Distinctive landscapes Flashcards
what are the 5 types of elements in a landscape and give an example?
physical- mountains
water- lake
living- trees
transitory- summer
human- buildings
what is erosion?
the breaking down and transport of rocks.
what are the 4 types of erosion and how do they work?
corrasion- rocks hurled at the base of a cliff to break pieces apart. attrition- rocks that bash together to become smooth/smaller.
solution- a chemical reaction that dissolved rocks.
hydraulic action- water enters cracks in the cliff causing the crack to expand.
what is relief?
the way the landscape changes in height.
what is transportation?
(geographically)
a natural process by which eroded material is carried/transported.
what are the 4 types of transportation and how do they work?
solution-minerals dissolve in water and are carried along.
suspension-sediment that is carried.
saltation-pebbles that bounce along the river.
traction-boulders that roll along a river.
how has glaciation affected the UK?
much of upland Britain is covered in u-shaped valleys and eroded steep mountain peaks.
what are the 3 types of rock?
igneous-Volcanic/molten rock which has cooled into solid rock.
sedimentary- from broken fragments of rock.
metamorphic- rock that is distorted by heat and pressure.
how are soils created
from weathered rocks, organic material and water.
what are the stages of freeze-thaw weathering
1.water seeps into cracks and fractures in the rock.
2.When the water freezes, it expands, this wedges apart the rock.
3.with repeated freeze-thaw cycles, the rock breaks off.
what is mass movement in terms of erosion?
a large movement of soil and rock debris that move down slopes
what are the 3 types of weathering
mechanical- caused by the physical action of water, ice and wind.
chemical- action of chemicals within rain dissolving the rock.
biological- rocks that have been broken down by living organisms.
what have humans done to the landscapes?
farming, infrastructure, hunting, chopping down trees
what is decomposition?
when the sea or river loses energy, it drops the sand, rock particles and pebbles it has been carrying.
what are the steps in formations of coastal stacks?
1.hydraulic action widens cracks.
2.abrasion forms a wave cut notch.
3.more abrasion widens to form a cave.
4.caves from both sides break through to form an arch.
5.the arch collapses due to weathering leaving a stack
what coastal defences are there?
groynes- wood barriers prevent longshore drift, so the beach can build up.
sea wall- concrete walls break up the energy of the wave.
gabions- Cages of rocks/boulders absorb the waves energy.
how does longshore drift work?
1.swash moves up the beach at the angle of the prevailing wind.
2.backwash moves down the beach at 90° to coastline, due to gravity.
3.zigzag movement transports material along beach and goes back.
what is the difference between swash and backwash?
swash is surge of sea that goes towards the beach while backwash is water that goes back out.
what happens at the upper course of a river?
near the source, the river is flows over steep gradient from the hill/mountains. this gives it a lot of energy.
what happens at the middle course of a river?
here the gradient gets gentler, so the water has less energy and moves more slowly.
what happens at the lower course of a river?
near the river’s mouth, the river widens further and becomes flatter. Material transported is deposited.
what is the difference between soft and hard engineering?
soft is natural defences and hard is human defences
what does an ox boy lake look like?
a river going straight, and underneath is a u
