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Geography > Physical Landscapes of the UK > Flashcards

Physical Landscapes of the UK Flashcards

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1
Q

where are the main upland areas in the UK

A

usually in the north and west

  • grampian highlands, scotland
  • pennines, cumbria
  • snowdonia, wales
  • dartmoor, devon
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2
Q

pros of dams and reservoirs. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • provides drinking water, power generation or flood control
  • electricity generation without pollution (hydroelectricity)
  • recreation (picnics)

HARD STRATEGY

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3
Q

cons of dams and reservoirs. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • expensive
  • building large dams can cause damage ie earthquakes
  • prone to flooding which can destroy natural & human landscapes
  • interferes with fish/wildlife

HARD STRATEGY

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4
Q

pros of channel straightening. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • water moves quickly out of area
  • water doesn’t travel as far
  • reduces risk of flooding

HARD STRATEGY

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5
Q

cons of channel straightening. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • more erosion downstream so causes flooding downstream

HARD STRATEGY

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6
Q

pros of embankments. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • can be used as a path of pedestrians
  • increases capacity of river
  • concrete embankments can slow down bank eroision
  • earth embankments can provide habitats for wildlife

HARD STRATEGY

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7
Q

cons of embankments. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • banks are often not built high enough = serious flood
  • concrete embankments are ugly & spoil the view
  • reduce the type of farming type that can be undertaken in that area

HARD STRATEGY

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8
Q

pros of flood relief channels. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • river discharge reduced
  • gates on channels meaning the release of water can be controlled

HARD STRATEGY

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9
Q

pros of flood warning & preparation. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • give ppl time to save their belongings from being ruined

SOFT STRATEGY

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10
Q

cons of flood warning & preparation. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • doesn’t stop flood from happening

SOFT STRATEGY

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11
Q

cons of flood plain zoning. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • expansion of urban area is limited if there aren’t any suitable building sites
  • no help in cities already built on

SOFT STRATEGY

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12
Q

pros of flood plain zoning. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • the risk of flooding is reduced (impermeable surfaces arent created ie building/road)
  • impact of flooding is reduced (no buildings to damage)

SOFT STRATEGY

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13
Q

cons of planting trees. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • less land for farming

SOFT STRATEGY

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14
Q

pros of planting trees. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • discharge & flood risk reduced
  • vegetation reduces soil erosion

SOFT STRATEGY

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15
Q

cons of river restoration . is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • different and more hostile species may be carried upstream bc of the stronger current possibly endangering species

SOFT STRATEGY

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16
Q

pros of river restoration . is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • supports biodiversity
  • pipelines help collect excess sewage

SOFT STRATEGY

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17
Q

cons of flood relief channels. is it a hard or soft engineering strategy?

A
  • expensive
  • relief channel floods
  • only works if there’s farmland upstream

HARD STRATEGY

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18
Q

define a hard engineering strategy

A

involves building structures to defend places from floodwater

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19
Q

define a soft engineering strategy

A

involves working with natural river processes to manage flood risk

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20
Q

describe river restoration

A
  • makes river more natural by removing man-made levees so flood plain floods naturally
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21
Q

describe planting trees

A
  • planting trees in river valley - more interception, less lag time
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22
Q

describe flood warning & preparation

A
  • warns ppl about floods through TV & radio
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23
Q

describe flood plain zoning

A
  • restrictions prevent building on parts of a flood plain likely to be flooded
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24
Q

describe flood relief channels

A
  • make offshots of river. diverts water around important areas
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25
Q

describe embankments

A
  • raised walls along river banks
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26
Q

describe channel straightening

A
  • course is straightened. cuts off the meanders
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27
Q

describe dams and reservoirs

A
  • storage for water. dams built across rivers in upper course of the reservoir
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28
Q

locate an example of a flood management scheme in the UK

A
  • morpeth is situated in the north east of england in northumberland
  • 15 miles from newcastle n the river Wansbeck
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29
Q

what caused the morpeth floods

A
  • prolonged rainfall (150mm) the previous day
  • river valley is narrow & deep = large surface runoff
  • wet summer = saturated soil
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30
Q

what was done to manage the river after the morpeth floods

A
  • tree catching poles (catch debris preventing them travelling downstream)
  • water from a dam holding 1.3 mill cm3 water was slowly let out reducing flood flow in morpeth
  • improved existing flood walls making them higher & stronger
  • built specially designed flood walls made of reinforced concrete so not porous. local residents (flood wardens) lock them in a flood.
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31
Q

give 2 economic issues with the management of flood management in morpeth

A
  • expensive

- mitford estate received compensation to allow dam to be built on their property

