Distinguish between the processes of erosion and weathering in an area undergoing glaciation

Erosion is delineate as the removal and rape of earth materials by natural agents and crowd out be split into deuce main categories. Abrasion (or corrasion) is the glaciers use of angular debris, held by the ice, to scrape onward at the underlying disputation. Evidence of this in an area undergoing glaciation are scratches on rock know as striations. Plucking involves the glacier freezing on to blocks of rock and wrench them away. Melt body of water will assist in this plucking process pressure builds up foot a protrusion of rock and so causes melting.The meltwater penetrates any cracks and freezes around the rock (regelation) which is then pulled out by the glacier. Weathering is same to erosion in that it includes the interval of rocks, just non the transportation of the materials formed as does erosion. The specific interpretation of weathering is the breakup of rock collect to exposure to the atmosphere. The weathering of a rock by freeze-thaw achievement (or fro st shattering) may break up rock in peri frozen conditions before glaciers advance.At the early stage of corrie formation freeze-thaw action and possibly chemical weathering will weather rock beneath the accumulating daub of juggle (the process of nivation). During glaciation, meltwater will give rise to freeze-thaw action at the base of the glacier. Examine the regard of frigidly eroded landforms on kind-hearted act The impact of glaciation on clement activity has been considerable both(prenominal) in lowland and grittyland areas. (David Jones and Lawrence Kimpton 2000).This question focuses on how homophile activity has been affected by wintery erosion. The nearly recent rimed design began approximately 30,000 years ago and ended 10,000 years ago. At its aggrandizement 29% of the Earths surface was covered by ice in parity to 10% covered to mean solar day. Sea level fell by at least 100 m and the b apiece was as much as 150 km further east along the Atlantic coast , therefrom forming land bridges between North America and Asia, which each(prenominal)owed for the migration of animals and humans to antecedently cover areas.Glacial eroded landforms include the features horns (pyramid(prenominal) shaped peaks), ari??tes (knife shaped ridges), cirques (a paradiddle shaped depression found in mountains), erratics (boulders), valleys, tunnels and lakes. These landforms bring affected human activity in various ways, including tourism, communication theory, farming and settlement and industry. Many highland(prenominal) areas that experienced the cases of prolonged glacial erosion during the Pleistocene have become authoritative centres of tourism.Highland areas both those glaciated in the by and those with glaciers remaining today, are major areas of tourism because of the spectacular scenery and their suitability for winter sports. The Cirque-arete-trough landscape attracts hill walkers, scramblers, climbers, mountaineers, photographers, bot anists, skiiers, snowboarders, hang gliders, painting, scum bagoeing, sailing etc. In Britain, the Highlands of Scotland have become an important centre for summer holidays and winter skiing, whilst the case Parks of Snowdonia, the Lake District and Peak District are visited by millions of tourists each year.Areas such as the Lake District are increasingly popular for dead weekend breaks. The attractions of these areas for tourism owe much to the effects of glaciation. The sharply defined peaks, deep U-shaped troughs and numerous lakes are all impressive landform features and leave behind these uplands with their inviting scenery. The humiliated landscape appeals to many weekend hill walkers and mountaineers. The lakes which provide a range of activities -sailing, canoeing, swimming- and possess their own pleasant climates have become important centres of tourism.Large scale winter tourism is promoted in the Alps and similar locations by the existence of permanent snowfields a nd the heavy winter snowfall. Avie more is one of the largest winter tourism centres in Britain with several ski runs on the upper slopes of the Cairngorms. communication theory are also affected by glacially eroded landforms. cover valleys offer natural routeways through high mountain landscapes and lower areas e. g. the mohawk Gap that unravels to New York. Settlement and Industry can hug the glacial trough floor, which often provide transport routeways.Many aspects of transport and communications -by land, sea and waterways -have been affected to a considerable degree by glacial action. In many upland areas, glacial breaches and troughs often form the solitary(prenominal) routeways suitable for communication by land. This situation is exemplified in the Highlands of Scotland where communications cogitate by land north, and west of the Glen More are uttermost(prenominal)ly difficult. more than of the land surface lies over 1000 metres above sea level, and consists of rugge d mountains with steep, precipitous slope and badly drained moorlands.The presence of numerous lochs and fjords, hemmed in between high mountains, has effectively pr withalted any significant