Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

ZZ Geog 1 > distinctive landscapes > Flashcards

distinctive landscapes Flashcards

1
Q

Define landscape

A

* Landscapes are made up of all the visible features of an area of land.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Define a natural landscape

A

* A landscape with more physical features, such as mountains or forest, is described as a natural landscape.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Define a built landscape

A

* If a landscape has more visible human features, like a town or a city, it’s described as a built landscape.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What can the UK’s natural landscape be spilt into?

A
  • The UK’s natural landscape can be split into upland. lowland and glaciated landscapes.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What gives landscapes distinctive characteristics?

A

* The geology, climate and land uses in these landscapes give them distinctive characteristics.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Describe upland areas

A
  • Mostly found in the north and west of the UK
  • Generally formed of harder rocks which resist erosion e.g. slate, granite and some limestones.
  • Many are glaciated landscapes, e.g. Snowdonia.
  • The gradient of the land is often steep.
  • The climate tends to be cooler and wetter.
  • The harsh climate and thin soils allow rough vegetation to thrive, and some upland areas are used for forestry.
  • Land uses include sheep farming, quarrying and tourism
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Describe lowland areas

A
  • Mostly found in the south and east
  • Generally formed from softer rocks, e.g. chalk, clay and some sandstones.
  • The landscape is flatter with gently rolling hills.
  • The climate tends to be warmer and drier.
  • Vegetation grows easily in the more fertile soils and includes grassy meadows and deciduous forests
  • Land uses include quarrying and tourism, as well as dairy and arable farming (growing crops).
  • Most urban areas and industries (e.g. factories) are located in lowland areas.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Describe glaciated landscapes

A
  • During the last glacial period, ice covered the UK roughly as far south as this line, so glaciated landscapes are mostly found in upland areas in the north-west of the UK.
  • Ice is very powerful, so it was able to erode the landscape, carving out valleys. It also deposited lots of material as it melted.
  • Landscapes formed by glacial meltwater and deposits extend south of this line.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Define mechanical weathering

A
  • Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Name the main type of mechanical weathering that affects landscapes in the UK

A
  • Freeze-thaw weathering.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Explain the process of freeze-thaw weathering

A

* It happens when the temperature alternates above and below 0 °C (the freezing point of water).
* Water gets into rock that has cracks, e.g. granite.
* When the water freezes it expands, which puts pressure on the rock.
* When the water thaws it contracts, which releases the pressure on the rock.
* Repeated freezing and thawing widens the cracks and causes the rock to break up.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Describe salt-weathering

A
  • Salt weathering is a similar process to freeze-thaw weathering
  • Caused by the build-up of salt crystals deposited in cracks by waves.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Define chemical weathering

A
  • Chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is carbonation weathering?

A
  • Carbonation weathering is a type of chemical weathering that happens in warm and wet conditions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Explain the process of carbonation weathering

A

* Rainwater has carbon dioxide dissolved in it, which makes it a weak carbonic acid.
* Carbonic acid reacts with rock that contains calcium carbonate,
e.g. carboniferous limestone, so the rocks are dissolved by the rainwater.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Define biological weathering

A
  • Biological weathering is the breakdown of rocks by living things
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Define mass movement

A
  • Mass movement is the shifting of rocks and loose material down a slope, e.g. a cliff or valley side.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What causes mass movement to occur?

A
  • It happens when the force of gravity acting on a slope is greater than the force supporting it.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What does mass movement cause?

A

* Mass movements cause coasts to retreat rapidly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What will increase the chances of mass movement happening?

A
  • They’re more likely to happen when the material is full of water - it acts as a lubricant, and makes the material heavier.
  • Undercutting of a slope by erosion will increase the chance of mass movement.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Name the two types of mass movement

A
  • Rotational slumping
  • Rockfall (slides)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Explain the process of rotational slumping

A
  • Material shifts with a rotation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Explain the process of rockfall (slides)

A
  • Material shifts in a straight line
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Name the four processes of erosion

A
  • The same four processes of erosion occur along coasts and in river channels
  • Hydraulic action
  • Abrasion
  • Attrition
  • Solution
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Explain the process of hydraulic action

A
  • Along coasts waves crash against rock and compress the air in the cracks.
  • This puts pressure on the rock. Repeated compression widens the cracks and makes bits of rock break off.
  • In rivers, the force of the water breaks rock particles away from the river channel.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Explain the process of abrasion

A
  • Eroded particles in the water scrape and rub against rock in the sea bed, cliffs or river channel, removing small pieces and wearing them away.
  • Most erosion in rivers happens by abrasion.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Explain the process of attrition

A
  • Eroded particles in the water smash into each other and break into smaller fragments.
  • Their edges also get rounded off as they rub together.
  • The further material travels, the more eroded it gets.
    E.g. attrition causes particle size to decrease between a river’s source and its mouth.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Explain the process of solution

A
  • Dissolved carbon dioxide makes river and sea water slightly acidic.
  • The acid reacts chemically with some rocks e.g. chalk and limestone, dissolving them.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

How is eroded material transported?