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32
Q

give 1 environmental issue with the management of flood management in morpeth

A
  • endangered species had to be hand moved (white clawed crayfish)
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33
Q

give 4 social issues with the management of flood management in morpeth

A
  • costs £25 mill on a small town - disagreements
  • unaesthetically pleasing (needs to fit in with history of the town)
  • 7 houses were too expensive to protect (1 mill)
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34
Q

what is a levee (characteristics)

A
  • raised river banks (2-8m in UK)
  • composed of gravel & stones
  • steep sided (steeper on the channel side than the land side)
  • fairly flat top
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35
Q

what is a floodplain (characteristics)

A
  • large area of flad land

- made of sedimnets s v. fertile

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36
Q

what is a estuary (characteristics)

A
  • high tida range
  • v. wide
  • tidal bores (huge waves that funnel up the river casuing great damage to the river banks & vegetation)
  • ## mudflats. the river deposits its sediment
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37
Q

how are levees formed (explanation)

A
  • a river birsts its banks.
  • friction reduces velocity & causes deposition (heaviest is deposited first)
  • with each flood banks can build up higher
  • over time the bank will get thicker
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38
Q

how are floodplains formed (explanation)

A

floodplain is a wide flatter valley floor that surrounds the river

  • a meander is eroded sideways causing a river to break its banks
  • during a flood, sediment is deposited (smallest on the outside as river starts to lose energy)
  • this creates levees
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39
Q

how are estuaries formed (explanation)

A
  • the freshwater of a river & its sediments meet the saltwater of an ocean & its materials forming sandbanks.
  • sea water entering the estuary is diluted by the fresh water flowing from rivers and streams
    this creates areas of shallow water
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40
Q

name the 5 types of erosion

A
  • hydraulic action
  • abrasion
  • attrition
  • solution
  • vertical/ lateral erosion
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41
Q

name the 4 types of transportation

A
  • traction
  • saltation
  • suspension
  • solution
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42
Q

which landforms form bc of erosion

A

interlocking spurs
waterfalls
gorges

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43
Q

which landforms form bc of erosion AND deposition

A

meanders

oxbow lakes

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44
Q

which landforms form bc of deposition

A

levees
floodplains
estuaries

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45
Q

locate an example of a UK river valley

A

the river tees, north east of england

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46
Q

name & locate where major land-forms caused by erosion & deposition in an example of a UK river valley

A
  • interlocking spurs found at upper course
  • waterfall (high force - 212m high) found at upper couse. cuts quite a deep gorge into the waterf
  • meanders at middle course in egglescliffe
  • large meanders at lower course
  • levees at Croft on Tees on south side of river
  • big estuary made up of mudflats & embankments
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47
Q

what is the gradient, valley, river, size of load & process involved like in the upper course of a river?

A
  • steep gradient
  • steep sided, V-shaped valley (interlocking spurs)
  • river is narrow, shallow & turbulent
  • large bedload (rocks/boulders)
  • mostly erosion involved
48
Q

what is the gradient, valley, river, size of load & process involved like in the middle course of a river?

A
  • gentle gradient
  • wider valley, flat river floor
  • river is wider & deeper
  • smaller material in the load
  • mostly erosion & deposition involved
49
Q

what is the gradient, valley, river, size of load & process involved like in the lower course of a river?

A
  • very gentle gradient
  • very wide valley & flat river floor
  • wide, deep river
  • mainly suspended load
  • mostly deposition involved
50
Q

what is hydraulic action

A
  • fast flowing water pushes air into the cracks, compressing the air
  • when the wave retreats, compressed air blasts out
  • this can force the rock apart & over time cause the channel to break up
51
Q

define abrasion

A
  • sediment is thrown against the cliff by waves

- this wears the cliff away & chips bits of rock off the cliff

52
Q

define attrition

A

sediment knocked off the cliff by hydraulic action/abrasion is swirled around by waves
- constantly collides with other sediment & gradually gets worn down into smaller, rounder sediment

53
Q

define solution (erosion)

A
  • acid rainwater in the sea dissolves material from the rock
54
Q

what is solution (transportation)

A

materials being carried in the water that have been dissolved, called solute land

55
Q

what is suspension

A

fine or very small particles suspended in the water & carried along, making the water look muddy/murky

56
Q

what is saltation

A

small pebbles are moved when one hits another causing it to bounce along the river bed.

