glaciation

Question 1

Describe what a glacier is and how they form

Answer 1

A glacier is a large river of ice and are formed in high land when the climate is cooler and where most of the precipitation falls as snow. The snow is the compressed to form ice

Question 2

What is an ice sheet

Answer 2

Glacier merge together to form ice sheets

Question 3

What was the Pleistocene

Answer 3

It was a period when the glaciers sculpted many areas of Europe as they travelled downhill

Question 4

When did the Pleistocene occur

Answer 4

Between 11,800 and 2.58 million years ago

Question 5

Name one place affected by the Pleistocene

Answer 5

UK France Sweden

Question 6

Explain Freeze-thaw

Answer 6

The water seeps into cracks and fissures in the rocks. Temperature drops and water freezes. The frozen water expands putting pressure on the rocks. The process occurs over and over again. The regular expansion and then the contraction weakens the rock and breaks up. The loose rock that breaks up is called scree.

Question 7

Explain Plucking

Answer 7

Plucking occurs along the base and sides of the glacier. The base of the glacier melts because of friction and pressure. The water then refreezes into the cracks of the rock. When the glacier begins to move downhill under its own weight and the force of gravity, they tear pieces of rock away with them

Question 8

Explain Abrasion

Answer 8

Abrasion occurs when rocks and stones become embedded in the base and sides of the glacier. These are then rubbed against the bottom and side of the glacier. As the glacier moves.This causes the wearing away of the landscape as the glacier behaves like sandpaper. It leaves behind smooth polished surfaces which may have scratches in them..

Question 9

Describe the process of the formation of a corrie.

Answer 9

Corries- at the beginning of the ice age precipitation fell as snow and is collected in north- facing hollows on the mountainside, where conditions are cooler. The water seeps into the gaps and the water freezes. The frozen water expands, putting pressure on the rocks. As this process happens over and over again the rock breaks up. This process is called freeze- thaw. The base of the glacier melts because of pressure and friction. This allows water to freeze into cracks in the rocks and when the glacier moves it pulls out chunks to leave a jagged surface, this process is called plucking. Abrasion occurs when rocks and stones become embedded in the base and sides of the glacier. These are then rubbed against the bottom and side of the glacier. As the glacier moves.This causes the wearing away of the landscape as the glacier behaves like sandpaper. It leaves behind smooth polished surfaces which may have scratches in them. Freeze- thaw weakens the land and sharpens the mountain peak, plucking steepens the back wall/. and abrasion deepens the hollow/.. Due to decreasing erosion as the glacier moves uphill, out of the corrie a rock lip is formed

Question 10

Arete

Answer 10

When 2 corries form adjacent to each other/. the area of land between them is narrowed creating a knife shaped ridge this is called an Arete

Question 11

pyramidal peak

Answer 11

Pyramidal Peaks form where three or more corries form. They erode back into the mountain peak, creating aretes as they do this. This narrows and sharpens the peak into a pyramidal peak. Freeze-thaw weathering sharpens the peak, enhancing the pyramidal shape.

Question 12

U-Shaped Valley

Answer 12

At the beginning of the ice-age precipitation fell as snow. This collected and was compressed together to form ice. Under its own weight and the force of gravity the glacier began to make its way downhill through a pre-existing V-shaped valley. The glacier uses the process of plucking to steepen the sides of the valley and uses the process of abrasion to widen the valley creating a flat valley floor. At certain point the glacier will freeze onto the underlying rock, as it starts to move again, it will tear the rock away with it, this process is called plucking. The rocks plucked away by the glacier and those loosened by freeze-thaw weathering scrape at the land in a sandpapering motion. This process is called abrasion.

