Mass Wasting Hazards in the UK


The UK experiences heavy rainfall which often leads to flooding. Since flooding is one of the many causes of mass wasting, the UK often has to be aware of what hazards can come from heavy rainfall. Landslides are most common in the UK due to rain and floods. "Road, rail and telecoms are all potentially vulnerable to landslides. In certain cases critical infrastructure such as dams may be at risk" (BBC News). BBC News also mentions that "The worst recent landslide event in the UK was the Aberfan disaster of 1966, with over one hundred children killed." This tells us how severe and serious mass wasting is and how it's important to pay attention to how much rain is falling and keep updated with any potential hazards. 
Anchor Systems shares a great amount of knowledge on how to reduce the risks of landslides. One thing I learned from this article was that vegetation is a great way decrease the risk of a landslide. "Slopes with no vegetation or cover are especially vulnerable to erosion issues. The most effective, natural way to control soil erosion on slopes is to plant vegetation. Not only will vegetation help to slow down raindrops as they fall, the roots of the plants will also help to hold the soil together, making it harder for water to wash it away." This is beneficial because not only will it help slow the rain fall but it will also mean more plants! 
Another way the UK takes precautions is measuring, studying and reporting about previous landslides. According to the  British Geological Survey, "when a significant landslide is reported, the BGS Landslide Response Team (a core team of engineering geologists, geologists and geomorphologists who specialize in landslides) is sent to assess it. They collect data for the National Landslide Database to underpin scientific research, and provide local advice." This is important because they are paying attention to every detail of the slide and coming up with more ways to keep citizens informed and safe from future hazards. 

Comments

  1. GarciaGreyMarch 21, 2020 at 11:21 PM

    Aberfan disaster of 1966, I never knew of such a tragic event that had happen to all those children. I can't even imagine such a tragedy. It's heartbreaking.

    New Zealand has the same way of thinking like the UK; vegetation. Which the citizens of New Zealand have learned that vegetation helps decrease erosion with the land. They would plant vegetation and trees in areas that will greatly benefit from this action. Which is pretty fascinating.

    I loved reading your blog! Great Job! :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

United Kingdom - Final

Image
Floods are the main natural hazard in the United Kingdom. Throughout the semester, I learned that Floods were a common theme in the UK and occur more often than any other natural hazard in the UK. Devastating floods occur at least once a year and occur more often due to climate change. London Health reports “The increased incidence of flooding in the UK and in other parts of the world is largely attributed to climate change, which has been accelerated by global warming as a result of the way we live our lives; this is the opinion of many experts but it is not a certainty and scientific research in this area is ongoing.” Since the UK is one of the most flood-prone countries due to climate change, Carbon Brief shares “According to one study the new report cites, warming of 3.5 to 4.8 degrees Celsius by the 2080s – which is what the IPCC expects if emissions stay high – would expose an additional 250,000 to 400,000 people in Europe to river flooding, and potentially up to 5.5 millio
Read more

Earthquakes Hazards in the UK

Image
Compared to the rest of the world, the seismicity in the UK is low. According to  UKOOG  " On average, the UK experiences seismic events measuring 5 (felt by everyone nearby) every 20 years and events measuring 4 (felt by many people) every three to four years."  I learned that the UK's largest earthquake "was n ear the Dogger Bank in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1." Although the earthquake in 1931 was 60 miles offshore it was still able to cause major damage to buildings off the coast of England according to British Geological Survey . GBS also reports that " The most damaging UK earthquake was in the Colchester area in 1884. Some 1200 buildings needed repairs, chimneys collapsed and walls were cracked."  map link BBC  was asked why the UK does not get larger earthquakes? they answered   " Most earthquakes happen at the boundaries between the Earth's tectonic plates, where there is the largest amount of stress.  The UK is located in t
Read more

Tectonic Setting and Natural Hazards- United Kingdom

Image
The Tectonic Setting and Natural Hazards of the United Kingdom The UK is is located in the middle of the  Eurasian Plate . The Eurasian plates nearest boundary is the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The boundary type of the Mid-Atlantic ridge is divergent. According to  Universe Today , " The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is known as a mid-ocean ridge, an underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonics. It is the result of a divergent plate boundary that runs from 87° N – about 333 km (207 mi) south of the North Pole – to 54 °S, just north of the coast of Antarctica."  While conducting my research, I learned that the UK is currently not on a plate  margin: meaning it is not tectonically active according to  The Geological Study . They state " Over time, a series of tectonic events has resulted in the current location and structure of the UK - in the last 700 million years, we have gradually drifted north from near the South Pole! Evidence of this turbulent tectonic past i
Read more