Geography EOY Flashcards
Define what a cold environment is
A cold environment is a place or setting where temperatures are consistently low, often below freezing. This can include areas such as polar regions, high altitudes, or during winter months in temperate climates.
Remember: place of consistent low temperature; found in high altitudes
Explain one reason why glaciers advance in the winter.
Glaciers generally advance in the winter because the colder temperatures cause the ice to accumulate and thicken more rapidly. This is due to a decrease in melting, which allows for more snowfall to accumulate on top of the glacier. The added weight of the accumulated snow pushes the glacier downhill and causes it to advance.
Remember: colder temperature/decrease in melting/increase in snow accumalation/accumalted snow pusshes downhill which is advance
Define freeze thaw
A type of weahtering where water repeatedly freeze and puts pressure on rocks to break them down
Define abrasion
A process of erosion where debris, carried by the glacier, wears away the sides and floor of the valley
Define plucking
A process of erosion where glacial ice freezes onto rocks and, as it moves away, pulls large pieces with it
Descibe two characteristics of a corrie landform
Steep back wall: The back wall of a corrie is typically steep, with the ice of the glacier eroding the rock through plucking and causing it to steepen.
Rounded open front: The front of a corrie is open and rounded, as the ice of the glacier erodes the rock in a circular fashion.
Bowl shape: A corrie has a bowl-like shape, with a concave depression formed by the glacial erosion.
Tarn: Often, a small circular lake called a tarn forms in the base of a corrie, created by melting ice and collecting water.
Scree: The steep back wall of a corrie often has loose rock debris called scree, which has fallen from the surrounding slopes.
U-shaped valley: A corrie is typically located at the head of a U-shaped valley, which has been carved out by the movement of a glacier.
Location in mountainous areas: Corries are commonly found in mountainous regions with a history of glaciation, such as the Scottish Highlands or the Alps.
Explain how corries are formed
Corries are formed through a combination of glaciation and erosion. Snow accumulates and compacts into ice, which moves downhill under the force of gravity. Water will fill into little cracks during the day when it is warmer ans suring the night as it gets colder,the water will freeze causing the water to expand,enlargening the cracks.As the glacier moves it rips out the loose pieces of rock and the ice erodes the rock beneath it with the debris,creating a hollow depression known as a corrie. Over time, the corrie may fill with snow and form a glacier, which further erodes the surrounding rock to deepen the corrie.
Remember:1) Glaciation and erosion occurs
2) Snow accumalates and compacts into ice, and moves downhill because of gravity
3) Ice erodes the rock underneath creating a corrie
4) Corrie can fill with snow and erode the corrie even more
one input and one output from a glacier
Input: Snow
Output: Water vapour
Descibe U-shaped valleys
Steep sides,
