Physical Landscapes in the UK Flashcards
weathering
breakdown of rocks
erosion
when rocks are broken down and carried away by something (seawater)
mechanical weathering
the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition
example of mechanical weathering
freeze-thaw weathering
explain how freeze-thaw weathering happens
- temperature alternates above and below 0°
- water enters rock’s cracks
- freezes and expands, pressure on rock
- thaws and contracts, release pressure
- repeated, widens cracks causes it to break
chemical weathering
breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition
example of chemical weathering
carbonation weathering
what is carbonation weathering
rainwater has carbon dioxide dissolved in it, makes it a weak carbonic acid which reacts with rock that contains calcium carbonate and then rock dissolves
mass movement
shifting of rocks and lose material down a slope (cliff)
how does mass movement occur
force of gravity acting on slip is greater than force supporting it
what does mass movement cause
coasts to retreat rapidly
mass movement is more likely to happen when…
the material is full of water, makes it heavier
scarp
steep ‘cut’ in the side of the slope
explain the process of mass movement
- martial shifts in a straight line along a slide plane
- material rotates alone a curved slip plane
- material breaks up often along bedding planes and falls down a slope
fetch
distance wind blows over the sea
the greater the fetch…
the more powerful the wave
storm surges
temporary sea level rises caused as strong winds push water onshore
properties of destructive waves
- high frequency, high and steep
- backwash more powerful then their awash, so material is removed
properties of constructive waves
- low frequency, low and long
- smash is more powerful than their backwash, so material is deposited
what are waves that deposit material called
constructive waves
what are waves that remove material called
destructive waves
what do destructive waves do
remove material
what do constructive waves do
deposit material
backwash
water moving down the beach
swash
water moving up the beach
hydraulic power
- waves crash against rock and compress the air in the cracks
- puts pressure on rock
repeated compression widens cracks and causes bits of rock to break off
abrasion
erodes particles in the water scrape and rub against rock, removing small pieces
attrition
erodes particles in the water collide, break into smaller pieces and become more rounded
suspension
smalls particles like slit and clay are carried along in the water
traction
large particles like boulders are pushed along the sea bed by the force of the water
saltation
pebble-sized particles are bounced along the sea bed by the force of the water
solution
soluble materials (limestone) dissolve in the water and are carried along
deposition
dropping of material
how does deposition occur
when water carrying sediment loses energy and slows down
amount of material that’s deposited on an area of coast is increased when:
- lots of erosion on coast
- lots of material transported into area
coasts built up when the amount of deposition is…
greater than the amount of erosion
waves follow the direction of… what?
prevailing wind
discordant coastlines are made up of…
alternating bands of hard and soft rock at right angles to the coast
concordant coastlines are made up of…
alternating bands of hard and soft rock that are parallel to the coast
what form when there are alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rock along a coast
headlands and bays
headlands and bays form where there are
alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rock along a coast
to form a bay with a gentle slope…
less resistant rock is eroded faster
to form a headland with steep sides…
because resistant rock erodes more slowly if juts out
the resistant rock that makes up headlands often has…
weaknesses like cracks
waves crash into headlands and…
enlarge the cracks
waves crash into headlands and enlarge the cracks mainly by…
hydraulic power and abrasion
what causes caves to form
repeated erosion and enlargement of cracks by abrasion and waves
repeated erosion and enlargement of cracks by abrasion and waves causes what?
caves to form
continued erosion on a rock does what to the cave?
deepens it’s until it breaks through the headland to form an arch
how does an arch form
continued erosion that depends cave until it breaks through headland
erosion continues to do what to the rock supporting the arch?
wear it away
erosion continued to wear away the rock supporting the arch until what happens?
it eventually collapses
after rock supporting arch is worn away and eventually collapses what is formed
stack
what is a stack
an isolated rock that separates from the hand land
example of a stack
Old Harry in Dorset
how is a stack formed
rock supporting arch is worn away and eventually collapses
waves erode foot of cliffs to form…
wave-cut notch
what is a wave-cut notch
erosion at the foot of a cliff
repeated erosion on wave-cut notch causes rock above to…
be unstable and eventually collapse
how does the rock above a wave-cut notch eventually collapse?
repeated erosion on wave-cut notch
what happens to collapsed rock material above wave-cut notch?
washed away
what happens after collapsed rock material above wave-cut notch is washed away?
new wave-cut notch starts to form
what happens to repeated erosion and collapsing on material of the cliff?
cliff retreats and leaves a wave-cut platform
how is a wave-cut platform formed?
repeated erosion on cliff which collapses material and cliff slowly retreats over time
beaches are found on coasts between the…
high and low water marks
how are beaches formed
by constructive waves depositing material
sand beaches are created by ___ _____ waves
low energy
shingle beaches are created by ____ _____ waves
high energy
sand beaches are…
flat and wide
shingle beaches are…
steep and narrow
how are sand beaches created?
sand particles are small so the weak backwash can move them down the beach, created a long, gentle slope
how are shingle beaches created?