57
Q

what is traction

A

big rocks & boulders being rolled along the river bed. this needs a lot of energy

58
Q

why might a river deposity its load

A

it doesnt have enough energy to transport the load, dropping the larger stones first. reasons for this:

  • drier weather (less water so less energy)
  • river slows in speed (less speed so less energy ie inside bend of a river)
  • river floods (water goes onto floodplain & deposits layers of silt/clay (ALLUVIUM) this is fertile so good for farming)
59
Q

what is the deposited material by a river called

A

sediment

60
Q

how are interlocking spurs formed

A
  1. ..- upper course of valley is steep sided & made of hard rock. vertical erosion occurs here
  2. ..- although the hard rock is difficult to erode, freeze thaw action gradually widens the valley
    - this allows the river to take a winding path
  3. ..- river takes the easiest path through the valley aroundthe sections of hard rock that overlap like a zip
61
Q

how are meanders and oxbow lakes formed

A
  • a meander is a curve in the river. water flows faster on the outside bend
  • lateral erosion occurs of the outside bend, making the bend more pronounced
  • a swans neck in the meander is formed as erosion continues
  • in time of flood the river cuts through the neck & a new river channel is created
  • this leaves behind a crescent shaped lake called an oxbow lake
62
Q

what is freeze thaw action. what type of weathering is it?

A
  • rocks are weakened by water getting into cracks
  • as it freezes it expands & puts pressure on the surrounding rock. the crack is widened
  • eventually the crack widens so much that it breaks the rock apart

MECHANICAL WEATHERING

63
Q

how are waterfalls & gorges formed

A
  • waterfalls formed when the river flows over a layer of hard rock on top of softer rock
  • as the river flows the softer rock is eroded by hydraulic action & abrasion and a plunge pool starts to form at the base o the waterfall
  • over time, erosion of the plunge pool increases until the overhang cannot be held up
  • overhang collapses to the base of waterfall leaving large angular rocks.
  • the process starts again & waterfall retreat up the valley
64
Q

give the order of the water cycle

A

1 - evaporation from ocean & transpiration from trees. then gas cools & condenses
2 - condensation
3 - precipitation
4 - surface runoff
- infiltration (downward entry of water into the soil/rock surface)
- percolation (the flow of water through soil & porous rock)
5 - groundwater flow
-

65
Q

how & why does land use in urban areas affect the risk of flooding

A
  • increases flood risk
  • urban areas have higher concrete/ tarmac use
  • this is impermeable so there’s more surface runoff & water gets into the river channel quicker
66
Q

give human factors that affect flood risk

A
  • land use in urban areas
  • land use in rural areas
  • deforestation
  • agriculture
67
Q

give physical factors that affect flood risk

A
  • precipitation (snow/rain/hail)
  • — heavy rainfall
  • — prolonged rainfall
  • geology
  • — impermeable rock
  • — permeable rock
  • relief (how steep the land is)
  • — steep land
  • — flat land
68
Q

how & why does land use in rural areas affect the risk of flooding

A
  • decreases flood risk
  • rural areas have more permeable surfaces (ie grass/ crops), less surface runoff & more groundwater flow/transpiration
  • this means water gets into the channel slower
69
Q

how & why does deforestation affect the risk of flooding

A
  • increases flood risk
  • less transpiration & interception as trees wouldn’t be there to slow down the water
  • this means the water travels faster to the channel
70
Q

how & why does agriculture affect the risk of flooding

A
  • increases flood risk
  • if overused, the soil can be dry & impermeable causing more surface runoff
  • this means the water travels faster to the channel
71
Q

how & why does relief affect the risk of flooding

A

STEEP LAND

  • increases flood risk
  • increases the rapid transfer of water towards the channel

