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Geography WJEC > Landform process and change > Flashcards

Landform process and change Flashcards

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1
Q

Define fluvial

A

Referring to a river and it’s landforms

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2
Q

Define erosion

A

Wearing away of the land

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3
Q

Define transportation

A

Movement of material by the flow of water

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4
Q

Define deposition

A

Dropping of the material carried by the river

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5
Q

Define bed load

A

Material carried by the river being bounced or rolled along it’s bed

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6
Q

Define meander

A

Bend in the river formed by lateral (sideways) erosion

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7
Q

Define abrasion

A

stones and material carried by the river hitting the river bed and banks wearing them away

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8
Q

Define hydraulic action

A

Sheer force of water hitting the river bed and banks, compressing air in gaps in the soil and rock which causes material to be washed away

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9
Q

Define solution

A

Slightly acidic river water dissolves chalk and limestone rocks which are made from calcium carbonate

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10
Q

Name 3 erosional processes of the river channel

A
  1. Abrasion
  2. Hydraulic Action
  3. Solution
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11
Q

Name 2 erosional processes of the bed load

A
  1. Attrition

2. Abrasion

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12
Q

Define attrition

A

Stones carried by the river collide together and are broken down becoming rounder and smaller

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13
Q

Name 4 ways of transportation

A
  1. Solution
  2. Suspension
  3. Saltation
  4. Traction
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14
Q

Define suspension

A

Light material is held up and carried within the river’s flow - suspended load

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15
Q

Define saltation

A

Small pebbles and stones are bounced along the river bed. Load is alternately lifted then dropped in line with a local rise and fall in the velocity of the water

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16
Q

Define traction

A

Large boulders and rocks are rolled along the river bed. Load carried in this way is called bed load

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17
Q

When does a river deposit it’s material?

A

When the speed of flow is too slow for it to carry the load

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18
Q

Name 3 reasons why deposition may occur

A
  1. Lack of rainfall so less water moving in river channel
  2. Inside of a meander because majority of water is on the outside of bend meaning water on inside is moving slower and cannot transport it’s load
  3. Mouth of river where water flows against direction of the sea
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19
Q

Name 5 landforms shaped by fluvial processes

A
  1. V-shaped valleys
  2. Waterfalls
  3. Gorges
  4. Floodplains
  5. Meanders
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20
Q

Define V-Shaped valley

A

Narrow valley with steep sloping sides found in the river’s upper course

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21
Q

Define Waterfall

A

Water falling from a higher level to a lower level due to a change in rock structure or as a result of glacial erosion

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22
Q

Define gorge

A

Steep-sided narrow valley formed by a retreating waterfall

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23
Q

Define floodplain

A

Flat piece of land on either side of a river forming the valley floor

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24
Q

Define vertical erosion

A

Erosion of river channel that results in it’s deepening rather than widening

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25
Q

Define interlocking spurs

A

Hard, resistant rocks that a river cannot easily erode and therefore the river goes around them

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26
Q

Define plunge pool

A

A deepened part of the river bed at the base of the waterfall caused by the impact of the falling water

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27
Q

Name an example of a v-shaped valley

A

Brecon Beacons

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28
Q

Describe the v-shaped valley at Brecon Beacons (5)

A
  1. Vertical erosion and weathering create a V-shape in the supper course
  2. Weathering process such as freeze-thaw and biological weathering break down soil and rock on the valley sides
  3. Vertical erosion makes channel cut deeper into landscape leaved steep valley sides
  4. Weathered material is carried into river by gravity and washed away
  5. Stream has to go around interlocking spurs
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29
Q

Name 2 ways waterfalls can be formed

A
  1. Glacial erosion

2. Differential erosion

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30
Q

Describe how glacial erosion forms a waterfall (2)

A
  1. Glaciers carved deep valleys into landscape often hanging above one another
  2. Once glacier has melted, water drains from smaller valleys and falls into the larger ones
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31
Q

Describe how differential erosion causes a waterfall

A
  1. As river bed crosses onto soft rock from hard rock it is eroded (hydraulic action and abrasion) at a faster rate and a step is created
  2. As water falls, hydraulic action continues to erode the rock underneath the hard rock as it splashes against it
  3. Soft rock further eroded, overhang becomes too heavy and rock collapses, causing position of waterfall to retreat upstream
  4. Plunge pool created underneath waterfall due to force of the water hitting the river bed and abrasion caused by rocks from overhang being moved by the water
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32
Q

Define slip off slope

A

Bank of gently sloping deposited material found on the inside of the bend of a meander

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33
Q

Where are meanders usually formed?

