Comments for Scotland-Landscapes.com http://www.scotland-landscapes.com Celebrating Scotland's stunning mountains and landscape through photography, accounts of the outdoors, maps & information. We publish quality landscape, mountain and nature photos from Scotland and beyond and publish new articles to our Scottish mountain and photo blog. Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:35:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Ben Hope Powder by admin http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/ben-hope-powder/comment-page-1/#comment-474 admin Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:35:58 +0000 http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/?p=1033#comment-474 Hi Dave Thanks, and good to hear from you. Hope things going well for you in the south! Merry Christmas. Jason Hi Dave
Thanks, and good to hear from you. Hope things going well for you in the south!
Merry Christmas.
Jason

]]> Comment on Ben Hope Powder by Dave Hall http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/ben-hope-powder/comment-page-1/#comment-473 Dave Hall Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:43:37 +0000 http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/?p=1033#comment-473 Hi Jason Great photos, good to see you are still out and about. Ben Hope photos bring back good memories :-) Dave Hi Jason

Great photos, good to see you are still out and about.
Ben Hope photos bring back good memories :-)

Dave

]]> Comment on Allt Duine Windfarm Analysis by Dr Andrew Highton http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/allt-duine-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Dr Andrew Highton Wed, 28 Sep 2011 10:04:16 +0000 http://www.scotland-landscapes.com:/wordpress/?p=341#comment-10 I would like yo to be aware of my serious concerns with regard to the chapter in the EIA on the geology of the site. Having been responsible for the production of the 1:50,000 scale map of that area while I was a senior geoscientist with the British Geological Survey, I was rather taken aback by what was written in this chapter. As it was my mapping that that the authors of the ES have consulted and allegedly refer to. It is a concern that they only refer to the published 1:50, 000 scale map, which is merely a distillation of the information contained in the BGS archives and does not present all the information available. For this, the authors should have referred to the more detailed 1:10 000 scale maps. This is an observation that I could make for all windfarm environmental statements that I have seen over the last number of years. In fact the geology chapters in many ES’s are weak and often show, as here, little understanding of the bedrock or superficial geology. In section 6.41 only peat slide and faulting has been assessed in terms of site stability and the impact as being low. However, there is no mention in the ES of the deep weathering in the bedrock, particularly where the site les within the boundaries of the Monadhliath granitic intrusion. The weathering profile locally can be in the order of several tens of metres in thickness. This has significant effects on the hydrogeology of that part of the site. There are numerous examples of catastrophic erosion of the bedrock and bedrock failure in this area relating to periods of high and intense rainfall. This is a significant impact with the risk being moderate to high as it is likely to compromise the foundations on which the turbines will be placed. This is also a concern in terms of slope stability, but is not assessed in section 6.42. Deep weathering of bedrock is not only an issue here, but also affects a large tracts of the Central Highlands and the Cairngorms. I have great concerns about an existing site at Farr, and the site at Dunmaglas that has recently been approved for development. In both cases I am await bedrock failure! The sentence in section 6.51 of the ‘Conclusions’ states that the 'bedrock geology is not deemed to be particularly unusual or have any significant value in geological terms'. My comment is that this area is one of the most important areas in the Scottish Highlands for its geological significance. This clearly shows that the authors have poor knowledge of the geology of this area. A’Bhuidheanaich is one of the critical areas in the Central Highlands to understanding the evolution of Highland geology. It has been, and continues to be, extensively studied. Several scientific papers have been written about this area, which remains a key locality for scientific debate. It's is also crucial to the adjacent An Suidhe Geological Conservation Review site, which is not mentioned in the ES. The area of Cnoc Fraing is scientifically important site in the study of the evolution of the Monadhliath granitic pluton. A PhD thesis and several scientific papers have been written on the Monadhliath pluton, with particular reference to this area. It’s study has been key in the international study of the late crystallisation processes and the interaction of magmatic fluids in granitic plutons. There are exemplary examples of pegmatite development that contain semi-precious minerals. The area is also a source of the smoky quartz mineral Cairngorm. This is an important area of scientific study, that will be either destroyed or made no longer available for study. This area was subject to several earth tremors in the mid to late 1990's of magnitude 2.7 (1995) and 2.2 (1999). Again this is not referred to in the ES and an assessment of this hazard made. Given the parlous nature of the bedrock conditions over large tracts of this site, this is a key feature that needs to be address in an EIA. If another seismic event should take place, are these turbines designed to withstand seismic events? As all the impacts present within the site have not been addressed the Conclusions sections 6.49 to 6.52 are flawed. Yet again the consultancies that produce these ES's show little understanding of the geology. They generally import selected maps from the BGS website and are generally unable to interpret