A
  • Eroded material is moved by rivers and the sea.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Define transportation

A
  • The movement of eroded material
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Name the four processes of transportation

A
  • Traction
  • Saltation
  • Suspension
  • Solution
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Describe traction

A
  • Large particles like boulders are pushed along the river bed or sea floor by the force of the water.
33
Q

Describe saltation

A
  • Pebble-sized particles are bounced along the river bed or sea floor by the force of the water.
34
Q

Describe suspension

A
  • Small particles like silt and clay are carried along by the water.
35
Q

Describe solution

A
  • Soluble materials dissolve in the water and are carried along
36
Q

Define deposition

A
  • Deposition is when material being carried by sea water or a river is dropped.
37
Q

When does deposition occur?

A
  • It occurs when water carrying sediment loses velocity (slows down) so that it isn’t moving fast enough to carry so much sediment.
38
Q

Define constructive waves

A
  • Waves that deposit more material than they erode are called constructive waves.
39
Q

Describe constructive waves

A
  • Constructive waves have a low frequency (6-8 waves per minute).
  • They’re low and long.
40
Q

Explain the process of coastal deposition

A
  • The swash is powerful and it carries material up the coast.
  • The backwash is weaker and it doesn’t take a lot of material back down the coast.
  • This means there’s lots of deposition and very little erosion.
41
Q

Define swash

A
  • The movement of the water up the beach
42
Q

Define backwash

A
  • The movement of water down the beach
  • Always perpendicular to the beach
43
Q

When does the amount of material that is deposited on an area of coast increase?

A
  • When there’s lots of erosion elsewhere on the coast, so there’s lots of material available.
  • When there’s lots of transportation of material into the area.
44
Q

When do rivers slow down and deposit material?

A
  • Deposition in rivers occurs when:
  • The volume of water in the river falls.
  • The amount of eroded material in the water increases.
  • The water is shallower, e.g. on the inside of a bend.
  • The river reaches the sea or a lake at its mouth.
45
Q

When do headlands / bays form?

A
  • Headlands and bays form where there are alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rock along a coast.
46
Q

Explain how headland bays form

A
  • The less resistant rock (e.g. clay) is eroded quickly and this forms a bay - bays have a gentle slope.
  • The resistant rock (e.g, chalk) is eroded more slowly and it’s left jutting out, forming a headland - headlands have steep sides.
47
Q

Explain the process of headland erosion

A
  • Headlands are usually made of resistant rocks that have weaknesses like cracks.
  • Waves crash into the headlands and enlarge the cracks mainly by hydraulic power and abrasion.
  • Repeated erosion and enlargement of the cracks causes a cave to form
  • Continued erosion deepens the cave until it breaks through the headland - forming an arch, e.g. Durdle Door in Dorset.
  • Erosion continues to wear away the rock supporting the arch, until it eventually collapses.
  • This forms a stack - an isolated rock that’s separate from the headland, e.g. Old Harry in Dorset
48
Q

Where are beaches found?

A
  • Beaches are found on coasts between the high water mark and the low water mark
49
Q

Define high water mark

A
  • The highest point on the land the sea level gets to
50
Q

Define low water mark

A
  • The lowest point on the land the sea level gets to
51
Q

How are beaches formed?

A
  • They’re formed by constructive waves depositing material like sand and shingle.
52
Q

Describe the characteristics of a sand beach

A
  • Sand beaches are flat and wide
  • Sand particles are small and the weak backwash can move them back down the beach, creating a long, gentle slope.
53
Q

Describe the characteristics of a shingle beach

A
  • Shingle beaches are steep and narrow
  • Shingle particles are large and the weak backwash can’t move them back down the beach.
  • The shingle particles build up and create a steep slope.
54
Q

Define a spit

A
  • Spits are just beaches that stick out into the sea - they’re joined to the coast at one end.
    Spits form at sharp bends in the coastline, e.g. at a river mouth.



55
Q

How are spits formed?

A

* Spits are formed by longshore drift

56
Q

Define longshore drift

A
  • A process that moves material along coasts
57
Q

Explain the process of longshore drift

A
  • Waves follow the direction of the prevailing (most common) wind.
  • They usually hit the coast at an oblique angle (any angle that isn’t a right angle).
  • The swash carries material up the beach, in the same direction as the waves.
  • The backwash then carries material down the beach at tight angles, back towards the sea.
  • Over time, material zigzags along the coast.
  • Longshore drift transports sand and shingle past the bend and deposits it in the sea.
  • Strong winds and waves can curve the end of the spit (forming a recurved end).
  • The sheltered area behind the spit is protected from waves - lots of material accumulates in this area, which means plants can grow there.
  • Over time, the sheltered area can become a mud flat or a salt marsh.
58
Q

What is a river basin?

