Landscapes of the UK

Question 1

What are the types of rock

Answer 1

Igneous - magma that has cooled on the surface (extrusive) when a volcano erupts or below the ground. They are tough, resistant and form uplands, e.g. granite, basalt
Sedimentary - rocks formed from the accumulation and compaction of sediment, usually in the ocean. They are resistant to erosion, chalk and limestone are resistant and form uplands, whereas weaker clays and sands formed lowlands
Metamorphic - existing rocks that have changed due to extreme heat or pressure. Very tough, resistant and form uplands, e.g. slate, gneiss

Question 2

What is the difference between uplands and lowlands

Answer 2

Uplands:
Sparsely populated -harsh climate and steep relief
Human activity is limited - extensive sheep rearing and forestry
Reservoirs - supplies water and provided HEP
Wind farms - exploits strong winds

Lowlands:
Densely populated - moderately and gentler relief
Commercial farming - dominates the countryside
Most of the landscape is urbanised or criss-crossed - transport and service infrastructure

Question 3

What is weathering and the types of it

Answer 3

Weathering - the breakdown of material in situ

Chemical - the decomposition of rocks involving a chemical change
Mechanical - the disintegration or break up of rocks without any chemical change
Biological - result from the action of living organisms

Question 4

What is mass movement and the types of it

Answer 4

Mass movement - movement of surface material caused by gravity

Sliding - rock or loose material sliding downhill along a slip plane
Slumping - the collapse of weak rock

Question 5

What is erosion and the types of it

Answer 5

Erosion - the wearing away of material by a moving force

Abrasion (corrasion) - fragments of rock are hurled and gouge the rock
Hydraulic action - strong waves crash into cliff faces. Trapped air is blasted into rocks to make them break
Attrition - rocks and boulders crash into each other and become smaller and rounder
Solution (corrosion) - chemical action where acids in the sea dissolve the rock

Question 6

What is transportation and the types of it

Answer 6

Transportation - the movement of eroded sediment from one place to the other

Traction - large particles rolling on the sea bed
Saltation - bouncing or hopping motion by pebbles to heavy to be suspended
Suspension - particles suspended within the water
Solution - chemicals dissolved in water

Question 7

What are the river landforms

Answer 7

V-shaped valley - a steep sided narrow river valley that takes the form of a V-shape in its cross profile
Waterfall - steep fall of river water where its course crosses between different rock types
Gorge - narrow valley caused by a retreating waterfall
Meander - a bend in the river
Ox-bow lake - a horseshoe-shaped lake that forms when the meander is separated from the main river
Floodplain - the flat area of land either side of a river
Levee - raised banks on a floodplain/river

Question 8

What are the landforms and characteristics of the upper course

Answer 8

Landforms:
V-shaped valley and interlocking spurs
Small tributaries
Waterfalls
Steep sided valleys

Characteristics:
Near the source of the river
Steeper gradient
Slow flowing
Narrow and shallow
Large angular sediment
Overall load is low
Clear water

Question 9

What are the landforms and characteristics of the middle course

Answer 9

Landforms:
Meanders
Floodplain

Characteristics:
Less steep
Increasing velocity
Wider and deeper
Rounder rocks as well as angular rocks
Load increase
Less clean water

Question 10

What are the landforms and characteristics of the lower course

Answer 10

Landforms:
Levees
Floodplains
Deltas/estuaries at the mouth

Characteristics:
Almost flat land
Very fast flowing
Wide and deep channel
Small suspended sediment
Load is high

Question 11

How is soil created and where are the most productive

Answer 11

By the weathering of rocks

East Anglia Fens

Question 12

What are the coastal landforms caused by erosion (exclude headland and bays)

Answer 12

Wave-cut platform - a flat area along the base of a cliff produced by the retreat of a cliff
Cave - a natural underground chamber
Arch - an arch shaped structure formed as a result of natural process
Stack - a section of headland that has been separated from the mainland
Stump - result from the collapse of a stack

Question 13

What is the difference between a headland and bay

Answer 13

Headland - an area of land that extends out into the sea, usually higher than the surrounding land
Lowland - an area of the coast where the land curves inwards

Question 14

What are the coastal landforms caused by deposition

Answer 14

Spit - a ridge most commonly formed by longshore drift operating along a stretch of coastline
Beach - made of sand or pebbles (shingle) extending from the low water line to the upper limit of storm waves

Question 15

What are the types of beaches

Answer 15

Sandy beach - commonly found in sheltered bays, associated with relatively low-energy constructive waves. Flat and extensive beaches are often backed by sand dunes
Pebble beach - commonly associated with high-energy coastlines where destructive waves remove finer sand, leaving behind coarser pebbles. Beaches tend to be steep and narrow with distinctive high tide berms

Question 16

Case study : River Wye

What are some facts about it

Answer 16

210 km in length
5th longest river in the UK
Flows roughly south-eastwards to join the River Severn at Chepstow

Question 17

Case study : River Wye

What are the geomorphic process that take place

Answer 17

Process of river erosion, transportation and deposition are active along the course of the River Wye producing a range of river landforms, such as a V-shaped valley, meanders, floodplains, and levees
Weathering and mass movement are active, particularly in the river’s upper course in the Plynlimon Hills. Compared with river processes, weathering and mass movement are more localised and take place at a smaller scale

