Lanscapes Flashcards
What is relief??
Relief is the physical features of a landscape. This includes the height above sea level, steepness of slopes and shapes of different landscape features.
What areas of the Uk are mainly uplands?
North and west
Made or igneous and metamorphic rock
E.g Dartmoor
What areas of the Uk are lowlands?
South east
Made from sedimentary rock
How are waves created?
Waves are created by wind blowing over the surfac of the sea. As the wind blows over the sea, friction created - producing a swell in the water. The size of the wave is determined by the strength (speed) of the wind, time over which it blows and distance (fetch) it blows over.
Constructive waves-
This wave has a swash that is stronger than the backwash. This therefore builds up the coast.
Destructive waves-
This wave has a backwash that is stronger than the swash. This therefore erodes the coast.
What is erosion?
Erosion is the break down and transport of rocks - smooth, round and sorted.
What are the four types of erosion?
ATTRITION - Rocks that bash together to become smaller and smoother.
SOLUTION - A chemical reaction that dissolves rocks.
ABRASION - Rocks hurled at the base of a cliff like a sandpapering action that cause it to become smoother.
HYDRAULIC ACTION - Water enters cracks in the cliff, or river bank, air compresses, causing the crack to expand.
What is weathering?
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks where they are (in situ).
What are the 3 types of weathering?
Biological- Breakdown of rock by plants and animals e.g. roots pushing rocks apart.
Physical / mechanical- Breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition e.g. freeze thaw
Chemical- Chemicals (acids) react with the rocks (limestone). e.g. as carbonation
What is freeze thaw weathering?
Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks are porous (contain holes) or permeable (allow water to pass through).
What is mass movement?
Mass movement is a large movement of soil and rock debris that moves down slopes in response to the pull of gravity in a vertical direction.
What are 4 examples of mass movement
Rockfall - fragments of rock beak away from the cliff face, often due to freeze-thaw weathering.
Landslide - blocks of rock slide downhill.
Mudflow - saturated soil and weak rock flows down a slope.
Rotational Slip/Slumping - slump of saturated soil and weak rock along a curved surface.
What is a headland?
A headland is a rocky coastal highpoint of land made of rock that is resistant to erosion.
What is a bay ?
A bay is an area of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded by the sea.
What is the formation of headlands and bays?
- Coastlines can be made of alternating bands of hard and soft rock.
- These rock types will erode at different rates.
- Headlands form where more resistant (hard) rock such as limestone or sandstone is eroded slowly.
- Bays form where weaker (soft) rock such as clay erode more easily through processes of hydraulic action and abrasion.
- Bays are sheltered areas and so deposition takes place to form beaches.
- Headlands are dominated by high energy on the land sticking out, so erosional landforms are found at headlands.