Snowdonia Case Study Flashcards
What is the Snowdonia or Eryri National Park?
The Snowdonia or Eryri National Park is the third National Park established in England and Wales, covering an area of 2,171 km2 (838 square miles) in North Wales. It includes the Carneddau and Glyderau mountain ranges and Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales.
When was the Snowdonia National Park established?
The Snowdonia National Park was established in 1951.
What is the purpose of classifying an area as a National Park?
The purpose of classifying an area as a National Park is to preserve and enhance places of outstanding natural beauty and provide public access for recreation and tourism while maintaining their natural beauty.
What are some economic activities in Snowdonia National Park?
Some economic activities in Snowdonia National Park include farming, forestry, quarrying, and the tourism industry.
Who oversees the activities in Snowdonia National Park?
The activities in Snowdonia National Park are overseen by The Nature Conservancy Council, which works in conjunction with the park’s inhabitants to preserve the unique environment and beauty of the area.
What makes Snowdonia attractive to tourists?
Snowdonia is attractive to tourists because of its spectacular upland environment, shaped by its geological past and the effects of the last Ice Age.
What geological events shaped the landscape of Snowdonia?
The landscape of Snowdonia was shaped by volcanic activity, folding, and sedimentary deposition during the Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian eras, which occurred between 500 and 395 million years ago.
What major uplift event transformed the landscape of Snowdonia?
The Caledonian earth movements, which occurred at the end of the Silurian period, caused major uplift and transformed the landscape of Snowdonia into the upland area seen today.
How have the mountains of Snowdonia changed over time?
The mountains of Snowdonia were once much higher but have since been eroded into a lower, yet still rugged, landscape through aerial (climatic) and fluvial (water) erosion. The effects of ice have also had a major impact on the land surface.
What is glaciation?
Glaciation refers to the formation and movement of glaciers and ice sheets during an ice age.
When was the most recent ice age in Snowdonia?
The most recent ice age in Snowdonia occurred as recently as 10,000 years ago.
What conditions are necessary for an ice age to develop?
For an ice age to develop, a small drop in temperature is needed, resulting in winter snowfall that does not fully melt during the following summer. This leads to the accumulation of snow, which eventually compresses into ice.
How did ice affect the landscape of Snowdonia?
During the ice age, ice accumulated on the higher, cooler slopes of Snowdonia and flowed down the former river valleys under gravity. This fundamentally altered the landscape of the area.
Where did the ice surrounding the Snowdonia ice cap originate from?
The ice surrounding the Snowdonia ice cap originated from the Irish Sea.
What led to conflict during the formation of the Snowdonia ice?
Some of the Snowdonia ice was blocked in its path to the lowlands while elsewhere it radiated outwards, leading to conflict.
Which directions did the Snowdonia ice flow?
The Snowdonia ice flowed eastwards to the Shropshire – Cheshire Plain, north into the Irish Sea, and westwards into Cardigan Bay.
What is the estimated maximum depth of the Snowdonia ice?
The maximum depth of the Snowdonia ice has been estimated at over 1,000 meters.
What happened when the Snowdonia ice met other ice sheets?
When the Snowdonia ice met other ice sheets that had accumulated and flowed away from the Lake District and southern Scotland, it caused major erosion.
What evidence supports deposition in the area of Llandudno?
The presence of erratics, which are rocks of a different geological origin from the area in which they are currently found, supports deposition in the area of Llandudno.
What is an example of an erratic found in the Llandudno area?
Erratics in the Llandudno area have been identified as originating in the Lake District and the Firth of Clyde.
What paths did the Snowdonia ice follow?
The Snowdonia ice followed the routes cut by rivers as the easiest path.
How does the movement of ice affect the landscape?
The movement of ice can significantly alter the landscape over which it flows due to its solidity and bulkiness compared to water particles.
What are some classic glacial features found in Snowdonia?
Some classic glacial features found in Snowdonia include pyramidal peak (Mount Snowdon), arête (Tryfan), Cwm (corrie or cirque) (Cwm Idwal), U-shaped valley/glacial trough (Nant Ffrancon), ribbon lake (Llyn Ogwen), hanging valley (Nant Ffrancon), truncated spurs (Nant Ffrancon), and Roche moutonnée (Nant Ffrancon).
What processes led to the formation of a classic glaciated upland landscape?
The four erosional processes that led to the formation of a classic glaciated upland landscape are listed in Figure 4.
