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Distinctive Landscapes Flashcards

1
Q

Distribution of UK Landscapes

A
  • Upland found mostly in the north and west of the country, NI, Scotland, Wales & North England e.g Lake District
  • Lowland found in SE UK, central and southern England e.g Cotswolds
  • Most cities found in lowland areas and often on major rivers
  • Glaciated found in midlands and northern England, central and northern Wales, NI and Scotland
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2
Q

Upland Characteristics

A

Geology - igneous + metamorphic rocks: basalt, granite, slate
Climate - cool, damp, relief rainfall
Human activity - farmland, especially sheep; tourism; quarrys; fishing; leisure, etc

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3
Q

Lowland Characteristics

A

Geology - sedimentary rocks: chalk, clay, sandstone, flint
Climate - warmer, drier, less wind
Human activity - Cities, farmland, tourism

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4
Q

Glaciated Characteristics

A

Climate - mixed
Human activity - Tourism, settlements, farmland

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5
Q

Mechanical weathering

A
  • Breakdown of rock due to temperature change
  • E.g freeze-thaw; where water freezes in rock cracks and becomes ice, leading to the rock expanding and creating cracks, until the rock breaks away and falls off
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6
Q

Biological weathering

A
  • Breakdown of rock due to plants and animals
  • E.g plants; plant roots grow in cracks of rocks, eventually crack gets larger and rock breaks away
  • E.g animals; rabbits can be effective at burrowing into weak rocks such as sands
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7
Q

Chemical weathering

A
  • Decomposition of rock due to chemical reaction
  • E.g rainwater, as it is slightly acidic, slowly dissolves rocks and minerals, with what is left behind forming into fine clay deposits
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8
Q

Mass movement

A

All downhill movement of weathered material, including soil, rocks and stones due to gravity

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9
Q

Examples of mass movement

A

Sliding - movement of material all together, remaining together until hitting the bottom of a slope
Slumping - involves a large area of land moving down the slope in one place, leaving behind a curved surface

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10
Q

Erosion

A
  • The process by which water breaks down rock and sediment from rivers and coasts
    E.g - Abrasion, attrition, hydraulic action, solution
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11
Q

Abrasion

A

River load repeatedly hits the bed and banks, causing some material to break off

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12
Q

Attrition

A

When stones and boulders carried by river knock against each other, weaken over time, and become smaller and smoother

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13
Q

Hydraulic Action

A

Force of the water hits the beds and banks of river channel, causing vertical erosion in upper course of a river, and lateral erosion in lower course

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14
Q

Solution

A

Soluble rocks such as chalk and limestone dissolve and become part of the water

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15
Q

Transportation

A
  • When material is carried by a medium e.g water or wind
    E.g - Solution, Suspension, Saltation, Traction
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16
Q

Solution

A

Soluble rocks such as chalk and limestone dissolve and are carried by the water

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17
Q

Suspension

A

Very fine material within water floats in the river, and moves as it flows

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18
Q

Saltation

A

Small stones and grains bounce along river bed and move downstream

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19
Q

Traction

A

Large rocks e.g boulders roll along the river bed due to water flow

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20
Q

Deposition

A

Where the river leaves behind load it has been carrying

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21
Q

River characteristics

A

All rivers have similar characteristics within long and cross profiles but they are all unique
They show changes in river characteristics from source to mouth
Long Profile shows gradient, cross profile shows characteristics

22
Q

Upper Course

A
  • Shallow, narrow channel
  • Vertical eroison
  • Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, with some traction and saltation
  • Large load
  • Steep valley sides
  • Low velocity
23
Q

Middle Course

A
  • Deeper and wider channel
  • Some vertical erosion, lateral erosion more important
  • Suspension main transportation, with some saltation and traction
  • More obvious deposition
  • Load size reduced
  • Velocity increases
  • Gentle valley sides
24
Q

