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)
Biological weathering
Tree roots force their roots into rocks, splitting them apart. Mosses also grow on the surface of rocks causing them to break down. People walking on rock and animals burrowing can cause rock to break down as well
What are geomorphic processes?
The ways in which the landscape is shaped Geomorphic processes include: Weathering Erosion Mass movement Transportation Deposition
What is weathering?
Breakdown of rock in situ
What is erosion?
It is the process of eroding the landscape by wind, water or other natural agents
Hydraulic action
It is waves crashing against the coast, forcing air into cracks and breaking up the rock.
Solution
Certain rocks like limestone slowly dissolve in the water
Abrasion
Waves pick up rocks from the sea bed and smash them against the coast, wearing it away
Attrition
Pebbles picked up by the waves, bash into each other, wearing them down into smaller, rounder particles
What is mass movement?
The downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity
What is transportation?
It is the processes that carry away eroded material in coastal and river environments
Traction
Traction causes large stones and boulders to be dragged along the river bed, this requires a lot of energy.
Saltation
Saltation causes pebbles and small stones to be picked up and dropped further along the the river or coast
Suspension
Tiny particles of sand and silt are carried in suspension by the flowing water
Solution
Some rocks dissolve and are carried in solution, invisible to the eye
What is deposition?
This is when sediment carried by rivers or waves is dropped and begins to build up new land
Where is the Jurassic Coast?
Why is it called the Jurassic Coast?
It is in the South of England, and is the coast between Dorset and East Devon
It is called that because it is made out of rocks which date to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous time periods. This means that it has distinctive landscaped across the coast
What is Durdle Door
Land forms
Description
Processes
Cliff, Arch, Headland Limestone Steep cliffs and a headland extending into the sea with an arch Mass movement Weathering - Cliff and arch Transportation - moved sediment Deposition - Beach Erosion - Headland
What is Lulworth Cove
Bay Circular bay created by the unique order of hard and soft rock. The hard rock is lateral to the coast with the soft rock behind. Mass movement - Cliff collapse Erosion - Broke more resistant rock Deposition - beach Weathering - weakens cliffs
What is Chesil Beach
Barrier beach
Flat landscape, with long and straight beach
Deposition - beach
Transportation - longshore drift
What is Old Harry Rocks
Cliff, Stack Chalk, Steep cliffs and isolated tall stacks Weathering - break down cliff Erosion - break down cliff Mass movement - cliff collapse
Hard engineering
It works against natural processes, such as erosion, to protect the coastline. It tends to be more expensive and structures continually need to be maintained or rebuilt
Soft engineering
It works with nature to protect the coastline. It tends to be less expensive and easier to maintain because it does not depend on building structures
Shoreline management plans
It is a plan decided by the local council about which methods they are going to use to protect their stretch of coastline. e.g. Hold the Line Retreat the Line Advance the Line Do nothing
Coastal Protection methods
Rock Armour Groynes Sea Wall Beach Nourishment Offshore Reef
