Physical Landscapes in the UK

Question 1

What is the relief of the UK?

Answer 1

Lowlands: -200m
flat or rolling hills
warmer weather e.g fens

Uplands: +600m
peaks and ridges
cold, misty and snow is common

Question 2

How do waves form?

Answer 2

Waves are created by wind blowing over the surface of the sea. As the wind blows over the sea, friction is created - producing a swell in the water.​

Question 3

What is the fetch?

Answer 3

The distance the wind blows over the water- the longer the fetch, the more powerful the wave

Question 4

What happens when waves hit the coast?

Answer 4

When waves approach shallower water, the circular motion of the waves becomes more elliptical due to friction with the river bed. This causes the crest of the wave to rise up and break on the shore

Question 5

Constructive Waves

Answer 5

• Longer wavelength.
• Lower frequency (fewer waves per
  minute).
• Stronger swash (water rushing up the beach) than backwash (water flowing back down the beach).
• Build up beaches by depositing sediment

Question 6

Destructive waves

Answer 6

. Shorter wavelength.
. Higher frequency (more waves per minute).
. Stronger backwash than swash.
. Erode coastlines by removing sediment

Question 7

Processes of weathering:
- mechanical

Answer 7

the disintegration of rocks- where this occurs, piles of rocks, scree can be fund at the bottom of cliffs

Question 8

Processes of weathering:
chemical

Answer 8

caused by chemical changes- rainwater, which is slightly acidic, very slowly starts to dissolve certain types of rocks and minerals

Question 9

Processes of weathering:
biological

Answer 9

due to the actions of flora and fauna- plant roots grow in the cracks in rocks and animals, such as rabbits, burrow into weak rocks such as sands

Question 10

examples of weathering:
freeze-thaw (mechanical)

Answer 10

. water collects in pores in the rock
.overnight, when temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands
. this makes cracks in the rock bigger
. when the temp rises, the ice thaws and penetrates deeper into the rock
. this process repeats until fragments of rock are chipped off and the rock possibly splits

Question 11

examples of weathering:
onion skin weathering (mechanical)

Answer 11

• sun heats up surface of rock
• surface expands due to heat
• heat doesn’t penetrate very far into rock so surface cracks and breaks away from the cold interior of the rock forming layers

Question 12

examples of weathering:
salt weathering ( mechanical )

Answer 12

. seawater contains salt
. when the water evaporates, it leaves behind salt crystals
. in cracks and pores, these crystals grow and expand
. this puts pressure on the rock and fragments may chip off

Question 13

examples of weathering:
carbonation

Answer 13

.rainwater absorbs co2 from the air and becomes slightly acidic
. contact with alkaline rocks such as chalk and limestone produces a chemical reaction causing the rock to slowly dissolve

Question 14

Processes of mass movement:
sliding

Answer 14

large blocks of rock slide down a cliff face as a landslide often caused by heavy rainfall or earthquakes

Question 15

what is mass movement?

Answer 15

A large movement of soil and rock debris that moves down slopes in response to the pull of gravity in a vertical direction.

Question 16

Processes of Mass Movement:
slumping

Answer 16

Also known as slipping, it involves the collapse of saturated or weak rocks ( often sands and clays ) along a curved surface

Question 17

Processes of Mass Movement:
Rock Fall

Answer 17

Fragments of rock break away from a cliff face, often resulting from freeze-thaw weathering, to form scree at the cliff foot

Question 18

Processes of Erosion:
hydraulic action

Answer 18

.power of waves as they crash against a cliff
.cause air to become trapped in pores or cracks in the rock forming the cliff base
.this causes a build up of pressure which causes the rock to break apart

Question 19

Processes of erosion:
attrition

Answer 19

rock fragments carried by the sea knock against eachother causing them to become smaller and more rounded.
- not responsible for eroding landforms

Question 20

Processes of erosion:
abrasion

Answer 20

. the ‘wearing away’ of cliffs or rocky platforms by rocks carried by the sea
. refers to the ‘sandpapering’ effect as pebbles are dragged over a rocky platform
.corrasion refers to when fragments of rock are hurled at a cliff by the sea

Question 21

Methods of Coastal Transportation:
Solution

Answer 21

dissolved chemicals often derived from limestone or chalk

Question 22

Methods of Coastal Transportation:
Suspension

Answer 22

particles/sediment carried within the water

Question 23

Methods of Coastal Transportation:
Saltation

Answer 23

a bouncing motion of pebbles that are too heavy to be suspended

Question 24

Methods of Coastal Transportation:
Traction

Answer 24

boulders that roll along river/sea bed by the force of the water

Question 25

Longshore drift

Answer 25

. waves approach the coast at an angle due to prevailing wind direction . sediment is pushed up and down the shore in the swash and backwash in a zig zag motion moving horizontally

Question 26

The formation of a Spit

Answer 26

Swash moves up the beach at the angle of the prevailing wind.​ Backwash moves down the beach at 90° to coastline, due to gravity. ​ Zigzag movement (Longshore Drift) transports material along beach. ​ Deposition causes beach to extend, until reaching a river estuary.​ Change in prevailing wind direction forms a hook.​ Sheltered area behind spit encourages deposition, salt marsh forms. ​

Question 27

Where does coastal deposition occur?