them. Background research is generally poor. I suspect because the landscape companies that often produce these documents do not have qualifeid geologists on their staff. Most geology sections in wind farm ES's are of poor quality, but no one picks up on this ad is rarley an issue raised in objections are at public enquiries. I would like yo to be aware of my serious concerns with regard to the chapter in the EIA on the geology of the site. Having been responsible for the production of the 1:50,000 scale map of that area while I was a senior geoscientist with the British Geological Survey, I was rather taken aback by what was written in this chapter. As it was my mapping that that the authors of the ES have consulted and allegedly refer to. It is a concern that they only refer to the published 1:50, 000 scale map, which is merely a distillation of the information contained in the BGS archives and does not present all the information available. For this, the authors should have referred to the more detailed 1:10 000 scale maps. This is an observation that I could make for all windfarm environmental statements that I have seen over the last number of years. In fact the geology chapters in many ES’s are weak and often show, as here, little understanding of the bedrock or superficial geology.
In section 6.41 only peat slide and faulting has been assessed in terms of site stability and the impact as being low. However, there is no mention in the ES of the deep weathering in the bedrock, particularly where the site les within the boundaries of the Monadhliath granitic intrusion. The weathering profile locally can be in the order of several tens of metres in thickness. This has significant effects on the hydrogeology of that part of the site. There are numerous examples of catastrophic erosion of the bedrock and bedrock failure in this area relating to periods of high and intense rainfall. This is a significant impact with the risk being moderate to high as it is likely to compromise the foundations on which the turbines will be placed.
This is also a concern in terms of slope stability, but is not assessed in section 6.42.
Deep weathering of bedrock is not only an issue here, but also affects a large tracts of the Central Highlands and the Cairngorms. I have great concerns about an existing site at Farr, and the site at Dunmaglas that has recently been approved for development. In both cases I am await bedrock failure!
The sentence in section 6.51 of the ‘Conclusions’ states that the ‘bedrock geology is not deemed to be particularly unusual or have any significant value in geological terms’. My comment is that this area is one of the most important areas in the Scottish Highlands for its geological significance. This clearly shows that the authors have poor knowledge of the geology of this area. A’Bhuidheanaich is one of the critical areas in the Central Highlands to understanding the evolution of Highland geology. It has been, and continues to be, extensively studied. Several scientific papers have been written about this area, which remains a key locality for scientific debate. It’s is also crucial to the adjacent An Suidhe Geological Conservation Review site, which is not mentioned in the ES.
The area of Cnoc Fraing is scientifically important site in the study of the evolution of the Monadhliath granitic pluton. A PhD thesis and several scientific papers have been written on the Monadhliath pluton, with particular reference to this area. It’s study has been key in the international study of the late crystallisation processes and the interaction of magmatic fluids in granitic plutons. There are exemplary examples of pegmatite development that contain semi-precious minerals. The area is also a source of the smoky quartz mineral Cairngorm. This is an important area of scientific study, that will be either destroyed or made no longer available for study.
This area was subject to several earth tremors in the mid to late 1990′s of magnitude 2.7 (1995) and 2.2 (1999). Again this is not referred to in the ES and an assessment of this hazard made. Given the parlous nature of the bedrock conditions over large tracts of this site, this is a key feature that needs to be address in an EIA. If another seismic event should take place, are these turbines designed to withstand seismic events?

As all the impacts present within the site have not been addressed the Conclusions sections 6.49 to 6.52 are flawed.

Yet again the consultancies that produce these ES’s show little understanding of the geology. They generally import selected maps from the BGS website and are generally unable to interpret them. Background research is generally poor. I suspect because the landscape companies that often produce these documents do not have qualifeid geologists on their staff. Most geology sections in wind farm ES’s are of poor quality, but no one picks up on this ad is rarley an issue raised in objections are at public enquiries.

]]> Comment on Allt Duine Windfarm Analysis by admin http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/allt-duine-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-8 admin Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:24:59 +0000 http://www.scotland-landscapes.com:/wordpress/?p=341#comment-8 Thank you for your comments and taking the time to read the article. I hope it can at least add some pressure against this highly inapproriate development. Cheers Jason Thank you for your comments and taking the time to read the article. I hope it can at least add some pressure against this highly inapproriate development. Cheers Jason

]]> Comment on Allt Duine Windfarm Analysis by Sat Shop http://www.scotland-landscapes.com/allt-duine-analysis/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Sat Shop Fri, 23 Sep 2011 06:56:37 +0000 http://www.scotland-landscapes.com:/wordpress/?p=341#comment-7 Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article. Best regards Alex Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article.

Best regards Alex

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