Physical landscapes in the UK Flashcards
(40 cards)
1
Q
What are the 3 types of rock?
A
- Igneous rocks
- Metamorphic rocks
- Sedimentary rocks
2
Q
Igneous rocks
A
- Earth’s oldest rocks
- Formed from lavas and deep magmas.
- They were once molten then cooled and chrystalised
- Most of these rocks are resistant to erosion
3
Q
Metamorphic rocks
A
- Rocks that were heated and compressed during igneous activity.
- Heating and compression harden them and make them resistant.
- e.g. shale becomes slate; limestone becomes marble.
4
Q
Sedimentary rocks
A
- Rocks formed from sediments eroded and deposited by rivers, the sea or on the sea bed.
- Some are resistant like limestone.
- Others crumble easily like shale.
5
Q
Where are the Highland regions located in the UK?
A
- Mainly in the North and West of the UK.
- The tallest mountains are found in Scotland where Ben Nevis is located.
6
Q
Where are the Lowland regions located in the UK?
A
- Located mainly in the East and South East of the UK.
- Lowland areas include Kent, Surrey, as well as Norfolk and Suffolk.
7
Q
What are the 3 main reasons the UK looks the way it does?
A
1) Geology
2) Glaciation
3) Tectonic processes
8
Q
How does Geology affect the land?
A
- North is mainly made up of harder rocks such as carboniferous limestone and schist. This rock is difficult to erode so therefore makes up the most mountain regions, like the Grampian mounts
- East Anglia and the South of the UK are mainly made up of softer rocks such as clay and sandstones. These rocks are easier to erode and therefore create flatter land.
9
Q
How does Glaciation affect the land?
A
- The Lake District has high relief and has land forms such as u-shaped valleys. This is because this area was covered by an ice sheet during the last Ice Age. The glaciers eroded away the rock leaving behind these features.
- The Holderness is a lowland area made up of the sedimentary rock boulder clay. This was deposited when the ice sheet melted. This is a soft rock that is easy to erode creating lowland.
10
Q
How to Tectonic Processes affect the land?
A
- Many of the mountain ranges in the UK were created by uplift from plate collision, when the African plate collided with the Eurasian plate.
11
Q
Concordant
A
In agreement, consistent. e.g.
a)
b)
a)
A concordant coastline has the same geology all the way along the coast.
12
Q
Discordant
A
Disagreeing or incongruous e.g.
a) b) a)
A discordant coastline is where the geology alternates between strata or bands of hard and soft rock
13
Q
Order of headland erosion
A
Crack, Cave, Arch, Stack, Stump.
14
Q
What are the 2 types of wave?
A
Constructive and destructive.
15
Q
Constructive wave fact file
A
- Strong swash
- Weak backwash
- Gentle beach gradient
- Long wave length/frequency
- Low wave height
- Low energy
16
Q
Destructive wave fact file
A
- Weak swash
- Strong backwash
- Steep beach gradient
- Short wave length
- High wave height
- High energy
17
Q
What creates waves?
A
Wind at sea.
18
Q
Size of energy of the waves depend on what 3 things?
A
1) Strength of wind
2) How long the wind has been blowing
3) Distance wind has blown (fetch)
19
Q
Which part of England has the largest fetch?
A
South West Cornwall
20
Q
Which type of wave deposits material on the shoreline?
A
Constructive
21
Q
Which type of wave removes material from the shoreline?
A
Destructive
22
Q
What is long shore drift?
A
- Longshore drift occurs when wave breaks at an angle on the coast due to the direction of the prevailing wind.
- Sediment moves up the beach (swash) and then back down the beach (back wash) in a straight line due to gravity.
- This means that over time a pebble will be transported along the beach.
23
Q
How does a spit form?
A
- Longshore drift transports sand along the coast in the direction of the prevailing wind.
- The coastline changes shape and waves begin to lose energy.
- Sediment starts to build up through deposition at the proximal end and the spit grows out into the sea.
- The spit is exposed to changes in wind and wave direction which cause the end to hook back towards the land.
Example - Spurn Head.
24
Q
How does a tombolo form?
A
- Longshore drift transports sediment in the direction of the prevailing wind.
- When the coastline changes shape because of a bay the process forms a spit.
- When this spit joins the mainland with an island it forms a tombolo.
Example - Chessil Beach
25
How does a bar and lagoon form?
*Longshore drift transports sediment in the direction of the prevailing wind.
* When the coastline changes shape because of a bay the process forms a spit.
* When the spit joins up with the mainline again it forms a bar.
* The seawater behind the spit forms a lagoon.
Example - Slapton Sands
26
What are the four main human activities happening at the coast?
1) Agriculture
2) Development
3) Industry
4) Coastal management
27
What are some direct and indirect human impacts of agriculture?
* Changing the way farmland is used - vegetation helps bind the soil together and stabilises the cliff tops. Removing vegetation for grazing animals affects stability.
* Marshlands drained to reclaim land for agriculture - reduces the natural flood barrier marshlands provide.
28
What are some direct and indirect impacts of development on the coast?
* Coasts with lots of settlements have more sea defences - the land is more protected from erosion.
* Building on coastal lowlands - can restrict sediment to beaches making them more narrow.
29
What are some direct and indirect impacts of industry on the coast?
* Creating coastal quarries erodes large areas of rock making them vulnerable to erosion and weathering.
* Extracting gravel from beaches - removes material from the beach making it more prone to erosion.
30
What are some direct and indirect impacts of coastal management?
* Building coastal protection - alters sediment movement increasing erosion down the coast.
31
How long is the Holderness coastline?
61km long and stretches from Flamborough Headland to Spurn Head spit.
32
What is erosion causing the cliff to do in Holderness?
Collapse. 1.8 metres of land is lost to the sea every year. In some places rates of erosion have been over 10 metres.
32
Why is Holderness coast being protected from erosion?
* There are towns and villages, like Hornsea, Withernsea and Mapleton that have large populations of 1000s of people.
* There is important infrastructure like the B1241 road which links many of the towns and businesses along the coast.
* The gas terminal at Easington supplies 25% of the UK's gas and is right on the edge of the cliff.
33
What has been constructed to protect the Holderness coastline?
Coastal defences called groynes have been built in Mapleton. There are also groynes and a seawall at Hornsea and Withernsea.
34
What type of soil makes up most of the Holderness coastline?
Boulder clay.
35
Which direction does longshore drift occur on the Holderness coastline?
North to South
36
What issue did groynes create?
It interfered with longshore drift stopping material moving southwards. This meant that beaches were smaller and cliffs were more exposed to erosion.
37
Why is there an increasing risk of coastal flooding on many UK coastlines?
1) Rising sea levels
2) Storm frequency
3) Economic decline
38
Impacts of erosion and flooding on people
1) Cliffs eroded can destroy houses and permanent flooding can make areas uninhabitable
2) Infrastructure, such as roads and railways, can be damaged
3) Industries can be destroyed or shut down due to damaged equipment
4) Tourism may decline in some coastal areas if businesses are forced to close leading to a loss of livelihood.
39
Impacts of erosion and flooding on the environment
1) Salty seawater from flooding can damage ecosystems and kill plants and animals from salinisation
2) Surging floodwater can uproot trees
3) Standing floodwater can drown some trees
4) Some conservation areas are threatened e.g. Holderness coastline has protected lagoons.
