Distinctive Landscapes Flashcards
What are the key features of a landscape
Physical Mountains, valleys etc Water Rivers, lakes etc Living Vegetation Transitory (temporary) Weather, the seasons Human Buildings, land use
What are the characteristics of Cuillin Hills (Skye)
Mountainous Rocky Steep slopes High mountains A lot of surface water Rivers and ribbon lakes Moss and lichens and grass Granite Little land use Some hill farming
What are the characteristics of South Downs
Flat, Rolling hills, Gentle incline Very little surface water, Most is underground Lots of vegetation, Trees and grass Chalk Land used for farming, Transport, Houses
Describe the distribution of glaciated areas in Britain.
The glaciated areas are all of Scotland and Wales and the North and Centre of England.
Describe the distribution of unglaciated areas in Britain.
The very south of England
Explain the impact of glaciation on the landscape
Glaciation caused the Cullin Hills landscape to be very mountainous and steep. It also caused there to be a lot of surface water. There was no ice coverage in the South Downs but there was a permafrost causing the valleys.
Igneous rocks
Volcanic rock formed from lava rising up to the surface and then cooling, new rock
Sedimentary rocks
Rock made from small particles of other rocks worn down by weathering
Metamorphic rocks
Rocks which have been combined from high pressure and temperature as tectonic plates move
What do you notice about the age of rocks as you move from north to south?
They get younger
What is Granite
Igneous rock It cools slowly so large crystals Crystals are made from quartz, feldspars and mica Very hard that erodes slowly Used to make kerbstones Impermeable The soil is acidic and not very fertile Often waterlogged Not good for growing plants
What is Chalk
Type of limestone, sedimentary rock
Formed in layers on the seabed
Made of calcium carbonate from shells of creatures that sank to the bottom of the sea
Very soft and crumbly
Easily weathered and permeable
The soil is alkali and quite fertile and well drained
Ideal for growing grass and crops
Describe the changes in woodland area in England since 1066.
In 1066 the amount of trees fell until 1300 when the rate decrease fell so less trees were being cut down. Then the rate of decrease increased in 1600 and continued until 1900 when the amount of trees increased.
Mechanical weathering
It is caused by changes in temperature which causes water to expand and contract as it turns to ice. This exerts pressure on the rocks
Chemical weathering
Rainwater is naturally acidic and so slowly dissolves rocks which are exposed over time, particularly if it is composed of calcium carbonate (e.g.limestone)