Question 13

truncated spurs

Answer 13

Truncated spurs are the flat, steep valley sides of a u-shaped valley. Before the ice-age valleys were narrow river v-shaped valleys with rounded, gently sloping hills. The foot of the hills formed interlocking spurs. Interlocking spurs are areas of land that jut towards each other. The river wound round them because it didn’t have enough erosive power to remove them. Glaciers were much bigger and therefore had much more erosive power to remove them. glaciers were bigger and therefore had much more powerful than rivers. During the ice-age glaciers eroded thoses interlocking spurs making them much steeper. Abrasion occured where rocks frozen to the base and sides of the glacier scraped away at the interlocking spurs in a sandpapering motion. At times the glacier would freeze onto the spurs and then as it started moving downhill would pluck pieces of rock away. As a result of this the ends were removed from the interlocking spurs truncating them.

Question 14

Water supply and renewable energy

Answer 14

• Upland glaciated areas often have relief rainfall that provide plenty of surface drainage (rivers, streams and lakes)
• The ribbon lakes that form U-shaped valleys are natural reservoirs that store vast quantities of water
• Rivers and Lakes can be dammed. This allows water to be collected behind the dam, creating artificial lakes
• High steep land allows water to flow down quickly to create hydroelectric power
• High exposed areas get plenty of strong wind. This makes them an ideal site for wind farms

Question 15

Impacts of water supply and renewable energy

Answer 15

• Dams are unsightly. Many people including conservationists may argue that they spoil the appearance of the natural landscape.
• Dams reduce the flow of water downstream and this can affect insect species that lay their eggs in water. This can in turn affect fish and other animals that feed on the insect eggs and larvae

Question 16

Wind Farms Advantages

Answer 16

Because of climate change more droughts occurred and reservoirs provide water. They allow the development of industries as they provide a reliable water supply. The industry provides jobs and income in that area. Hill sheep farmers who are struggling to make a profit may be happy with the additional income they receive for selling their land or renting it out to energy companies for wind farms.

Question 17

Wind farms disadvantages

Answer 17

• Wind farms have been known to kill birds. many endangered raptors such as red kites and eagles live in those upland areas.
• The noise and flickering effect give off by the wind turbines has been proven o affect peoples’ health.

Question 18

Why are glaciated uplands suitable for forestry

Answer 18

Glaciated uplands are ideal places for forestry plantation because only a few things can grow there. The conifer trees are adapted to the acidic soils and cold conditions in upland glaciated areas. They can prevent landslides on steep slopes. Normally trees absorb water through the roots but because the trees are so tall the trees capture water on their leaves. This reduces precipitation flowing over the land and can prevent mudflows and landslides

Question 19

Forestry Advantages

Answer 19

• The forestry can stabilise slopes preventing landslides.
• Forestry provides struggling hill-sheep farmers with additional income. Due to a fall in demand for lamb and wool, many hill-sheep farmers are struggling to make ends meet. Coniferous forestry provides additional income as the trees can be felled sold and replanted this provides farmers with more profit

Question 20

Forestry Disadvantages

Answer 20

• It can look unnatural, planting forestry can affect natural habitats in an area leading to a loss of native species

Question 21

why would glaciated uplands be an ideal place for tourism

Answer 21

They are very scenic areas with their lakes and mountains. The scenery provides opportunities for photographs. The varied height and shape of the land provides gentle walking on the flat u-shaped valley floor, steeper slopes also provide a challenge. Ribbon lakes can provide water sports activities.

Question 22

Impacts of tourists

Answer 22

• Tourists drop litter. Livestock can eat this and become ill, which can lead to costly vet bills for farmers
• Tourists can leave their dogs of lead which could worry the pregnant ewes, causing them to miscarry. They can also kill sheep and lambs. This can affect the farmer’s income.
  They can trample over farmland when trying to access areas like hills. This can erode the grazing land and crops.
• Tourists often buy second homes in the lake district. this reduces the amount of housing for young local people who are ready to move out of the family home. In some areas the large amount of second homes leads to the closure of local shops and services as there are a few local people left to keep those shops and services in business.
• Tourists bring employment and income into an upland glaciated area which have suffered from rural depopulation due to lack of job opportunities.