A

Middle and lower course of a river

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34
Q

Define slope processes

A

Processes involved in moving material from the cliffs on to the beach

35
Q

Define weathering

A

Breakdown of rocks in place by elements of the weather

36
Q

Define freeze-thaw action

A

Breakdown of rocks due to water entering cracks and repeatedly freezing and thawing

37
Q

Define carbonation

A

Where chemicals in rainwater such as carbonic acid react with chemicals in rocks such as limestone

38
Q

Define mass movement

A

When soil, rocks or stones move down a slope

39
Q

Describe evidence of erosion at Glamorgan Heritage Coast (3)

A
  1. Cliff parts loosened by weathering process
  2. Evidence of rockfall at the base of the cliff - angular rocks
  3. Waves hit base of cliff can cause a rockfall
40
Q

Describe evidence of landslides at cliffs on Isle of Wight (2)

A
  1. Concave scar left on upper cliff with fan-shaped pile of debris at the base of the cliff
  2. As waves erode base of cliff, large section collapses
41
Q

Name 3 processes that erode a cliff

A
  1. Hydraulic Action
  2. Abrasion
  3. Solution
42
Q

Name 2 processes that erode beach material

A
  1. Abrasion

2. Attrition

43
Q

Define sediment

A

Material carried by the sea

44
Q

Define longshore drift

A

Process by which sediment is moved along the coastline

45
Q

Name an example of sand dunes created by longshore drift

A

Ynyslas

46
Q

Describe the general formation of a waterfall (6)

A
  1. A cap rock of sandstone is resistant - erodes relatively slowly
  2. Overhang susceptible to collapse and retreat
  3. Abrasion deepens the plunge pool
  4. Attrition breaks down the eroded rock fragments as they are transported downstream
  5. Pebbles swirl around in hollows to create potholes by abrasion
  6. Beds of resistant rock create an irregular river bed of rapids and smaller waterfalls below the waterfall
47
Q

Describe the process of longshore drift (5)

A
  1. Waves approach at an angle
  2. Material is carried up a beach at an angle
  3. Material is picked up again and moves along
  4. Material carried straight down the beach as the water retreats
  5. A wood or concrete groyne built to stop material moving further along the beach
48
Q

Describe the transport of sediment at Borth and Yyslas (2)

A
  1. Sediment swept on to the beach in the swash

2. Sand blown onshore and is deposited on the leeward side of the dunes

49
Q

Define headland

A

Area of land that juts into the sea

50
Q

Define Bay

A

Recessed area of coastline often found between two headlands

51
Q

Define Wave-cut platform

A

Coastal landform made of a rocky shelf in front of a cliff

52
Q

Define wave-cut notch

A

Slot with overhanging rocks that has been cut into the bottom of a cliff by wave action

53
Q

Define bedding plane

A

Clearly seen layers of rock in a cliff face

54
Q

Define arch

A

A natural opening in a cliff where the sea is able to flow through

55
Q

Define stack

A

Vertical pillar of rock left behind after the collapse of an arch

56
Q

Describe the formation of a wave-cut platform (4)

A
  1. Hydraulic action and abrasion cut a wave cut notch due to pounding of the sea , in the base of the cliff making it vulnerable to collapse
  2. With continual erosion the rock will get weaker and eventually collapse
  3. Material moved by the sea and abrasion will smooth the service of the wave-cut platform left behind
  4. If cliff made from well-joint sedimentary rocks then the wave-cut notch will occur along the bedding planes as these are a weak point and will erode much more quickly
57
Q

Describe how an arch (and then stack) forms (5)

A
  1. When 2 caves are created either side of a headland
  2. Sea cuts through back wall overtime through abrasion and hydraulic action
  3. Once broken through and water can pass underneath the rock weathering will erode the roof of the arch so that it becomes higher and the roof thinner
  4. At the same time wave-cut notches form on base of arch to widen it meaning the arch roof becomes thinner
  5. Arch roof collapses and left with single pillar of rock called a stack
58
Q

Define swash

A

Movement of water up the beach as a wave breaks

59
Q

Define backswash

A

Flow of water back into the sea after a wave have broken on to the shore

60
Q

Define beach

A

Created by deposition and lies between the high water mark and the low water mark

61
Q

Define spit

A

A sand or shingle beach that is joined to the land but projects outwards into the sea in the direction of the prevailing wind

62
Q

Define offshore bar

A

Area of deposition that is slightly off the coastline in the estuary of a river

63
Q

Name an example of a spit

A

Spurn point on Holderness coastline at mouth of river Humber

64
Q

Describe the formation of an offshore bar

A

Fine silts and sands that are transported by river are deposited at river mouth forming an offshore bar

65
Q

Name an example of an offshore bar

A

Mouth of the Dyfi Estuary

66
Q

Describe the formation of a spit at Spurn Point, Holderness coastline (6)

A
  1. Spurn point is a narrow spit on the east coast of UK which has formed across part of the Humber Estuary
  2. The spit is 4.8km long and as narrow as 46m in places
  3. Sand and shingle moved along Holderness coastline by longshore drift to the mouth of the Humber river
  4. Deposition occurs in more sheltered water and a spit develops
  5. As more sand is deposited colonising plants such as marram grass begin to grow which stabilises the spt further
  6. Longshore drift continues along spit increasing it’s length
67
Q

Define rock pool

A

A pool of sea water between shoreline rocks

68
Q

why do rock pools develop?

