Hazards are present in everyday life. By understanding these dangers we can better take precautions against them and avert loss and injury. Prevention is much more efficient than the cure. Natural hazards also need to be understood. The formations that ice works upon the land are often splendid and unique, but pose a danger to anyone in the area.
Mountaineers, for example, have been swept away and killed by collapsing seracs and avalanches. Crevasses have swallowed up many a hapless hiker. And the damage that unstable glacial lakes can cause is remarkable. During one such outburst flood in Iceland, a valley was temporarily turned into the largest river second only to the Amazon in terms of volume of flow. Ice floes weighing thousands of tonnes were brought with the torrent and destroyed infrastructure and property. Even the Strait of Dover, separating the British Isles from the European mainland, was thought to have been created by a cataclysmic outburst flood.
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| In K2's worst mountaineering accident in history, 8 climbers out of 11 were killed by falling seracs in 2008 |
Programs and have been undertaken by governments to identify glacial lakes that may collapse. Any traveller in glacial regions ought to have been instructed in safety precautions and procedures associated with their situation, particularly if on an expedition. And any warning signs of geological tumult are taken seriously, with populated areas evacuated as soon as possible. Long experience has taught much, yet people still die.
Understanding landforms created by ice will give us the capacity to appreciate and respect great natural forces at work yet avoid the dangers and casualties that they may inflict. Especially if they turn out to be unnecessary and preventable.
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