Geographical Issues Flashcards
Where is the upper course
Closest to the river
Where is the lower course
Closest to the mouth
What is a long profile
Shows how the gradient changes over different courses
Cross profiel
Shows you waht the cross section of the river looks like
Discharge
The volume of water in a river measures in m3/sec of cumecs
How do waterfalls form
A waterfall occurs when more resistant rock lies over a layer of less resistant rock.
The river bedload swirls around at the foot of the waterfall, gradually eroding the river bed to form a plunge pool.
This results in the water for a eroding up stream forming A steep sided valley called a gorge.
Less resistant rock erodes more easily by abrasion and hydraulic action which.
Eventually the overhang of the more resistant rock collapses under its own weight.
The collapse of the less resistanr rock results in further erosion of the more resistant rock
How does river discharge increase
It increases downstream as tributary streams and ground water increases the amount of discharg. Also the dranage basin will increase in size.
How does channel width and depth increase
Discharge increases meaning higher velocity in and higher rate of erosion lateral and vertical
How does sediment particle shape change
Thanks to attrition the sediment becomes smaller and smoother which will increase as the river has more energy and velocity meaning more collisions of sediment
Vertical erosion
This depends the river valley making it reshaped. It’s dominant in the upper course of the river. High turbulence causes the sediment particles to scrape along the river bed causing intense downwards erosion
Lateral erosion
This widens the river during the formation of meanders. Is dominant in the middle and lower course
Upper course features
Rough channel sides and bed, Gradient is at its source by the source of water, low discharge, carries large, angular stones, resistent rock,steep sided valley, narrow and shallow river channel
Middle course features
Basin made of softer rock like sand stone,easily eroded, rounded and smaller rocks, river valley is wide and deep, discharge increases, less steep gradient,
Lower course features
Close to sea level, very wide and flat valley, high velocity, little friction, large discharge,sediment is very smooth and well rounded.
Active volcanoes shape the land of the UK
520 million years ago the UK used to be much closer to the plate Boundry than now. Active volcanoes form magma through the earths crust which called the form igneous rock.
Plate collitions shaping UK boundaries
Plate collisions cause the rock to be folded and uplifted forming mountain ranges. (Uplands) The igneous granite is hard and more resistant to erosion
The intense heat and pressure caused by plate collisions formed hard metamorphic rock in northern uk.
Plate movements UK position
Plate movements meant that 345 to 280mill years ago Britain was in the tropics and higher sea levels meant it was partly underwater. Carboniferous limestone formed in the warm shallow seas. This can be seen in in the south west of the uk
The youngest rocks in the UK are the chalk and clay is found in the south of England.
Granite (igneous)
- very resistent
- has lots of joints which aren’t evenly spread
- areas with fewer joints are weathered more slowly than the surrounding rock and stick out at the surface forming tors.
- Granite is impermable which creates morrlands
What are moorlands
Large areas of waterlooged land and acidic soil with low growing vegetation
Slate and schist (metamorphic)
- slate forms in layers creating weak planes in the rock.
- generally very hard and resistent to weathering but easily split into thin slabs.
- Schist has bigger crystals than slate and also splits easily into small flakes.
- they are often rugged upland areas.
- they are impermable, leading to waterlogged and acidic soils
Carboniferous Limestone (sedimentary)
- rainwater slowly eats away at it through carbonation weathering
- most weathering happens at joints in the rock (limestone pavements, cavers and gorges)
- Limestone is permable meaning it has areas of dry valleys and resurgent rivers.
It is formed from tiny shells and skeletons of the sea creatures
Chalk and clay
- chalk is harder than clay. It forms escarpments (hills) in UK lowlands and cliffsat the coast.
- one side is usually steep and other is more gentle
- chalk is permable
- clay is very soft and easily eroded
- forms wide flat valleys in UK lowlands
- it is impermable (streams,rivers,lakes)
Igneous rock
Formed when molten rock (magma) from the mantle cools down and hardens. The rocks forms crystals as it cools.
Sedimentary
Sedimentary rocks are formed when largest elements are come back together until they become solid rock.