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Geography > Paper 2: The UK's Physical Landscape > Flashcards

Paper 2: The UK's Physical Landscape Flashcards

(44 cards)

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1
Q

How are igneous rocks formed?

A

When magma exits and cools above (or very near) the Earth’s surface

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2
Q

What are some characteristics of igneous rocks?

A

Contains mineral crystals, resistant

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3
Q

What are some examples of igneous rocks?

A

Granite, basalt

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4
Q

What are some characteristics of basalt?

A

Almost black, heavy, very resistant

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5
Q

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

A

Sediment becoming compacted and cemented

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6
Q

What are some characteristics of sedimentary rocks?

A

Contains fossils, the younger they are the less resistant and porous they will be

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7
Q

What are some examples of sedimentary rocks?

A

Chalk, carboniferous limestone, clay, sandstone, millstone grit

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8
Q

What are some characteristics of sandstone?

A

Slightly porous, those less than 100 million years old are weak, those more than 300 million years old are resistant

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9
Q

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

A

When rocks are subjected to high heat and pressure

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10
Q

What are some characteristics of metamorphic rocks?

A

Very resistant

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11
Q

What are some examples of metamorphic rocks?

A

Slate, schist, marble

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12
Q

What are some characteristics of marble?

A

Very resistant

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13
Q

What are the 3 processes of which the UK’s landscape has been created?

A

Sedimentation (geology), tectonic processes, glaciation

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14
Q

What is strata?

A

A layer or series of layers of rock in the ground

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15
Q

How has sedimentation influenced the UK’s landscape?

A

Coral reefs in the UK led to the formation of carboniferous limestone and other sedimentary rocks, creating layers of strata

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16
Q

How has glaciation influenced the UK’s landscape?

A

Glaciers formed U-shaped valleys by eroding away the land

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17
Q

How have tectonic processes influenced the UK’s landscape?

A

Tectonic processes cause changes in the landscape such as jagged cliffs as it dislodges land

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18
Q

What is the Tees-Exe line?

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A

An imaginary line that can be drawn on a map of the UK which roughly divides it into upland areas in the north and the west and the lowland areas in the south and the east.

19
Q

What are some of the characteristics of the uplands in the UK?

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A

To the north and the west of the Tees-Exe line, e.g. granite and basalt, most of the rocks are older, the most resistant igneous and metamorphic rocks are found here

20
Q

What are some of the characteristics of the lowlands in the UK?

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A

To the south and the east of the Tees-Exe line, e.g. sandstone, clay, chalk, younger, weaker sedimentary rocks which erode easily and can be lifted and folded by tectonic processes

21
Q

What is topography?

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A

The shape of the land

22
Q

What is altitude?

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A

The height above sea level

23
Q

What is the relationship between topography and temperature and why?

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A

The higher the altitude, the colder the temperature. This is because temperature drops by about 6 degrees celsius for every 1000 metre increase in height.

24
Q

What is the relationship between topography and rainfall?

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A

The higher the altitude, the higher the rainfall. This is because of relief rainfall.

25
What is relief rainfall?
Relief rainfall is when warm air is forced to rise over high areas of land. It then cools, condenses, forms clouds and then it rains. The prevailing winds of the UK come from the south west, meaning that it travels over the ocean, picking up moisture.
26
What is weathering?
What is weathering?
27
What is erosion?
The wearing away of material by force (usually rivers, waves or ice)
28
What is freeze-thaw weathering?
Water seeps into cracks and fractures in the rock. When the water freezes, it expands about 9% in volume, which wedges apart the rock. With repeated freeze/thaw cycles, rock breaks into pieces.
29
What is a glacier?
A large mass of ice, often shaped like a river, that flows very slowly under the force of gravity
30
What is glacial abrasion?
Loose rocks transported by the glacier scrape along the ground like sandpaper, wearing it away
31
What is plucking?
A glacial erosion process (wearing away and removal of rocks) where rocks are pulled from the back wall as water freezes to them
32
What are glacial troughs?
U-shaped valleys
33
What is scree?
A collection of loose pieces of rock found on the side of hills and mountains
34
How are U-shaped valleys formed?
In upland environments, glaciers form from compacted snow in V-shaped valleys. The glacier moves due to gravity and the pressure causing the bottom of the glacier to melt. Glaciers erode the valley due to plucking which leads to abrasion. We then end up with a U-shaped valley which is flat bottomed and steep sided.
35
What's the difference between upland and lowland areas in the UK?
Upland areas have an average of 3500 mm rainfall compared to lowland areas which have an average of 600 mm. Upland areas are colder with a mean temperature of 8 degrees celsius compared to lowland areas which have a mean of 15 degrees celsius.
36
Why is biological weathering common in lowland areas?
The warmer conditions and more fertile soils mean that there is more vegetation so biological weathering is common
37
The warmer conditions and more fertile soils mean that there is more vegetation so biological weathering is common
Rocks like limestone and chalk are made of calcium carbonate so react with slightly acidic rainwater (leading to chemical weathering)
38
What are slopes like in upland areas of the UK?
Slopes processes tend to be fast: Scree is heavy and slopes are steep
39
What are slopes like in lowland areas of the UK?
Slopes are gentler and there is more soil. The soil 'creeps' slowly downhill under the influence of gravity.
40
What is a scarp and vale?
A landscape that consists of a roughly parallel sequence of cuestas (scarps and dip slopes) and intervening valleys (vales). They dominate most of the lowland areas of the UK.
41
What are the 3 human activities that impact the landscape?
Agriculture, forestry, settlement
42
How has agriculture impacted the landscape?
Clearing land of forest for farming, adding field boundaries (fences, hedgerows)
43
How has forestry impacted the landscape?
Coniferous woodlands planted for timber, trees planted in straight lines (unnatural), when trees are felled landscape becomes bare
44
How have settlements impacted the landscape?
Land was concreted over for roads and buildings (increased surface runoff), some rivers have been diverted to prevent flooding

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