- sand particles are washed away but larger shingle is left behind
- the shingle particles build up to create a steep slope
sand particles are small so the weak backwash can move them back down the beach creating a…
long, gentle slope
sand particles are washed away but larger single is left behind. The shingle particles build up to create a…
steep slope
deposited sediment forms:
- beaches
- spits
- bars
- sand dunes
where are spits formed
at sharp bends in the coastline
to form a spit longshore drift transports ____ and _______ past the bend and deposits it in the sea
sand and shingle
strong winds and waves can curve the end of…
the spit
the spit end can be curved by…
strong winds and waves
the area behind the spit is __________ from waves
sheltered
why is the area behind the spit sheltered from waves?
so material accumulates and plants are able to grow
over time the sheltered area behind the spit can become…
a mud flat or a salt marsh
when is a bar formed
when a spit joins two headlands together
when a spit joins two headlands together, what is formed?
a bar
when a bar is being formed and the bag between the headlands gets cut off from the sea what can formed behind the bar?
a lagoon
when can offshore bars form?
if the coast has a gentle slope
what can form if the coast has a gentle slope?
offshore bars
when a bar is being formed, friction with the sea bed causes waves to slow down and deposit sediment offshore creating…
a bad that is not connected to the coast
when are sand dunes formed?
when sand deposited by longshore drift is moved up the beach by wind
when sand deposited by longshore drift is moved up the beach by wind, what is formed?
sand dunes
obstacles cause…
wind speed to decrease
when creating sand dunes obstacles can cause wind speed to decrease so…
sand is deposited and forms little embryo dunes
what are dune slacks?
small pools
where can dune slacks form?
in hollows between dunes
embryo dunes are…
colonised by plants
when waves follow direction of prevailing wind they usually hit the coast at an…
oblique angle
what is an oblique angle?
any angle that isn’t a right angle
when waves hit the coast at an oblique angle the swash carries material…
up the beach in the same direction as the waves
when waves hit the coast at an oblique angle the swash carries material up the beach in the same direction as the waves and then the backwash then carries the material…
down the beach at right angles and back towards the sea
longshore drifts moves material in which way along the coast?
zig zags
what is the aim of coastal management
to protect people and environment from the impacts of erosion and flooding
coastal defences include:
- hard engineering
- soft engineering
hard engineering
man-made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion
soft engineering
schemes set up using knowledge of the sea and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion
what type of engineering is, schemes set up using knowledge of the sea and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion?
soft engineering
what type of engineering is, man-made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion
hard engineering
examples of hard engineering:
- sea wall
- gabions
- rock armour
- groynes
examples of soft engineering:
- beach nourishment and reprofiling
- dune regeneration
what type of engineering is, sea wall
hard engineering
what type of engineering is, gabions
hard engineering
what type of engineering is, rock armour
hard engineering
what type of engineering is, groynes
hard engineering
what type of engineering is, beach nourishment and reprofiling
soft engineering
what type of engineering is, dune regeneration
soft engineering
sea wall
a wall made out of hard material like concrete that reflects waves back to sea
what do sea walls do?
reflect water back to sea
what are sea walls made of?
hard materials like concrete
what is a wall made out of hard material like concrete that reflects waves back to sea called?
sea wall
positives of a sea wall?
- prevents erosion of the coast
- acts as a barrier to prevent flooding
negatives of a sea wall?