FLAT LAND

  • increases flood risk
  • water has nowhere to go (the water collects in pools)
72
Q

how & why does geology affect the risk of flooding

A

IMPERMEABLE ROCK

  • increases flood risk
  • travels over land into the river channel quicker as more surface runoff/ less percolation

PERMEABLE ROCK

  • decreases flood risk
  • water can soak into the rock as its less dense, decreasing surface runoff
73
Q

how & why does precipitation affect the risk of flooding

A

HEAVY RAINFALL (in large amounts for a short time)

  • increases flood risk
  • water would travel faster as the volume is massive & would overuse the permeable land, so more flash floods

PROLONGED RAINFALL

  • increases flood risk
  • if it rains on flat land it can’t soak the water up so is saturated
74
Q

define river basin

A

the area of land drained by a river

75
Q

define hydrograph

A

a graph that shows the relationship btwn precipitation & river discharge

76
Q

define drainage density

A

the number of streams in a particular drainage basin. the higher the drainage density the quicker the water drains into a river

77
Q

define river tributary

A

a stream/smaller river that joins a larger stream/river

78
Q

describe the features of destructive waves

A
  • high & close together
  • strong backwash & weak swash
  • erode the beach (destroy)
  • make a steep beach
79
Q

describe the features of constructive waves

A
  • low & far apart
  • strong swash & weak backwash
  • build up the beach by deposition
  • make a gentle beach
80
Q

what is onion skin weathering. what type of weathering is it?

A

when the change in temperature during the day & night weakens the rock causing it to peel off
- it occurs usually in deserts

MECHANICAL WEATHERING

81
Q

what is the process of longshore drift

A
  • the prevailing wind blows diagonally meaning the swash goes onto the beach at an angle
  • the backwash comes away from the season at 90* bc of gravity
  • material is carried along the beach in a zigzag pattern
82
Q

how is a discordant coastline formed

A
  • the sea erodes the softer rock quickest forming a bay

- the harder rock is left sticking out into the sea as a headland

83
Q

how is a concordant coastline formed

A

the hard rock is parallel to the sea so is more resistant to erosion

84
Q

describe the formation of headlands & bays

A
  • weaker bands of rock ie clay erode more easily to form bays
  • the tougher more resistant rock ie limestone are eroded slower & stick out into the sea to form headlands
  • as the bays are sheltered, deposition takes place & sand beaches form
  • most occur at discordant coastlines bc diff types of rocks at the coastline will be eroded at diff rates
85
Q

explain the formation of a wave cut platform

A
  • erosion is concentrated in 1 place where high & low tide levels are. hydraulic action & abrasion erode a notch in the cliff
  • weathering attacks the top & face of the cliff making it weaker
  • over time notch deepens, undercutting the face of the cliff & collapses into the sea, breaking into small rocks
  • the rocks are smoothed by abrasion into a platform of rock jutting out the sea (wave cut platform)
  • this process continues & the cliff retreats
86
Q

how are caves, stumps, stacks and arches formed?

A
  • large crack opened up by hydraulic action
  • crack grows into a cave by hydr. act. & abrasion
  • cave becomes larger
  • cave breaks through the headland forming a natural arch
  • arch is eroded & collapses (this is sped up by freeze - thaw action)
  • this leaves a tall rock stack
  • the stack is eroded forming a stump
87
Q

howre spits formed?

A
  • Longshore drift moves material along the coastline.
  • A spit forms when the material is deposited.
  • Over time, the spit grows and develops a hook if wind direction changes further out.
  • Waves cannot get past a spit, which creates a sheltered area where silt is deposited and mud flats or salt marshes form.
88
Q

how is a beach formed

A
  • beaches are deposits of sand & pebbles that lie between high & low tide
  • theyre formed by constructive waves where the swash is stronger than the backwash
  • the foreshore (inter-tidal zone is repeatedly covered then uncovered by changing tides)
  • the ridges thatre called berms may have more than one tide level & are the result of the deposition of material by low-energy waves.
89
Q

characteristics of beaches

A
  • sandy/pebbly
  • steep/gentle
  • narrow/wide
  • can have sand dunes at the back
90
Q

