Paper 1 Section 1 Flashcards
Describe the distribution of UK’s upland and lowland areas
The Upland areas are located in the North West of the UK. particularly in Scotland and Wales.
The lowland areas are in the South East of the UK.
Which areas of the UK were glaciated during the last
ice age? (covered by ice)
The north west of the UK e.g. Snowdonia and Lake district
What is the climate like in the UK’s upland areas?
Relief rainfall = rain surplus
Higher altitude = colder weather
More mist cloud and snow
Windy - exposed
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering happens ‘in situ’ one place. Erosion happens as sediment is transported/ taken away e.g. moving river or waves
Name 3 different types of weathering.
Chemical, biological and mechanical.
How long ago did the last Ice –Age end in the UK?
Around 10,000 years ago
Name an example of an igneous rock.
Pumice or granite, basalt
Explain how chemical weathering can happen.
Some rocks altered by water. limestone. weakened by oxidation.
Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere makes the rain acidic. It can dissolve chalk and limestone
What is meant by “geomorphic processes?”
Earth changing/moving – weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition.
Name three human activities that take place in upland areas.
Forestry, reservoirs and dams, tourism: hiking, hill sheep farming
Why are upland areas suitable for building dams and reservoirs? (3 reasons)
Steep slopes, high rainfall, sparsely populated, natural deep valleys
Explain how freeze-thaw action works.
Water gets into the cracks, freezes, expands puts pressure on the rock. When temperatures rise it thaws and contracts. Repeated over time and the rock breaks down
Why does arable farming take place in lowland areas of the UK?
Large areas of flat land, these areas have deep nutrient rich soil which are ideal for farming crops.
What is mass movement? (Give two examples)
Large scale movement of material under the influence of gravity
Sliding top down and slumping from the bottom
Name the four processes of erosion. (HA, Ab, At, So)
.
Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, solution
What are the four processes of Transport? How does a river carry sediment along? (T, S, S, S)
Traction, saltation, suspension, solution.
A river, glacier or the sea “dumps” sediment. What is a better word than “dumps?”
Deposits (deposition)
Name four features or landforms that you would expect to see in an area that had been glaciated.
Erratic (large boulders), scree slope, corrie, u-shape valley. Tarn lake
Explain how a river can erode its bed and banks by hydraulic action
The power of the water weakens the rocks, creating cracks in the bank and bed. When water is forced into the cracks it expands, increasing pressure and rock breaks apart.
How can the type of rock affect the speed of erosion by the sea?
The softer the rock the quicker it is eroded for example clay erodes very quickly
Name a rock that can be eroded by solution
Limestone
Explain how a river creates a V shaped valley near the source.
In the upper course of the valley the river is eroding down wards (vertical erosion) this creates a steep sided river channel. Over many years these steep sides are weathered away (e.g. freeze/thaw action) and the sides fall into the river. This leaves a V shape
Explain how waterfalls are formed. (4 points)
Bands of hard rock over a band of soft rock (sandstone over mudstone)
Soft rock eroded more quickly creating a plunge pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Overtime due to abrasion and hydraulic action the plunge pool undercuts the hard rock and creates an overhang. The overhang eventually collapses as it is unsupported and the whole process repeats.
How are large boulders transported along a riverbed?
Traction