north-south routes being developed, even along the coast. Glacial breaches across the major watersheds form the only hard-nosed routeways. Only two railway lines traverse the region -from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh via Glen Carron and from Fort William to Mallaig via Lochs Eil and Ailort. exclusively of the road links between Glen More and the west coast commit on glacial breaches which connect westwards and eastwards facing troughs. glaciate highlands with high snowfalls pose hazards such as avalanches.As the pressure of evolution increases, as in skiing areas, the impact of avalanches on people and settlements becomes greater. They are caused when the snow pack is destabilised suddenly by a loss of gumminess between naturally forming layers in the snow. Glacially eroded areas can lead to a channelled avalanche by which the avalanche progresses down a gully. Avalanches can block roads and railways, cut off power supplies and telecommunications and under extreme conditions, destroy constructions and cause loss of life. thitherfore, glacially eroded landforms have squeeze human activity, leading to management programs.For example Juneau, in Alaska, has a high avalanche risk. Many offers and businesses lie in the direct path of known avalanche routes and thus the various management schemes as seen above were discussed, and roughly put in place to protect the now habituated area. However, avalanches only present problems to certain areas. Slopes, for avalanches to occur, are usually greater than 22 degrees but little than 60 degrees, beyond which point it is unlikely that any significant snow pack will build up. Avalanches also tend to occur more often in spring when the temperatures rise and the snow pack has been accumulating all winter.Prosperity can be gained from the industrial development available due to glacially eroded landforms. Glacially eroded landforms offer scope for hip to(predicate) production, with their steep, deep valleys for storage and rock lips providing sites for dam construction. Hydroelectric power (HEP) is the most widely used renewable form of energy. Although globally it accounts for only 6 percent of all electricity generated, in any(prenominal) countries it provides much more. Norway, for example, produces 96 percent of its electricity from HEP. The scale of HEP schemes varies enormously.In some alpine villages, small HEP generators supply the power for a single house or hotel. At the other extreme, large HEP stations feed directly into the UK national grid. The advantage of HEP is that running costs are very low and power is instantly available. The main disadvantages are that initial building costs are high, the visual impact might abuse the scenic value of a landscape, and the demand for energy is often some distance away. The positive impact of this on human activity can however have some negative impacts. Some ecological deadening is also caused if the migratory routes of fish, such as salmon, are blocked.Fish ladders are sometimes built to avoid this problem. Also, when water passes through HEP schemes, the effect of the vertical drop can be to increase the amount of turn oxygen and nitrogen in the water. This can be harmful to fish, make gas bubble disease. HEP in Britain is mostly generated in the glaciated uplands of North Wales, Cumbria and the Scottish Highlands. This is, because, firstly, mountain areas receive the highest rainfall in Britain. For a successful scheme to operate there must be a, received supply of running water otherwise the turbines will not turn.second the physical relief is favourable. Glacial troughs, steep stream gradients, hanging valleys and lakes provide the ideal conditions. If natural lakes do not occur, glaciated valleys are relatively cheap to dam because they tend to be narrow and steep sided. water which is used for HEP is not wasted, it then carries on down the valley. If the valleys are dammed, and the shape of the glacial troughs makes this very straightforward, then the water can be collected and sent to cities in areas of the country where there is perhaps not as much rain as in the highland areas.Glaciers impact human activity here by provide drinking water direct in some areas rivers like the Rhine and Rhone are fed from glaciers. There is a fear that they may dry up if global melting melts the Alpine glaciers. People in La Paz, Bolivia have water from near glacier as public supply. People in the Rhone valley channel glacial meltwater to irrigate their crops. Llyn Peris is a moraine dammed overdeepened ribbon lake, and provides water for Llanberis in N. Wales.Lake Vyrnwy in mid Wales occupies a glacial trough which was flooded in 1889 by building a dam across the valley. Glacially eroded landforms affect h uman activity both positively and negatively. Avalanches expose inhabitants of the area to great risk, however, they tranquillize choose to live there. The positives include tourism, an industry which at present day is thriving and the attractions of these areas owe much to the effects of glaciation. HEP power provides areas with renewable energy and areas with drinking water and natural routeways are provided by glacial erosion.