When Mountains Move
On Friday 29th November 27 geology members & one guest met in Ruthin library to listen to a presentation given by Professor John Reynolds Managing Director of Reynolds International Ltd. World leaders in Geo Hazards/ Glacial Hazards Assessment & Mitigation.
John said disasters are often not just isolated incidents but caused by numerous factors that trigger these horrendous events. Earthquakes, landslides and climate change. For example massive glaciers now melting caused by climate changes bring about landslides. The pressure on the valley walls no longer supported by the ice start to collapse, thousands of tons of rock falling to the valley floor which blocks rivers, dams form behind the rubble, later an earthquake may occur in that region and the movement dislodges the dams which release the water which in turn destroys anything in its way.
Often reservoirs are constructed high in the mountains with villages in the valleys below. John's works in the Upper Indus Basin in Tibet and Pakistan and the Kashmir Basin.
Checking for geohazards & hydrological impacts. Looking for any evidence of future slope failures and addressing governments on their development & management of the catchment areas in the mountains and trying to get the message over of the hazards they present.
John just asks for a donation for the Glacial Trust Charity which works with local farmers helping them adapt to the problems arising by climate change.
Fees £56
Room £18
total collected £38
Additional donation of £30 from our funds.
Total given to John £68.
A fantastic presentation with plenty of questions asked. In the new year I will get John to send a pdf to put on the Website. I have tried to write the report for members who have less geological knowledge others can enjoy John's pdf when he comes back home from his travels.
Isabel
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