Answer 27

.Coastal deposition takes place in areas where the flow of water slows down . water loses energy in sheltered bays and where water is protected by spits or bars .here, sediment can no longer be carried or moved and is therefore deposited .thus explaining why beaches are found in bays where the energy of the waves is reduced ( wave refraction) .mudflats and saltmarshes are often found in sheltered estuaries behind spits where there is very little flow of water

Question 28

Formation of bays and headlands

Answer 28

- There are bands of rock with varying resistance which make up the landscape - the less resistant bands composed of weaker rock such as clay are eroded faster than the more resistant bands formed of harder rock such as limestone - over time, the eroded clay forms bays where under sheltered conditions, waves deposit sediment and beaches are formed - the more resistant rock juts out into the sea forming a headland which, when undergoing erosion, can develop into a steep cliff

Question 29

Can you describe the formation of a coastal stack?

Answer 29

-hydraulic action widens crack in cliff face over time -abrasion forms a wave cut notch between high tide and low tide mark -further abrasion widens wave cut notch to form a cave -caves from both sides of headland break through to form an arch -chemical weathering and the force of gravity causes the arch to collapse leaving a stack -further erosion and weathering leaves a stump

Question 30

what are groynes?

Answer 30

structures, typically made of wood or rock, built perpendicularly from the shoreline out into the sea. Their primary purpose is to trap sediment and prevent longshore drift

Question 31

What are the advantages of using groynes as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 31

-effectively trap sediment and prevent longshore drift -build up and maintain beaches -reduce wave energy, thereby mitigating coastal erosion and flooding -provides opportunities for recreational activities

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of using groynes as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 32

disrupt natural sediment transport, leading to erosion and sediment loss further down the coast + can be unsightly

Question 33

What is a sea wall?

Answer 33

A sea wall is a protective structure built along a coastline to prevent coastal erosion and protect land from the impact of waves, tides, and storm surges

Question 34

What are the advantages of a sea wall?

Answer 34

- concave structure deflects/dissipates wave energy -prevents coastal erosion and flooding -usually constructed of stone, sea walls are able to withstand storm surges -act as promenades thereby attracting tourism

Question 35

What are the disadvantages of sea walls?

Answer 35

-high construction and maintenance costs -can be aesthetically unappealing -potential disruption of natural coastal processes and sediment transport -the possibility of accelerated erosion in nearby areas

Question 36

What are gabions?

Answer 36

gabions are steel wire mesh cages filled with rocks, typically placed along shorelines or at the base of cliffs to protect against erosion and landslides

Question 37

what are the advantages of using gabions as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 37

-easy to transport and install (pebbles used to fill wire mesh cages are generally sourced locally) -relatively economical -durable (resistant to weather and corrosion) -sustainable; don't require lots of transportation -permeable ( beneficial for drainage and absorption of wave energy)

Question 38

What are the disadvantages of using gabions as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 38

-require regular inspection and maintenance (wire rusts) -can be aesthetically displeasing -limited height doesn't always effectively protect coastline from storm surges

Question 39

what is rock armour?

Answer 39

large, angular rocks used to protect land or structures from erosion caused by waves or flowing water

Question 40

What are the advantages of using rock armour as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 40

-durable -effectively absorb wave energy as water seeps between the gaps in the rock - low maintenance

Question 41

what are the disadvantages of using rock armour as a hard engineering strategy?

Answer 41

-reduced accessibility can reduce recreational value of beach for some; people have to take detours or clamber over which can be off-putting -rocks can look different to natural geology as may be imported -importation can have damaging impact on environment

Question 42

what is beach nourishment?

Answer 42

the artificial process of adding sand or sediment to a beach to restore or widen it

Question 43

what are the advantages of beach nourishment as a soft engineering strategy?

Answer 43

-acts as a natural buffer to the waves -increases tourism as the opportunity for recreation is benefited from the expansion of the beach -looks appealing

Question 44

What are the disadvantages of beach nourishment as a soft engineering strategy?

Answer 44

-high costs and regular replenishment -offshore dredging damages seabed -different composition of sand (as often imported) can look unappealing -transport required for importation can have a damaging environmental cost

Question 45

What is managed retreat?

Answer 45

land is intentionally allowed to flood and become natural habitats like salt marshes and mudflats

Question 46

What are the advantages of managed retreat as a soft engineering strategy?

Answer 46

-provides a valuable ecosystem -relatively cost effective -act as natural buffers absorbing wave energy and reducing risk of flooding further inland

Question 47

What are the disadvantages of managed retreat as a soft engineering strategy?

Answer 47

-land loss -the need for compensation to landowners -potential social and emotional impacts on communities -economic consequences for businesses, and the complex and expensive process of relocating entire communities

Question 48

What is dune regeneration?

Answer 48

the restoration or artificial creation of sand dunes, either to strengthen existing ones or to create new ones to protect coastal areas from erosion and flooding. This process often involves planting vegetation like marram grass, fencing off areas to prevent trampling, and using sand traps to collect windblown sand.

Question 49

What are the advantages of dune regeneration?

Answer 49

-maintains a natural-looking coastline -absorbs wave energy -can increase biodiversity -cost effective in comparison to other management strategies

Question 50

What are the disadvantages of dune regeneration?

Answer 50

-restriction of public access can frustrate locals and impact tourism -requires ongoing management -time-consuming -doesn't provide immediate relief from flooding

Question 51

Is hard engineering or soft engineering more effective?

Answer 51

Hard engineering, using artificial structures like seawalls or groynes, provides immediate protection but can be expensive, disruptive to natural processes, and may have negative environmental impacts. Soft engineering, on the other hand, uses natural methods like beach nourishment or dune restoration, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective solution, but may not provide the same level of immediate protection.