Question 18

Case study : River Wye

What is the geology

Answer 18

For the upper course, it flows through impermeable shales
Many tributaries join the river
High rates of flow occurring after rainfall events enable the river to carry out significant erosion forming V-shaped valleys, waterfalls and rapids
Erosion creates V-shaped valleys
Alternating bands of hard and soft rocks create currents - popular for canoeists (near Rhayader)
To the south of Hereford, weak mudstone and sandstone have been eroded by meanders
In the south, between Goodrich and Chepstow, the river cuts through tough limestone to form a gorge (Wye valley)

Question 19

Case study : River Wye

What is the climate

Answer 19

Annual average rainfall of 725mm at the River Wye basin
Annual average rainfall exceeding 2500mm in the Plynlimon Hills
Winter temperatures can be low

Question 20

Case study : River Wye

What are the river landforms

Answer 20

V-shaped valleys - found in the upper course of the River Wye and alongside its tributaries in the Plynlimon Hills
Waterfalls - e.g. formed on some of the River Wye’s tributaries; the stretch of river near Rhayader is known for its spectacular series of rapids
The Wye Valley, a steep-sided river gorge, extends between Goodrich and Chepstow
Sweeping meanders have formed on the flat lowland plains to the south of Hereford
Levees and floodplains - formed by extensive alluvium deposition are found in the middle and lower courses of the river

Question 21

Case study : River Wye

What are the impacts of human activity

Answer 21

Over 200000 people live on the Wye and Usk
Most of the valley is used for farming, particularly the lower and middle courses
Popular with tourists who enjoy the attractive landscape, wildlife and opportunities for adventure tourism such as kayaking, canoeing and climbing

Question 22

Case study : River Wye

What are the impacts of human management

Answer 22

Flooding is a serious issue so there are some steps that have been placed:
Storage lakes (such as Letton Lake) have been constructed above above the town to store surplus water
Parts of the floodplain above the town are deliberately allowed to flood, relieving the pressure downstream
In Hereford itself, flood walls have been constructed to protect some 200 properties in the Belmont area at a cost of over £5 million

Question 23

Case study : River Wye

How has human and river management affected geomorphic processes

Answer 23

Tree planting in the rivers upper course stabilises the slopes which reduces mass movement. This reduces the amount of sediment in the river which can increase the risk of flooding
Fewer flooding events means that there’s not enough sediment to construct floodplains. Due to this, artificial levees will be constructed
River banks along the course of the river have been stabilised by planting vegetation, improving access for anglers and walkers. Planting trees reduces the height of floods by 20%

Question 24

What are examples of hard engineering

Answer 24

Sea walls - redirects energy back into the water instead of the shore
Groynes (wood/concrete) - reduce LSD and trap sediment
Rip rap (rock armour) - dissipates energy from the waves
Gabions - absorbs the energy of the waves
Wooden revetments - absorb and dissipate energy from the waves
Offshore reef - reduces the energy of the waves

Question 25

What are examples of soft engineering

Answer 25

Artificial beach - protects buildings on the beach from incoming waves
Plastic drainage pipe - drains the water on cliffs to reduce the weight
Planting vegetation - stabilises the sand
Cliff regrading - makes the slopes less steep so that less rocks will slump

Question 26

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

What are the geomorphic processes

Answer 26

LSD
Mechanical weathering and mass movement are active on the cliffs in the east of the region
Coastal erosion is active in the east
Coastal deposition is dominating in the west

Question 27

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

How are geomorphic processes affected by geology

Answer 27

Underlain by chalk, which is exposed at the bases of cliffs at Overstrand
Cromer Ridge - a glacial deposition that marks the furthest extent of the ice advance
Sands and gravels - deposited by glacial meltwater streams that are found along the coast
Till - forms thick deposits along the coast

Question 28

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

How are geomorphic processes affected by climate

Answer 28

During the last glacial period, ice advanced over the area depositing huge thicknesses of sediment
With the present climate, till dries out and cracks which makes it more vulnerable to geomorphic processes

Question 29

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

What are the coastal landforms

Answer 29

Coastal erosion
Coastal deposition
Erosion
Deposition on the north coast
LSD transports sediment from east to west forming a spit (Blakeney Point)

Question 30

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

What are the impacts of human activity

Answer 30

There are many villages and small towns on the coast
Much of the area is popular with tourists who visit the coastline to see the beautiful landscapes, taking boat trips and hiking or cycling
The coastal habitats (such as salt marshes) are particularly popular with tourists

Question 31

Case study : North Norfolk Coast

What are the impacts of human management

Answer 31

Holkham Estate - the land owner planted pine trees to stabilise the sand dunes. Constructed a boardwalk to allow visitors to access the dunes without damaging the vegetation and disturbing the wildlife
Wells-next-the-Sea - groynes were constructed to protect the beach huts; gabions have been used to protect the National Coastwatch Institution lookout station
Several hard engineering measures have been adopted in Cromer, Sheringham and Overstrand to protect the coastline