Snowdonia: action of valley glaciers

Question 1

location

Answer 1

Gwynedd County
Conwy County borough
N Wales
Mount Snowdon- NW of the Park
1085 m high

Question 2

Eryri National Park

Answer 2

established in 1951
covers an area of 2171 km sq
27500 people work in farming, forestry, quarrying and the tourism industry

Question 3

physical factors which influence the formation of landforms within the landscape system

Answer 3

• there have been 40 ice ages in the British Ilses
  -was covered in ice as recently as 10000 years ago
  -upland area so ice accumulated on higher cooler slopes and under gravity flowed down the former river valley fundamentally changing the landscape
  -the ice met further sheets of ice from the Lake District and Scotland –> erosion
  -the ice followed the path cut by rivers but is far more erosive

Question 4

Nant Francon

Answer 4

-a steep sided glacial valley starting in Cwm Idwal
-during the last glacial maximum the area experienced warm based ice moving rapidly N
-it has many cirques which would have been filled with ice- they all face N or NE due to aspect and geology
-composed of layers of sedimentary and volcanic rocks
-between the cirques several truncated spurs can be seen
-has the Trytan Arête and the Ogwen Step (a smooth rock bar with a steep N NW facing rock step below it)

Question 5

glacial landforms:erratics

Answer 5

In the Llandudno area
have originated in the Lake District and the Firth of Clyde

Question 6

glacial landforms:Cwms

Answer 6

eg Cwm Idwal
excellent moraine features created due to ice being added from Cwm Cneifon 200m above

Question 7

glacial landforms:arêtes

Answer 7

eg. Crib Goch
part of the Snowdon Horseshoe it rises to a height of 923m with falls of 300m on either side

Question 8

glacial landforms:pyramidal peaks

Answer 8

eg snowdon
has three main cwms

Question 9

glacial landforms:U shaped valleys/glacial valleys

Answer 9

eg Nant Francon - sides are marked by truncated spurs which are the remnants of the interlocking spurs of the original river valley also has hanging valleys
ribbon lakes- eg Llyn Ogwen
creation is dependent on rock type and erosive power of the ice

Question 10

glacial landforms:hanging valley

Answer 10

eg Nant Graig Wen

Question 11

glacial landforms:roche mountonees

Answer 11

eg Maes Caradoe in the centre of the Ogwen Valley

Question 12

glacial landforms:Glaciated Plateau

Answer 12

the result of sheet glaciation associated with ice caps
eg Migneint
main features today are marshy depressions and irregular lakes

Question 13

glacial landforms:tarn lakes

Answer 13

eg Llyn Stwlan
Cwm enlarged by a dam wall to increase its capacity
used as a header dam for the Stwlan Pump storage hydroelectric scheme

Question 14

change over time:mountains

Answer 14

have changed as a result of aerial (climatic) and fluvial (water) erosion

Question 15

change over time:Llyn Ogwen

Answer 15

a post glacial ribbon lake
indicates the effect that ice had in creating a hollow as it flowed over the landscape

Question 16

change over time:deposition

Answer 16

feature of deposition like glacial till and moraines have been largely washed away by post glacial river activity but remnants can still be seen on the lower slopes

Question 17

change over time:ribbon lakes

Answer 17

some valleys eg Nant Francon have seen their ribbon lakes infilled over time and analysis of the deposit give and sight the changing climate and vegetation

Question 18

change over time:Llyn Stwlan

Answer 18

the cwm was enlarged by a dam wall to increase its capacity
it’s used as a header dam for the Stwlan Pump Storage hydroelectric scheme