- expensive to build and maintain
- created strong backwash that eroded under the wall
gabions
a wall of wire cages filled with rocks, usually built at the foot of cliffs
what is a wall of wire cages filled with rocks, usually built at the foot of cliffs called?
gabions
in gabions what are the wall of cages filled with?
rocks
where are gabions normally built?
at foot of cliffs
positives of gabions:
- absorb wave energy, so reduce erosion
- cheap and easy to build
negatives of gabions:
- ugly
- wire cages corrode over time
rock armour
piled up boulders along the coast
what is piled up boulders along the coast called?
rock armour
in rock armour what are piled up along the coast?
boulders
in rock armour what happens to the rocks along the coast?
piled up
positives of rock armour:
- absorbs wave energy, so reduces erosion and flooding
- cheap
negatives of rock armour:
boulders can be moved around by strong waves to need to be replaced
groynes
wooden or stone fences that trap material transported by longshore drift and are built at right angles to the coast
what is a wooden or stone fences that trap material transported by longshore drift and are built at right angles to the coast called?
groynes
groynes are fences made of what?
wood or stone
in groynes what do they use wood and stone for?
to make fences
i’m groynes what angle are the fences built in?
right angles
positives of groynes:
- create wider beaches which slow the waves, greater protection from flooding and erosion
- cheap
negatives of groynes:
- starve beaches of sand further down the coast making them narrower, which don’t protect coast very well and lead to greater erosion
beach nourishment and reprofiling
sand and shingle from seabed or lower down the beach is added to upper parts of beach
beach nourishment and reprofiling is the use of what materials?
sand and shingle
beach nourishment and reprofiling is getting materials from where
seabed
positives of beach nourishment and reprofiling:
creates wider beaches which slow the waves, greater protecting from flooding and erosion
negatives of beach nourishment and reprofiling:
- taking materials from seabed can kill organisms like corals
- very expensive
- has to be repeated
in beach nourishment and reprofiling taking materials from seabed can kill what organisms
sponges and corals
what is sand and shingle from seabed or lower down the beach is added to upper parts of beach called?
beach nourishment and reprofiling
dune regeneration
creating or restoring sand dunes by nourishment or by planting vegetation to stabilise the sand
what is creating or restoring sand dunes by nourishment or by planting vegetation to stabilise the sand called?
dune regeneration
dune regeneration is creating or restoring sand dunes by nourishment or by…
planting vegetation to stabilise the sand
in dune regeneration why does we plant vegetation?
to stabilise the sand
positives of dune regeneration:
- dunes create a barrier between land and sea and absorb wave energy, preventing flooding and erosion
- stabilisation is cheap
negatives of dune regeneration:
- protection is limited to a small area
- nourishment is very expensive
managed retreat
removing current defences and allowing the sea to flood the land behind overtime land will become a marshland
by using managed retreat what will the land eventually become?
marshland
magnates retreat involves allowing the sea to do what?
flood the land behind
positives of managed retreat:
- cheap
- easy
- doesn’t need maintaining
- marshland creates new habitats for plants and animals
negatives of managed retreat:
flooding farmland affects livelihood of farmers and saltwater has negative effects on existing ecosystems
glaciers
masses of ice that fill valleys and hollows
what do glaciers dow as they slowly make their way downhill?
erode the landscape and drop all of stuff behind them as they go
what makes glaciers move downhill?
their weight
some glaciers have a thin layer of _________
meltwater
some glaciers have a thin layer of meltwater which accumulated _______ ___ ___
beneath the ice
some glaciers have a thin layer of meltwater which accumulated beneath the ice and acts as a __________
lubricant
some glaciers have a thin layer of meltwater which accumulated beneath the ice and acts as a lubricant which helps glaciers ____
move
some glaciers have a thin layer of meltwater which accumulated beneath the ice and acts as a lubricant which helps glaciers move. what is this process called?
basal sliding
what is basal sliding?
thin layer of meltwater under the glacier ice which acts as a lubricant and makes it move
plucking
- meltwater at the base, back or sides of a glacier freezes onto rock
- as glacier moves forward it pulls out pieces of rock
what is meltwater at the base, back or sides of a glacier freezes onto rock and as glacier moves forward it pulls out pieces of rock called?
plucking
at the top end of the glacier which was does the ice not move?
straight line
at the top end of the glacier which was does the ice move?
circular motion
at the top end of the glacier the ice moves in a circular motion called what?
rotational slip
what is rotational slip?
at the top end of the glacier the ice moves in a circular motion
what can rotational slip do?
erode hollows in the landscape and deepen them into bowl shapes
what can erode hollows in the landscape and deepen them into bowl shapes?
rotational slip
the rock above glaciers is also broken down by…
freeze-thaw weathering
glaciers move ________
material
what materials do glaciers move?
sand, clay, rocks
glaciers move material over a ____ ______ distance
very large
glaciers move material over a very large __________
distance
what is the movement of material of a large distance by glaciers called?
transportation
transportation
movement of material of a large distance by glaciers
till
unsorted mixture of material
what is the unsorted mixture of material called?
