The vanity of Cnut
13th December 2015
13th Dec
The vanity of Cnut.
In contrast, to the benign Autumn, the coming of winter has been a shock. Late November and early December has been accompanied by a series of disruptive storms that have delivered and extreme amount of rain. The extent of these conditions have had a profound impact on not only the environment, but also our fragile human grip on the landscape.
To help us to become more aware of storms the Met Office have now given each storm a name. The naming system is meant to make each storm log out not our consciousness and help us to appreciate the damaging effects that the storms might bring.
Cumbria is, so far, very aware that it has bore the brunt of Abigail, Barney, Clodagh and Desmond. The later being the most severe for many years as it not only came with high winds, but also a biblical volume of rain. In less than 24hrs Desmond deposited over a 1/3 of a metre of water onto the Fells and villages. The name Desmond will be remembered for many years.
The amount of rain that fell is without exception, and therefore carried a high cost. The rain gathered and regrouped in every stream, turning small watercourses into raging torrents and transforming the normal major, but gentle, waterways into inland seas, with currents, filled with a flotsam and jetsam of branches, vegetation and many incongruous objects like cars and common household items.
The normally tough covering of the Fells were tested beyond their limits as the sheer volume of water supersaturated the slopes, causing the once impervious, solid landscape to begin to flow and crash downwards. These landslides of rocks and soil did not come alone, as they brought with them shrubs, trees and eventually bridges.
The Lake District is a small, condensed mountain environment. Everything is defined by its geology, and to pass through the area you have negotiate routes that are defined by the mountains. There are a limited number of options available to the traveler who needs to journey from one place to another. This means the destructive effects of Desmond has further limitted the choices of travel as many roads and bridges have collapsed or are covered by the rubble from landslides.
I have no idea if this recent spate of extreme weather is due to global warming or just a random event, as part of the complex algorithm of nature. However, when these events take place, regardless of the causal effect, it becomes clear that the human world is extremely fragile. It took no time before we were all unable to travel, many experiencing damage and loss of possessions, and all of us exposed by our reliance on electricity, access to hospitals, shops, etc. It is events like Desmond that all the aspects of our lives, that we take for granted, are put into sharp contrast.
We sit in our comfortable chairs, accessing our world via our WiFi, but like King Cnut, the tide of winter keeps coming in (because of, or regardless of us).
The vanity of Cnut.
In contrast, to the benign Autumn, the coming of winter has been a shock. Late November and early December has been accompanied by a series of disruptive storms that have delivered and extreme amount of rain. The extent of these conditions have had a profound impact on not only the environment, but also our fragile human grip on the landscape.
To help us to become more aware of storms the Met Office have now given each storm a name. The naming system is meant to make each storm log out not our consciousness and help us to appreciate the damaging effects that the storms might bring.
Cumbria is, so far, very aware that it has bore the brunt of Abigail, Barney, Clodagh and Desmond. The later being the most severe for many years as it not only came with high winds, but also a biblical volume of rain. In less than 24hrs Desmond deposited over a 1/3 of a metre of water onto the Fells and villages. The name Desmond will be remembered for many years.
The amount of rain that fell is without exception, and therefore carried a high cost. The rain gathered and regrouped in every stream, turning small watercourses into raging torrents and transforming the normal major, but gentle, waterways into inland seas, with currents, filled with a flotsam and jetsam of branches, vegetation and many incongruous objects like cars and common household items.
The normally tough covering of the Fells were tested beyond their limits as the sheer volume of water supersaturated the slopes, causing the once impervious, solid landscape to begin to flow and crash downwards. These landslides of rocks and soil did not come alone, as they brought with them shrubs, trees and eventually bridges.
The Lake District is a small, condensed mountain environment. Everything is defined by its geology, and to pass through the area you have negotiate routes that are defined by the mountains. There are a limited number of options available to the traveler who needs to journey from one place to another. This means the destructive effects of Desmond has further limitted the choices of travel as many roads and bridges have collapsed or are covered by the rubble from landslides.
I have no idea if this recent spate of extreme weather is due to global warming or just a random event, as part of the complex algorithm of nature. However, when these events take place, regardless of the causal effect, it becomes clear that the human world is extremely fragile. It took no time before we were all unable to travel, many experiencing damage and loss of possessions, and all of us exposed by our reliance on electricity, access to hospitals, shops, etc. It is events like Desmond that all the aspects of our lives, that we take for granted, are put into sharp contrast.
We sit in our comfortable chairs, accessing our world via our WiFi, but like King Cnut, the tide of winter keeps coming in (because of, or regardless of us).