Geology and UK 4.1

Question 1

Give a definition, approximate age, 3 examples and location in UK of igneous rocks

Answer 1

Igneous :Rocks formed by the cooling and solidifying of molten materials in teh mantel
Age : Earths oldest rock
Examples: Basalt, Granite, Obsidian
Locations : These rock types are found in the uplands in the UK

Question 2

Give a definition, approximate age, 3 examples and location in UK of sedimentary rocks

Answer 2

Sedimentary : Rock that has formed through the deposition and compression of sediment, and through the process of heat and pressure
Age : depends on rock but between 2 to 600 million years
Examples : Chalk, clay and sandstone
Location : Found everywhere

Question 3

Compare metamorphic and igneous rock

Answer 3

Metamorphic rocks, formed by temperature and pressure changes inside the Earth / eg. Marble from limestone

Igneous rock , formed by the cooling of magma (molten rock) inside the Earth or on the surface / eg. Obsidian

Question 4

Compare the formation and characteristics of granite and carboniferous limestone

Answer 4

Granite is a type of igneous rock, formed by magma cooling on the earths surface.
Characteristics : Very hard rock, the minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) give the rock a pink, red, grey or white colour.

Limestone is a type of sedimentary rock, formed by layers of sediment squashed together, with large amounts of pressure
Characteristics : Easily weathered and eroded due to its soft rock composition.

Question 5

Compare the formation and characteristics of chalk and slate

Answer 5

Chalk is a type of sedimentary, a purer, younger form of limestone. Layers of tiny shells and skeletons of dead sea creatures are compacted over time to form chalk.
Characteristics : Very porous, Medium resistance but stronger than clays

Slate is a metamorphic, formed by heated muds or shales.
Characteristics : Very resistant

Question 6

Explain when and how active volcanoes shaped the uplands of the UK

Answer 6

Largely volcanic basalt (igneous) rock which erupted onto the surface 330-450 million years ago such as at Borrowdale. Also, granite (igneous) erupted below the surface at Eskdale. These are both resistant.

Question 7

Explain how glacial erosion and deposition shaped the UK uplands

Answer 7

During the Ice Age, glaciers, formed in the upland areas, moved down through through the valleys changing them to u shaped from v shaped valleys

Question 8

Explain when and how sedimentary rock was formed across the UK Lowlands

Answer 8

One such area in the lowlands, called the Weald, was once a dome of folding rocks, forming an arch called an anticline. Erosion has left alternate strata of more and less resistant rock to form a landscape. This happened during the Jurassic and Cretaceous age.

Question 9

Explain how glacial deposition shaped the UK Lowlands

Answer 9

During and after the last Ice Age, water in the chalk froze, making it impermeable. Then, fresh water formed rivers and valleys. As the climate warmed, water seeped through the chalk once again leaving dry valleys where rivers had once flowed

Question 10

Explain how scarp and vale topography forms in the UK Lowlands

Answer 10

Erosion has left alternate strata, of more and less resistant rock to form a landscape know as scarp and vale topography.

• Resistant rocks, like chalk, form steep escarpments
• Behind the escarpments, gentle slows follow the angle at which the rocks are tilted (called the dip), know as the dip slope
• Softer clays are lower and flatter, forming the vales