Lower Course

A
  • Deepest and widest
  • Flat floodplains surrounding
  • Less erosion, only a little lateral
  • Greater velocity up until river reaches mouth
  • Smooth channel bed
  • Suspension is dominant
  • Large amount of load, but small size
  • Deposition of fine material
  • Lowest friction
25
Upper course features
V-shaped valley, interlocking spurs, waterfalls and gorges
26
V-shaped valley
Dominant vertical erosion cuts down into river bed, deepening channel, with weathering + mass movement causing material from valley to collapse into river, forming steep V-shaped valleys
27
Interlocking spurs
Channel starts to meander, erosion occurs on outside of bend, forming interlocking spurs
28
Waterfalls and gorges
Forms when there is a drop in the river bed from one level to another, due to hard rock meeting soft rock, which erodes away quicker. Hydraulic action creates a deep plunge pool, with the more resistant rock left unsupported and overhanging. This collapses onto river bed due to gravity, causing abrasion of river bed. This is repeated and waterfall retreats upstream, creating a steep sided gorge
29
Middle course features
Meanders, oxbow lakes
30
Meanders
- Dominant lateral erosion as a result of lower gradient results in water beginning to wander across land, causing meanders - Fast water flow on the outside leads to erosion, and the undercutting of the riverbank causing a river cliff - Slow water flow on the inside leads to deposition, creating a slip-off slope
31
Oxbow Lakes
Increases in sizes of meander can form meander necks, and during a flood the river may cut through the neck to form a straighter path, and deposition on the entrance and exits of the meander can lead it to be cut off, making an oxbow lake
32
Lower course features
Floodplains, levees
33
Floodplain and levees
- Flat expanses of land on either side of the river, with migration of meanders leading to floodplains forming - High water discharge leads to banks overflowing, and so more of the water is in contact with land as water spreads over floodplain, and increased friction reduces velocity, and material is deposited across floodplain, raising its height, and heavy material deposited first nearest to the channel forms natural embankments called levees
34
Types of Wave
Destructive - Strong backwash, weak swash, high frequency, formed by local storms, break down beach with erosion, high wave height Constructive - Strong swash, weak backwash, low frequency, formed by distant storms, build up beach with deposition, low wave height
35
Coastal erosion
solution and abrasion and attrition - the same as rivers, but by waves Wave pounding - force of waves on a cliff Hydraulic action - waves force air in cracks in cliffs to expand
36
Longshore drift
- The transport of sediment along a stretch of coastline, caused by waves approaching the beach at an angle - Depends on prevailing wind
37
Coastal landscape characteristics
Headlands, bays, caves, arches, stacks, stumps, spits
38
Headlands and bays
- Occurs when alternating bands of soft and hard rock run perpendicular to oncoming waves - Soft rock erodes backwards, forming an inlet - Inlet continues to erode, forming a bay within a beach as it curves inwards - Hard rock left protruding out to sea as a headland
39
Cliffs
- Cliffs shaped through erosion - Soft rock erodes quickly forming sloping cliff faces - Steep cliffs form when hard rock faces sea
40
Wave-cut platform
- Sea attacks cliff base between high and low water mark, forming a wave-cut notch - Abrasion, corrosion, and hydraulic action result in notch extending back into cliff - Undercutting of cliff leads to instability and collapse of cliff - Backwash carries away eroded material, leaving a wave-cut platform
41
Caves, arches, stacks, stumps
- Form in headlands due to wave action and weathering - Waves approaching coast see reduced speed as they move along sea floor, changing the angle of waves so that the crest is parallel to the coast - Hydraulic action, abrasion, and corrosion begin to attack weak spots in headland - Cracks widen, leading to abrasion wearing away at a forming cave - Cave becomes larger, breaks through headland and becomes arch - Base of arch becomes wider and thinner through erosion/weathering - Arch roof collapses, making a stack - Stack is undercut at the base by wave action and weathering, and collapses to form a stump
42
Spit
- Extended stretch of sand/shingle from shore out to sea - Occur when there is changes in coastline shape
43
Hard Engineering
- Involves building a form of sea defence - Structures needed to be built and maintained, and are expensive - Work against power of waves
44
Soft Engineering
- Works with natural processes instead of working against them - Cheaper and does not manage coast appearance - More sustainable approach to coastal protection - Not as effective as hard engineering
45
Coastal Management types
Soft engineering - Managed retreat, beach replenishment Hard engineering - Rock amour, sea walls, groynes
46
Rock Amour
- Heavy, big boulders placed on a beach to control erosion - Low maintenance cost, low risk for backshore assets, encourages upper beach stability - Not good to look at, hinders tourism, high upfront costs, can alter dunes -Prevents further erosion of cliffs
47
Sea Wall
- Vertical structures of concrete piles withstand waves - Easy access to beach, roads/buildings can come close to beach, no maintenance costs - Can have long term issues, can disturb beaches/dunes
48
Groynes
- Prevent longshore drift, keep beach in place, waves slowed down by friction - Cheap, good for tourism, encourages upper beach stability - Prevents longshore drift, disrupts natural processes and public access, and easily eroded as made by wood
49
Managed retreat
- Allows erosion to happen, coast erodes - Very low cost, only money given as compensation, natural processes can occur - High upfront cost, backshore assets lost
50
Beach replenishment
- Adds material, slows waves down due to friction, causes less damage to surroundings - Looks nice, short term erosion reduction, natural processes retained - Expensive, requires maintenance

Geography (6 decks)

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