till
transported material is…
- frozen in the glaciers
- carried on its surface
- pushed in front of it
bulldozing
when glaciers push loose material ahead of them
what’s it called when glaciers push loose material ahead of them?
bulldozing
what happened if a glacier is overloaded with material
the material is deposited on the valley floor
when a glacier is overloaded with material it deposits it on the valley floor forming landforms such as…
- moraines
- drumlins
what are most glacial deposits not sorted in
size and weight (instead they are mixed)
sand and gravel can get washed away from the front of the glacier by small…
meltwater streams
meltwater streams
streams that sort material by size and deposit it in layers in front of glaciers
what are streams that sort material by size and deposit it in layers in front of glaciers called?
meltwater streams
in meltwater streams the material is deposited in layers called what?
outwash
outwash
the layers that material in meltwater streams are deposited into
most landscapes in the upland UK area have been…
affected by ice
arête
narrow, steep-sided ridge formed when two glaciers flow in parallel valleys
what is a narrow, steep-sided ridge formed when two glaciers flow in parallel valleys called?
arête
in an arête the glaciers erode what?
sides of the valley which sharpens the ridge between them and giving it a jagged profile
pyramidal peak
a pointed mountain peak with at least three sides
what is a pointed mountain peak with at least three sides called?
pyramidal peak
how is a pyramidal peak formed?
when three or more back-to-back glaciers erode a mountain
when three or more back-to-back glaciers erode a mountain, what do they form?
pyramidal peak
a pyramidal peak is formed when three or more back-to-back glaciers erode a ________
mountain
truncated spurs
cliff-like edges on the valley side
what are cliff-like edges on the valley side called?
truncated spurs
how are truncated spurs formed?
when ridges of land that stick out into the main valley are cut off as the glacier moves past
when ridges of land that stick out into the main valley are cut off as the glacier moves past, what forms?
truncated spurs
truncated spurs are cliff-like _____ on the valley side
edges
hanging valleys
valleys formed by small tributary glaciers that flow into a main glacier
what are valleys formed by small tributary glaciers that flow into a main glacier called?
hanging valleys
how is a hanging valley formed?
glacial tough of larger glacier is eroded much more deeply, when glacier melts the tributary glacier’s valleys are left at a higher level
hanging valleys are valleys formed by small ________ glaciers that flow into a main glacier
tributary
glacial trough
steep-sided valley with flat floors
what is a steep-sided valley with flat floors
glacial trough
glacial troughs are steep-sided valley with flat ______
floors
how are glacial troughs formed?
start as v shaped valley turn into u shaped as glacier erodes the sides and floor, makes it seller and wider
ribbon lakes
long thin lakes
what are long think lakes called?
ribbon lakes
ribbon lakes are long ____ lakes
thin
where do ribbon lakes form?
in hollows where softer rock was eroded more than the surrounding hard rock
corries
hollows containing a small glacier
what are hollows containing a small glacier called?
corries
what happens as rotational slip takes place on a corrie?
erodes into a steep-sided armchair shape with a lil at bottom, ice melts it leaves a lake
moraines
landforms made out of till deposited by a melting glacier
what are landforms made out of till deposited by a melting glacier called?
moraines
what are the four different types of moraines?
- lateral
- medial
- ground
- terminal
lateral moraine
long mound of material deposited where the side of a glacier was
what is a long mound of material deposited where the side of a glacier was called?
lateral moraine
medial moraine
long ride of material deposited along the canter of a valley floor
what is a long ride of material deposited along the canter of a valley floor called?
medial moraine
ground moraine
eroded material that was dragged along the base of a glacier
what is eroded material that was dragged along the base of a glacier called?
ground moraine
drumlins
elongated hills
what are elongated hills called?
drumlins
how are drumlins formed?
when overloaded or melting glaciers deposit material, material builds up overtime forming hills under glaciers
erratics
rock that have been picked up by a glacier, carried along and dropped in an area that has a completely different rock type
what is rock that have been picked up by a glacier, carried along and dropped in an area that has a completely different rock type called?
erratics
uses of glaciated areas:
- farming
- quarrying (mining)
- forestry
- tourism
why is sheep farming common in upland glacial areas
because steep slopes and poor soils make it unsuitable for most other farming
how can tourists cause conflict in glacial landscapes?
disrupt farming by damaging property, scaring sheep, leaving gates open, trampling crops
how can quarrying cause conflict in glacial landscapes?
- causes noise by movement of trucks and noise of quarry
- look ugly so less tourists are attracted