A
  • A river basin is the area of land surrounding a river, where any rain falling on the land eventually makes its way into that river.
  • This area is also called the river’s catchment.



59
Q

What are river basins separated by?

A
  • River basins are separated by a boundary called a watershed.
60
Q

What is a watershed?

A
  • They’re ridges of high land - water falling either side of these ridges will go into different river basins
61
Q

Name some key features of a river basin

A
  • A tributary is a smaller river (e.g. a stream) that joins a main river.
  • The source is where a river starts, usually in an upland area (e.g, mountains)
  • The mouth is where a river flows into the sea or a lake.
62
Q

What is the downhill path of a river called?

A
  • The path of a river as it flows downhill is called its course.



63
Q

Name the three courses a river has

A
  • Rivers have an upper course (closest to the source of the river), a middle course and a lower course (closest to the mouth of the river).
64
Q

What do rivers form as they flow downhill?

A
  • Rivers form channels and valleys as they flow downhill
65
Q

How do rivers form channels and valleys?

A

* They erode the landscape - wear it down, then transport the material to somewhere else where it’s deposited

66
Q

How does the shape of the valley and channel change along the river?

A
  • The shape of the valley and channel changes along the river depending on whether erosion or deposition is the dominant process
67
Q

Explain how V-shaped valleys are formed

A
  • In the upper course of a river, fast-flowing water following heavy rain and high turbulence causes loose rough particles and boulders to be transported by the river and scraped along the river bed.
  • This causes downwards erosion of the river channel by the process of abrasion.
  • The valley sides are exposed to weathering (e.g. by freeze-thaw.
  • The weathered material that falls down the valley sides into the river channel causes further erosion by abrasion.
  • The river doesn’t have enough energy to erode sideways (laterally), so vertical erosion of the river bed is dominant, which deepens the river valley, creating a steep-sided V-shape.



68
Q

Explain how waterfalls and gorges form

A
  • Waterfalls form where a river flows over an area of hard rock followed by an area of softer rock
  • The softer rock is eroded (by hydraulic action and abrasion) more than the hard rock, creating a ‘step’ in the river.
  • As water goes over the step it erodes more and more of the softer rock.
  • A steep drop is eventually created, which is called a waterfall.
  • The hard rock is eventually undercut by erosion. It becomes unsupported and collapses.
  • The collapsed rocks are swirled around at the foot of the waterfall where they erode the softer rock by abrasion
  • This creates a deep plunge pool.
  • Over time, more undercutting
    causes more collapses. The waterfall will retreat (move back up the channel), leaving behind a steep-sided gorge.
69
Q

When do river develop meanders?

A
  •  River develop large bends called meanders in their middle and lower courses, in areas where there are both shallow and deep sections in the channel
70
Q

What type of erosion takes place on the outside bend of a river?

A
  • Abrasion and hydraulic action
71
Q

Explain how river cliffs are formed

A

* The current (the flow of the water) is faster on the outside of the bend because the river channel is deeper (there’s less friction to slow the water down).
* So more erosion takes place on the outside of the bend, forming river cliffs



72
Q

Explain how slip-off slopes are formed

A

* The current is slower on the inside of the bend because the river channel is shallower (there’s more friction to slow the water down).
* So eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend, forming slip-off slopes.

73
Q

Explain how ox-bow lakes are formed

A
  • Meanders get larger over time - they can eventually turn into an ox-bow lake
  • Erosion causes the outside bends to get closer until there’s only a small bit of land left between the bends (called the neck)
  • The river breaks through this land, usually during a flood and the river flows along the shortest course
  • Deposition eventually cuts off the meander forming an ox-bow lake
74
Q

What is a floodplain?

A
  • The floodplain is the wide valley floor on either side of a river which occasionally gets flooded



75
Q

Explain how a flood plain builds up

A
  • When a river floods onto the floodplain, the water slows down and deposits the eroded material that it’s transporting.
  • This builds up the floodplain (makes it higher).
  • Meanders migrate (move) across the floodplain, making it wider.
  • Meanders also migrate downstream, flattening out the valley floor.
  • The deposition that happens on the slip-off slopes of meanders also builds up the floodplain.
76
Q

Where are floodplains found?

A
  • Lower course of a river
77
Q

What are levees?

A
  • Levees are natural embankments (raised bits) along the edges of a river channel.
78
Q

Explain how levees are formed

A

* During a flood, eroded material is deposited over the whole floodplain.
* The heaviest material is deposited closest to the river channel, because it gets dropped first when the river slows down.
* Over time, the deposited material builds up, creating levees along the edges of the channel, e.g. along the Yellow River (Huang He River) in China.

79
Q

Where are levees found?

A
  • Lower course of a river

ZZ Geog 1 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions