production of construction materials
  • On icy roads in winter
  • Water infiltration
  • Glass making
37
Q

Name a case study about the extraction of sands and gravels

A

Glacial sand and glacial extraction, Wood Lane, Ellesmere, Shropshire

38
Q

Give a positive impact of sand and gravel extraction

A
  • One of the best bird watching sites in Shropshire

- More than 180 species of birds have been recorded since it was established in 1999

39
Q

Give 2 negative impacts of sand and gravel extraction

A

1- Quarrying and processing raw materials scar landscape’s natural beauty
2- Fuel, noise and traffic

40
Q

What happens when permafrost melts?

A
  • Thawing of weaker soil
  • Release of methane
  • Contributes to global warming
41
Q

What human activities cause melting of permafrost?

A
  • Building and infrastructure - heat from buildings can be transferred to ground, building will subside
  • Roads - kinetic energy = heat = melting
42
Q

How are buildings modified in permafrost locations?

A

1- Stilts

2- Many windows

43
Q

Name a case study of permafrost degredation through human activity

A

The Trans-Alaskan PIpeline

44
Q

When did the construction of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline begin?

A

March 1975

45
Q

Why does the Trans-Alaskan pipeline pose a particular risk to the permafrost?

A

The oil is pumped through the pipeline at 80ºC. This warm oil causes the permafrost to thaw and as a result, flooding would occur

46
Q

How is the threat of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline managed?

A

400 miles of pipeline was elevated on thermosyphon piles to keep the ground frozen

Geography (15 decks)

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