Distinctive Landscapes Flashcards
characteristics and distribution of upland areas in the UK
- north/west of UK
- steep
- cold and wet, often glaciated
- harsh climate+ thin soils= vegetation thrives= forests
- harder rocks resist erosion- slate, granite, limestone
characteristics and distribution of lowland areas in the UK
- south/east of the UK
- flatter, gentle hills
- warm and dry
- fertile soils= grassy meadows and deciduous forests
- soft rocks- chalk, clay, sandstone
what is a glaciated landscape and where in the UK are they found?
- a landscape that has been glaciated in the past and has distinct landforms due to glacial erosion
- found in upland areas in the north/west of the UK
how does mass movement move materials down slopes?
- rain saturates permeable rock above the impermeable rock making it heavy
- waves/ a river will erode the base of the slope making it unstable
- the weight of the permeable rock above the impermeable rock weakens and collapses
- the debris at the base of the cliff d then removed and transported by waves/ a river
name and describe the 4 processes of erosion
- attrition- rocks bash together to become smooth/smaller
- solution- chemical reaction that dissolves rocks
- abrasion- rocks hurled at the base of a cliff to break pieces apart
- hydraulic action- water enters cracks in the cliff, air compresses, causing the crack to expand
name and describe the 4 ways eroded material is transported
- solution- minerals dissolve in water and are carried along
- suspension- sediment is carried along in the flow of the water
- saltation- pebbles that bounce along the sea/ river bed
- traction- boulders that roll along a river/sea bed by the force of the flowing water
what is deposition?
when the sea or river loses energy, it drops the sand, rock particles and pebbles it has been carrying
importance of rock types in forming headlands, bays, caves, arches and stacks
- when waves attack the coastline, soft rock is eroded more quickly forming a bay
- more resistant rock is left jutting out into the sea- headland
- the headland i now vulnerable to erosion into caves, arches and stacks
how are beaches/ spits formed by costal deposition?
- swash moves up beach at and angle of prevailing wind
- backwash ,oves down beach at 90° to coastline, due to gravity
- longshore dirft (zigzagging) transports material along beach
- deposition causes beach to extend , until reaching a river estuary
- change in prevailing wind direction forms hook
- sheltered area behind spit encourages deposition, salt marsh forms
what is a river basin and what are it’s features?
- area of land around a river, where any rain falling on the land eventually makes it’s way into the river
- tributary- a small river (e.g. stream) that joins a main river
- source- where a river starts, usually in an upland area
- mouth- where a river flows into the sea or a lake
how do v-shaped valleys form in the upper course?
- fast water, heavy rain and turbulence scrapes rough particles/ boulders against river bed
- downward ersion by abrasion
- weathering (e.g. freeze-thaw) causes material to fall down valley sides causing further abrasion
- river doesn’t have energy to erode sideways= vertical erosion
how are waterfalls and gorges formed?
- river flows over different types of rocks
- river erodes soft rock faster creating a step
- hydraulic action and abrasion form a plunge pool beneath
- hard rock above is undercut and collapses- collapsed rocks erode
- more undercutting= waterfall retreats leaving a gorge
how do meanders form and change shape over time?
- current is faster on the outside of the river and is deeper causing less friction to slow river down, so ersion forms river cliffs
- eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend forming slip-off slopes (more friction to slow water down)
how may a meander eventually form an ox-bow lake?
bends in the meander get closer forming a thin neck of land which eventually breaks and deposition cuts off the meander
how are floodplains created?
- land surrounding a river that floods often= water deposits eroded material, building up the floodplain
- meanders migrate across floodplain and downstream, making it wider and flatter
- deposition on slip-off slopes of meanders build up floodplain
