glacier_kitty (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
glacier_kitty) wrote2012-10-22 04:28 pm
glacier_kitty) wrote2012-10-22 04:28 pm
Entry tags:
The Galloping Glacier
For the glaciers essay, we were supposed to write about a glacier hazard and what can be done to prevent it or have less damage. I wrote mine on Black Rapids Glacier and the surge of 1937. :D Best essay evar. I shall post it here..
Glaciers are an amazing force of nature. They sculpt and erode the land as they move inexorably downhill. They are also very hazardous. This essay will discuss Black Rapids Glacier in Alaska and how to avoid future damage from it.
In 1937, Black Rapids Glacier started advancing out of the mountains. To the horror of the inhabitants at Black Rapids Roadhouse, it was surging 220 feet per day, and giant icebergs crashed from the 500 foot face onto the valley floor. It advanced three miles in three months, but luckily it stopped before it reached the Delta River and the Richardson Highway, the only link from Valdez to Fairbanks. The surge earned the glacier the nickname – the “Galloping Glacier.” When scientists looked at an old moraine, they found the glacier had crossed the Delta River hundreds of years ago.
When the Alaska Pipeline was built in the 1970s, the engineers were very interested in Black Rapids Glacier – what if it surged again and destroyed the Pipeline? Research was done on the glacier and scientists concluded the glacier wouldn’t be threaten the Pipeline, but they still created safety measures on the Pipeline just in case. The glacier could also dam the Delta River, endangering the roadhouse and the nearby town of Delta Junction. The glacier is due to surge again, and if that happens, the inhabitants must be ready, or there could be loss of life.
Scientists are still not totally sure why some glaciers surge. It is thought water builds up underneath the glacier, lubricating it and causing it to move at an astonishing rate until the water can escape, stopping the surge. Because of climate change, Alaska’s average temperature has risen five degrees. More rain falls. Perhaps this also causes glaciers to surge, as there is more water available.
At the moment, Black Rapids Glacier is in its “quiet” stage. It’s retreating, but scientists think mass is building up on the upper part of the glacier. Perhaps one day the weight will be too much and that will also cause the glacier to surge again. It will surge again though – after all, before the surge in 1937, the glacier was “long dying in its valley”, according to an article in Time. The glacier seems to be in that stage today – it’s only a matter of time before it surges again. Scientists will have to monitor the glacier. They’ll have to protect the Pipeline, communities and the Richardson Highway from damage. The Delta River may have to be drained to prevent a catastrophic flood.
One thing is certain – if Black Rapids Glacier does surge again, it will be exciting and interesting for onlookers and scientists alike.
61. Fairy Tale
If that counts haha
1. Introduction
2. Love
3. Light
4. Dark
5. Seeking Solace
6. Break Away
7. Heaven
8. Innocence
9. Drive
10. Breathe Again
11. Memory
12. Insanity
13. Misfortune
14. Smile
15. Silence
16. Questioning
17. Blood
18. Rainbow
19. Gray
20. Fortitude
21. Vacation
22. Mother Nature
23. Cat
24. No Time
25. Trouble Lurking
26. Tears
27. Foreign
28. Sorrow
29. Happiness
30. Under the Rain
31. Flowers
32. Night
33. Expectations
34. Stars
35. Hold My Hand
36. Precious Treasure
37. Eyes
38. Abandoned
39. Dreams
40. Rated
41. Teamwork
42. Standing Still
43. Dying
44. Two Roads
45. Illusion
46. Family
47. Creation
48. Childhood
49. Stripes
50. Breaking the Rules
51. Sport
52. Deep in Thought
53. Keeping a Secret
54. Tower
55. Waiting
56. Danger Ahead
57. Sacrifice
58. Kick in the Head
59. No Way Out
60. Rejection
61. Fairy Tale
62. Magic
63. Do Not Disturb
64. Multitasking
65. Horror
66. Traps
67. Playing the Melody
68. Hero
69. Annoyance
70. 67%
71. Obsession
72. Mischief Managed
73. I Can't
74. Are You Challenging Me?
75. Mirror
76. Broken Pieces
77. Test
78. Drink
79. Starvation
80. Words
81. Pen and Paper
82. Can You Hear Me?
83. Heal
84. Out Cold
85. Spiral
86. Seeing Red
87. Food
88. Pain
89. Through the Fire
90. Triangle
91. Drowning
92. All That I Have
93. Give Up
94. Last Hope
95. Advertisement
96. In the Storm
97. Safety First
98. Puzzle
99. Solitude
100. Relaxation
101. Life
101. Youth
103. Content
104. Change
105. Dreams
106. Pessimistic
107. Pirate
108. Novel
109. Doom
110. Garden
111. Sadness
112. Confusion
113. Freedom
114. Inevitable
115. Idle
116. Vampires
117. Convention
118. Roleplaying
119. Skull
120. Pain
121. Joy
122. Time
123. Warmth
124. Voodoo
125. Insomnia
126. Solitude
127. Zombies
128. Heaven
129. Evil
130. Weary
131. Candyland
132. Robot
133. Old-school
134. Patriotism
135. Flight
136. Movie
137. What if...
138. Batman
139. Dance
140. Oh, REALLY???
141. Play
142. Uh-oh...
143. Duel
144. coldness
145. Caption
146. Photo
147. Pants
148. Red
149. Fiesta
150. Percent
151. cute
152. playfullness
153. Stress
154. Froof
155. Mutation
156. Skeleton
157. Rock
158. Lies
159. Ninja
160. Message
161. Bugs
162. Effort
163. Band-aid
164. weird
165. Imaginary
166. Fly Me to the Moon...
167. Discovery
168. What?
169. Adhesive
170. Underworld
171. tropical
172. magic
173. Random
174. Video Game
175. Crisis
176. Insanity
177. Ice
178. Working Hard
179. Hardly Working
180. Sandwich
181. Clone
182. Clumsy
183. Keyboard
184. Hope
185. Song
186. Surprise
187. Cursed
188. Awesomeness
189. hate
190. Fire
191. Orange
192. Love
193. Annoyance
194. Misunderstanding
195. Fantasy
196. Puppy
197. Lost
198. Pie
199. Fate
200. Death
Would you rather eat one long strand of spaghetti that you've sucked through your nose or have a teaspoon of sugar poured into your ear? The spaghetti..maybe
Today's trivia: The little finger is known as the "pinkie" after the Dutch pinkje, meaning "little finger"
Glaciers are an amazing force of nature. They sculpt and erode the land as they move inexorably downhill. They are also very hazardous. This essay will discuss Black Rapids Glacier in Alaska and how to avoid future damage from it.
In 1937, Black Rapids Glacier started advancing out of the mountains. To the horror of the inhabitants at Black Rapids Roadhouse, it was surging 220 feet per day, and giant icebergs crashed from the 500 foot face onto the valley floor. It advanced three miles in three months, but luckily it stopped before it reached the Delta River and the Richardson Highway, the only link from Valdez to Fairbanks. The surge earned the glacier the nickname – the “Galloping Glacier.” When scientists looked at an old moraine, they found the glacier had crossed the Delta River hundreds of years ago.
When the Alaska Pipeline was built in the 1970s, the engineers were very interested in Black Rapids Glacier – what if it surged again and destroyed the Pipeline? Research was done on the glacier and scientists concluded the glacier wouldn’t be threaten the Pipeline, but they still created safety measures on the Pipeline just in case. The glacier could also dam the Delta River, endangering the roadhouse and the nearby town of Delta Junction. The glacier is due to surge again, and if that happens, the inhabitants must be ready, or there could be loss of life.
Scientists are still not totally sure why some glaciers surge. It is thought water builds up underneath the glacier, lubricating it and causing it to move at an astonishing rate until the water can escape, stopping the surge. Because of climate change, Alaska’s average temperature has risen five degrees. More rain falls. Perhaps this also causes glaciers to surge, as there is more water available.
At the moment, Black Rapids Glacier is in its “quiet” stage. It’s retreating, but scientists think mass is building up on the upper part of the glacier. Perhaps one day the weight will be too much and that will also cause the glacier to surge again. It will surge again though – after all, before the surge in 1937, the glacier was “long dying in its valley”, according to an article in Time. The glacier seems to be in that stage today – it’s only a matter of time before it surges again. Scientists will have to monitor the glacier. They’ll have to protect the Pipeline, communities and the Richardson Highway from damage. The Delta River may have to be drained to prevent a catastrophic flood.
