Glacial Landscapes - Paper 1

Question 1

What is abrasion?

Answer 1

Rocks carried by the river wear down the river bed and banks.

Question 2

What is an arete?

Answer 2

A sharp ridge between the backs of 2 corries.

Question 3

What 2 processes form an arete?

Answer 3

Erosion and freeze-thaw.

Question 4

What is bulldozing?

Answer 4

Ice pushes material of all shapes and sizes as it moves slowly forward.

Question 5

What is a corrie?

Answer 5

A bowl-shaped hollow in the mountainside formed.

Question 6

What 3 processes form a corrie?

Answer 6

Glacial erosion, rotational slip and freeze-thaw weathering.

Question 7

Where does the valley glacier begin?

Answer 7

In a corrie.

Question 8

What happens when the ice melts in a corrie?

Answer 8

It can leave a small circular lake called a tarn.

Question 9

What is a drumlin?

Answer 9

A hill made of glacial till deposited by a moving glacier, usually elongated or oval in shape, with the longer axis parallel to the former direction of ice.

Question 10

What are erratics?

Answer 10

Rocks that have been transported and deposited by a glacier some distance from their source region.

Question 11

What is freeze-thaw weathering?

Answer 11

It occurs in cold climates when temperatures are often around freezing point and where exposed rocks contain many cracks. Water enters the cracks during the warmer day and freezes during the colder night. As the water turns into ice it expands and exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, causing pieces to break off.

Question 12

What is a glacial trough?

Answer 12

A river valley widened and deepened by the erosive actions of glaciers; it becomes ‘U’ shaped instead of the normal ‘V’ shape of a river valley.

Question 13

What is a hanging valley?

Answer 13

A tributary valley to the main glacier, too cold and high up for the ice to be able to move easily. It therefore was not eroded as much as the lower main valley, and today is often the site for a waterfall crashing several hundred metres to the main valley floor.

Question 14

What is moraine?

Answer 14

Frost-shattered rock debris and material eroded from the valley floor and sides, transported and deposited by glaciers.

Question 15

What is outwash?

Answer 15

Material, chiefly sand or gravel, deposited by meltwater streams in front of, and underneath, a glacier. The material is sorted and rounded by water action.

Question 16

What is plucking?

Answer 16

A type of erosion where meltwater in the glacier freezes onto rocks, and as the ice moves forwards it plucks or pulls out large pieces along the rock joints.

Question 17

What is a pyramidal peak?

Answer 17

Where several corries cut back to meet at a central point, the mountain takes the form of a steep pyramid.

Question 18

What is a ribbon lake?

Answer 18

A long, narrow lake found in glaciated valleys formed in locations where the glacier had more erosive power, eg in areas of softer rock, where the valley gradient temporarily steepened or a tributary glacier joined the main valley.

Question 19

What is rotational slip?

Answer 19

The occurs when the ice moves in circular motions. This process can help to erode hollows in the landscape, and deepen hollows into bowl shapes.

Question 20

What is till?

Answer 20

An unsorted mixture of sand, clay and boulders carried by a glacier and deposited as ground moraine over a large area.

Question 21

What is a truncated spur?

Answer 21

A former river valley spur that has been sliced of by a valley glacier, forming cliff-like edges.

Question 22

What is relief of the land?

Answer 22

The height of the land.

Question 23

What is the topography?

Answer 23

The shape of the land and its natural features (uneven, steep).

Question 24

what is the altitude?

Answer 24

The height above sea level.

Question 25

When was the last ice age?

Answer 25

Some 25,000 years ago.

Question 26

What are the 4 economic activities carried out in glaciated upland areas?

Answer 26

-Farming
-Forestry
-Quarrying
-Tourism

Question 27

Give 4 reasons why agriculture in upland glaciated areas is limited:

Answer 27

-Soils tend to be thin and infertile in the mountains
-Soils can be waterlogged in valley bottoms
-Slopes are steep and often covered by scree or bare rock outcrops
-The climate is harsh, with high rainfall, low temperatures and strong winds. Heavy snowfall can occur in the winter

Question 28

What does extensive farming in upland glaciated areas mostly involve?

Answer 28

Sheep grazing.

Question 29

What crops are primarily grown?

Answer 29

Grass for hay/silage (it can be used as animal feed in the winter if compacted and stored in airtight containers.

Question 30

What kind of specialist farming exists in some places?

Answer 30

Highland beef cattle and deer (for venison meat).

Question 31

What kind of tree plantations is mostly involved in commercial forestry?

Answer 31

Conifer plantations.

Question 32

Why are conifer plantations mostly used in forestry?

Answer 32

They are fast-growing trees well suited to the harsh climate, and can thrive on the thin, acidic soils.

Question 33

Give 3 uses of the wood from forestry in glaciated upland areas:

Answer 33

-Furniture
-Construction
-Some are chipped to use a biofuel

Question 34

What is quarrying like at the Lake District?

Answer 34

Its slate is used around the world as roofing and decorative material.

Question 35

How many active quarries does the Lake District have?

Answer 35

13

Question 36

What is quarrying like at the Pennines?

Answer 36

Its limestone is a widely used building material. Limestone fragments and gravel are a popular landscaping material for gardens.

Question 37

Give 6 land use conflicts in upland glaciated areas:

Answer 37

-Farming and tourism
-Quarrying and conservation
-Tourism and conservation
-Energy developments and conservation
-Reservoir construction and conservation
-Forestry and conservation

Question 38

How are there conflicts between farmers and tourists?

Answer 38

Tourists use footpaths that cross farmland, sometimes leaving access gates open through which farm animals can escape. Loose dogs can worry sheep. Some people leave litter which can be dangerous to animals.

Question 39

How are there conflicts between quarrying and conservation?

Answer 39

Quarrying can damage the natural environment, destroy habitats and make the landscape unattractive. Lorries on narrow roads can cause damage to verges and cause air pollution.

Question 40

How are there conflicts tourism and conservation?

Answer 40

Intensive tourism can lead to pollution (air pollution from vehicles, litter) and footpath erosion.

Question 41

What type of energy development do glaciated upland areas offer ideal locations for?

Answer 41

Wind farms.

Question 42

Give 3 reasons why glaciated upland areas are ideal for wind farms:

Answer 42

-Land prices are relatively low
-Population is sparse
-Exposed locations receive strong wind

Question 43

Why are wind farms a concern for some people?

Answer 43

Local people are concerned about their impact on the natural environment (visual pollution). Local businesses relying on tourism are worried about the negative impact on tourism as landscapes become scarred by clusters of wind turbines.

Question 44

What are the disadvantages of reservoir construction?

Answer 44

They can destroy habitats, impact river regimes and disrupt water flow.

Question 45

What are the advantages of reservoir construction?

Answer 45

They can bring economic benefits and create tourist amenities. They can also reduce flood risk.

Question 46

What are the disadvantages of forestry?

Answer 46

Few species of tree are planted, leading to a reduction in biodiversity. As they grow, they block out light, restricting the range of flowering plants on the forest floor. Plantations are often devoid of wildlife.

Question 47

How does a corrie form?

Answer 47

Snow collects in a sheltered hollow on the side of a mountain. The snow doesn’t melt in the summer as it is high up, sheltered and cold. Every winter, more snow collects in the hollow, this becomes compacted and the air is squeezed out, leaving ice. The back wall of the corrie gets steeper due to free-thaw weathering and plucking. The base gets deeper due to abrasion. As the glacier gets heavier it moves downhill. The glacier moves out of the hollow in a circular motion called rotational slip. Due to less erosion at the front of the glacier, a corrie lip is formed.