A

At high tides the pools are covered by the sea and at low tide some sea water remains in the hollow creating a rock pool

69
Q

How are rock pools enlarged?

A

Process of abrasion at high tide as small rocks within the pool whirl around due to movement of waves and gradually increase the size of the hollow

70
Q

Describe an example of a rock type (Bishopston River, South Gower)

A
  1. Source is on milestone grit and crosses onto the carboniferous limestone near the village of Kittle
  2. Joints mean limestone being easily eroded by solution, large caverns and sink holes appear which enable river to run underground
  3. River channel on the surface is dry for the majority of the time and far less erosion occurs in the surface river channel as a result of the infrequent channel flow
71
Q

Name and describe an example of a concordant coastline

A
  1. North Coast of Llyn Peninsula
  2. Layers of different rock types run parallel to the coastline
  3. Metamorphic rock erodes at the same rate so coast has few headlands and bays
72
Q

Name and describe an example of a discordant coastline

A
  1. Coastline between Trwyn Llanbedrog headland and Aberscotch bay
  2. Headland consists of more resistant igneous rock (erodes slowly) and neighbouring Aberscotch bay of less resistant mudstone and shale (erodes faster)
  3. Different erosion rates results in the formation of headlands and bays
73
Q

Define cavern

A

Large underground cave which has been created due to enlargement of joints in carboniferous limestone

74
Q

Define sinkhole

A

Hole in the ground caused by a collapse of the surface layer, often found in carboniferous limestone areas where caverns are present

75
Q

Define concordant coastline

A

Rock are formed parallel to the sea so that erosion rates along the coastline are even

76
Q

Define discordant coastline

A

Rocks are formed at right angles to the sea and se erosion rates vary along the coastline depending on the rock type

77
Q

Define groynes

A

Low wall or barrier on a beach built at right angles to the sea to restrict longshore drift

78
Q

Describe how climate will affect the rate of change of the coast (3)

A
  1. Prevailing winds affects the angle at which the waves break onto the coastline and therefore the direction of erosion and transportation
  2. Waves break onto beach at this angle pushing material up and across the beach
  3. Wind direction determines where depositional features form
79
Q

Describe how climate will affect the rate of change of rivers (2)

A
  1. More water flowing in a river the higher the erosion rate will be
  2. Highest erosion rates in UK river found during winter months when there is more rainfall
80
Q

Describe how the climate will affect the rate of change of extreme weather events (4)

A
  1. Storm changes appearance of a coastline overnight
  2. The worse the storm the stronger the destructive waves
  3. It’s also due to wind speed and fetch
  4. Most powerful and destructive waves in UK come from the South West due to large distance of open water that the Atlantic ocean provides increasing fetch of the waves
81
Q

Describe an example if a winter storm causing coastal damage (West Wales and East Sussex Coastlines) (3)

A
  1. Spring 2014 storms caused severe erosion of south and west coastlines
  2. Aberdaron - 30cm land eroded from cliffs and at Birling gap 9msquared of cliff crumbled into the sea
  3. Stretch of coastline suffered 7 years worth of erosion in just 3 months due to numerous storms
82
Q

Describe impact of human activity on both river and coastal landscapes

A
  1. Management of meanders in a built up area gabions - cages filled with rocks, which absorb the power of water or reinforced concrete banks which resist the force of the water
  2. Management of beaches - coastline left exposed to erosion as longshore drift moves beach material along coastline
  3. Human settlements close to the coast are vulnerable due to cliff collapse or flooding
83
Q

Name and describe an example of intended human activity at the coast (St Bees Beach in Cumbria)

A
  1. South-westerly winds drive sediment in a north-easterly direction along north Cambrian coast leaving the village vulnerable
  2. Groynes were built to restrict the movement of sand and maintain the beach for important tourist trade and protect it from flooding and erosion
84
Q

Describe an example of impact of unintended human activity (Criccieth Coastline) (6)

A
  1. South coast of Gwynedd
  2. Cliffs composed of easily eroded material called glacial till
  3. Beach affected by longshore drift which moves glacial till from west to east along coastline
  4. Groynes keep material on the beach so it attracts visitors and income they bring
  5. Beach also protects coastline by absorbing wave energy
  6. To east of groynes there’s an area of cliff that is very prone to collapse likely due to lack of beach material protecting it due to groynes to the west

Geography WJEC (6 decks)

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