One thing is certain – if Black Rapids Glacier does surge again, it will be exciting and interesting for onlookers and scientists alike.
61. Fairy Tale
If that counts haha
2. Love
3. Light
4. Dark
5. Seeking Solace
6. Break Away
7. Heaven
8. Innocence
9. Drive
10. Breathe Again
11. Memory
12. Insanity
13. Misfortune
14. Smile
15. Silence
16. Questioning
17. Blood
18. Rainbow
19. Gray
20. Fortitude
21. Vacation
22. Mother Nature
23. Cat
24. No Time
25. Trouble Lurking
26. Tears
27. Foreign
28. Sorrow
29. Happiness
30. Under the Rain
31. Flowers
32. Night
33. Expectations
34. Stars
35. Hold My Hand
36. Precious Treasure
37. Eyes
38. Abandoned
39. Dreams
40. Rated
41. Teamwork
42. Standing Still
43. Dying
44. Two Roads
45. Illusion
46. Family
47. Creation
48. Childhood
49. Stripes
50. Breaking the Rules
51. Sport
52. Deep in Thought
53. Keeping a Secret
54. Tower
55. Waiting
56. Danger Ahead
57. Sacrifice
58. Kick in the Head
59. No Way Out
60. Rejection
61. Fairy Tale
62. Magic
63. Do Not Disturb
64. Multitasking
65. Horror
66. Traps
67. Playing the Melody
68. Hero
69. Annoyance
70. 67%
71. Obsession
72. Mischief Managed
73. I Can't
74. Are You Challenging Me?
75. Mirror
76. Broken Pieces
77. Test
78. Drink
79. Starvation
80. Words
81. Pen and Paper
82. Can You Hear Me?
83. Heal
84. Out Cold
85. Spiral
86. Seeing Red
87. Food
88. Pain
89. Through the Fire
90. Triangle
91. Drowning
92. All That I Have
93. Give Up
94. Last Hope
95. Advertisement
96. In the Storm
97. Safety First
98. Puzzle
99. Solitude
100. Relaxation
101. Life
101. Youth
103. Content
104. Change
105. Dreams
106. Pessimistic
107. Pirate
108. Novel
109. Doom
110. Garden
111. Sadness
112. Confusion
113. Freedom
114. Inevitable
115. Idle
116. Vampires
117. Convention
118. Roleplaying
119. Skull
120. Pain
121. Joy
122. Time
123. Warmth
124. Voodoo
125. Insomnia
126. Solitude
127. Zombies
128. Heaven
129. Evil
130. Weary
131. Candyland
132. Robot
133. Old-school
134. Patriotism
135. Flight
136. Movie
137. What if...
138. Batman
139. Dance
140. Oh, REALLY???
141. Play
142. Uh-oh...
143. Duel
144. coldness
145. Caption
146. Photo
147. Pants
148. Red
149. Fiesta
150. Percent
151. cute
152. playfullness
153. Stress
154. Froof
155. Mutation
156. Skeleton
157. Rock
158. Lies
159. Ninja
160. Message
161. Bugs
162. Effort
163. Band-aid
164. weird
165. Imaginary
166. Fly Me to the Moon...
167. Discovery
168. What?
169. Adhesive
170. Underworld
171. tropical
172. magic
173. Random
174. Video Game
175. Crisis
176. Insanity
177. Ice
178. Working Hard
179. Hardly Working
180. Sandwich
181. Clone
182. Clumsy
183. Keyboard
184. Hope
185. Song
186. Surprise
187. Cursed
188. Awesomeness
189. hate
190. Fire
191. Orange
192. Love
193. Annoyance
194. Misunderstanding
195. Fantasy
196. Puppy
197. Lost
198. Pie
199. Fate
200. Death
Would you rather eat one long strand of spaghetti that you've sucked through your nose or have a teaspoon of sugar poured into your ear? The spaghetti..maybe
Today's trivia: The little finger is known as the "pinkie" after the Dutch pinkje, meaning "little finger"