Glacial Landscapes

Question 1

How was ice a powerful force in shaping landscape of UK?

Answer 1

by glacial processes:
freeze thaw weathering
erosion - abrasion and plucking
movement and transportation - rotational slip and bulldozing
deposition - glaciers depositing sediment

Question 2

What is Freeze thaw weathering?

Answer 2

provides sediment for glacier to use in erosion
precipitation seeps into rock in side of valley
water freezes and expands by 10%
puts pressure on surrounding rock
repeated freezing and thawing creates expansion and contraction: rock is broken down and becomes angular

Question 3

Where does Freeze thaw weathering occur?

Answer 3

side of mountains, below snout of glacier

scree becomes stuck in glacier

Question 4

What is abrasion?

Answer 4

material stuck in bottom glacier grinds away bedrock
scraping action creates a smooth bedrock
long sharp edge rocks cause grooves

Question 5

What are striations?

Answer 5

long grooves made by sharp rocks in bottom of glacier

Question 6

What is plucking?

Answer 6

thin layer of melt water at bottom of glacier
when this freezes, glacier sticks to rocks surface
as glacier moves, particles are pulled away
rock becomes angular
for this process to be effective, rock must be weakened in some way, perhaps by freeze thaw weathering

Question 7

What is rotational slip?

Answer 7

glacier moves into hollow, begins to rotate in semi-circular motion, carving the hole bigger
once glacier melts it forms a lake in the corrie called a tarn

Question 8

What is a corrie?

Answer 8

hollow formed by rotational slip of a glacier

Question 9

What is a tarn?

Answer 9

the lake that forms in the corrie?

Question 10

What is bulldozing?

Answer 10

rocks and debris are moved forward at the front of the glacier by sheer force of the ice

Question 11

What is glacial deposition?

Answer 11

debris in the glacial environment may be deposited directly by the ice, or by melt water streams. the resulting deposits are called glacial drift

Question 12

What is an arete?

Answer 12

when two corries are formed next to each other

Question 13

What is a pyramidal peak?

Answer 13

when three or four corries are formed back to back

Question 14

What is an erratic?

Answer 14

large boulder moved by glacier and deposited in a different environment

Question 15

What is a drumlin?

Answer 15

elongated hill formed by streamlined formation of glacial ice sheets across rock debris
-aligned with the flow of ice

Question 16

What is a morraine?

Answer 16

3 types of morraine
terminal moraine: at the front of glacier debris
lateral morraine: debris at the side of glacier
medial morraine: debris at the middle of the glacier

Question 17

What is a glacial trough?

Answer 17

v shaped valley which is carved into a u shaped valley due to abrasion from glacier

Question 18

What are truncated spurs?

Answer 18

interlocking spurs are cut through by the glacier, cutting of the end of them

Question 19

What are hanging valleys?

Answer 19

smaller valleys made by the erosion from tributary glaciers

Question 20

What are ribbon lakes?

Answer 20

long narrow lakes, caused by severe erosion from glacial troughs
can be 10s metres deep

Question 21

Example of upland area in UK affected by glacial landscapes?

Answer 21

Langdale is U shaped valley, with large lateral moraines running up the sides.

Question 22

Give an overview of economic activities in glaciated upland areas.

Answer 22

Lake district:

tourism: tourists come to see beautiful landscape - many sports activities sailing, hiking, walking
farming: fell areas used for common grazing - ideal for sheep farming
forestry: often covered in coniferous areas - perfect for logging
quarrying: valuable sources of rocks and minerals - easy access

Question 23

What are conflicts between different land uses?

Answer 23

forestry: provides employment in rural areas - however logging destroys habitats and biodiversity

quarrying: brings sandstone, granite and slate and creates jobs - however brings noise and dust and
machinery, tourist sites may be badly affected

tourism: major source of employment and income - eg Cairngorms National Park provides skiing and snowboarding - however some people believe this mountain should be reserved for wildlife

Question 24

What is the attraction for tourists in the Lake District?

Answer 24

beautiful scenery, activities such as hiking, walking, sailing

Question 25

What are the impacts of tourism in the Lake District, and how are they being managed?

Answer 25

social: traffic - improve local transport options, walking and biking routes
environmental: footpath erosion - Fix the Fells project to provide stronger paths
economic: negative impacts from tourism can damage the economy of these areas massively, as they are reliant on tourism income