Wicklow Mountains National Park
Positive effects of glaciation
- Deposits of boulder clay have made the soil around Glendalough very fertile and suitable for farming.
- Glaciation has created spectacular scenery in Glendalough, which attracts many tourists to the area. People can visit Poulanass Waterfall in the hanging valley. They can walk up to Lough Nahanagan, a tarn in the cirque. Glendalough is one of the most visited places in Ireland.
- The corrie lake, Lough Nahanagan is used along with a manmade water reservoir to generate HEP. This is an important HEP station in Ireland as it generates extra electricity during peak times.
Negative effects of glaciation
- Glacial ice removed soil from parts of the Wicklow Mountains, making the land unsuitable for many types of farming and is now used for sheep grazing and forestry.
- Sometimes a U-shaped valley can block roads. Roads must avoid the valleys. Roads cannot pass through Glendalough and must go through the valley.
- Tourists can ruin the natural landscape by dropping litter and disturbing the natural flora and fauna, eg. by picking native flowers.