how is a sand dune formed

A
  • towards the back of a beach, sand gathers around deposited materials ie wood/rocks called embryo dunes
  • these develop when vegetation grows around embyro dunes
  • ## in time, rotting vegetation makes sand more fertile & more plant grow in the “back dunes”
91
Q

what is a beach bar

A
  • it’s a spit thats grown across a bay, trapping water behind it (lagoon)
92
Q

what is a spit

A
  • a long narrow finger of sand/ shingle fitting into the sea from the land
93
Q

what is a spit

A
  • a long narrow finger of sand/ shingle fitting into the sea from the land
94
Q

locate a place where coastal management has taken place

A
  • holderness, east coast of england
95
Q

give facts about holderness coastal management. SMPs (shoreline management plans)

A
  • avrg. rate of erosion along the coast 1.5m per year
  • 3.6km of concrete sea walls with groynes built in Bridlington to stablilise the beaches
  • 1.9km concreate seawalls w groynes & rock armour built in Hornsea
  • 24 caravan parks must locate 400m away from the coast as part of a ‘roll back’ policy
  • revetment built using 60,000 tonnes of rock in Mappleton
96
Q

advantages of managed retreat

A
  • over time land becomes marshland, protecting land behind from flooding & erosion
  • cheap & easy. doesnt need maintaining
  • marshland creates habitats for plants & animals
97
Q

what is managed retreat

A
  • removing current defences & allowing the sea to flood the land behind
98
Q

disadvantages of managed retreat

A
  • land is lost to the sea. choosing areas to flood causes conflicts ie flooding farmland affects livelihood of farmers
  • ## saltwater negatively affects existing ecosystems
99
Q

what is dune regeneration. is it a hard or soft engineering technique?

A

creating/ restoring sand dunes by nourishment/ planting vegetation to stabilise land

SOFT

100
Q

advantages of dune regeneration

A
  • provides a barrier btwn land & sea
  • wave energy absorbed which prevent flooding & erosion
  • stabilisation is cheap
101
Q

disadvantages of dune regeneration

A
  • protection is limited to a small area

- nourishment is v. expensive

102
Q

what are sea walls. are they a hard or soft engineering technique?

A
  • concrete walls designed to reflect the waves back out to sea and / or absorb their energy
  • sometimes it has a promenade built on it
103
Q

what are groynes. are they a hard or soft engineering technique?

A
  • wooden/ stone groynes are built on the beach at right angles to the coast.
  • they stop longshore drift by trapping sediment, building up the beach
104
Q

what is rock armour. is it a hard or soft engineering technique?

A

big boulders placed at the base of the cliff to dissipate the energy of the waves

105
Q

what are gabions. are they a hard or soft engineering technique?

A
  • steel cages filled with pebbles

- they’ re placed on sandy beaches at the foot of cliffs

106
Q

what are beach nourishment and beach reprofiling. are they a hard or soft engineering technique?

A

sand & shingle from the seabed or lower down the beach that is added to upper parts of the beach

107
Q

disadvantages of sea walls

A
  • expensive to build & maintain

- creates strong backwash which erodes under the wall

108
Q

disadvantages of groynes

A
  • unaesthetically pleasing
  • repairs are expensive
  • ineffective in stormy condition & need regular maintaining
109
Q

disadvantages of rock armour

A
  • unaesthetically pleasing & covers large areas on the beach
  • litter becomes trapped in it
  • can be moved by strong waves so need to be replaced
110
Q

disadvantages of gabions

A
  • when damaged, are dangerous as ppl cut themselves
  • unaesthetically pleasing
  • wire corrodes over time
111
Q

disadvantages of beach nourishment and beach reprofiling

A
  • taking material from the seabed can kill organisms ie coral
  • expansive
  • must be repeated
112
Q

advantages of sea walls

A
  • prevents eroion of the coast

- acts as a barrier to prevent flooding

113
Q

advantages of groynes

A
  • cheap & last upto 40 years
  • act as windbreakers
  • ppl can walk on them so dont take up too much of the beach
114
Q

advantages of rock armour

A
  • boulders absorb wave energy so reduce erosion & flooding
  • fairly cheap to make
115
Q

advantages of gabions

A
  • cheap & easy to construct
  • last a long time 20 - 25 years
  • absorb wave energy so reduce erosion
116
Q

advantages of beach nourishment and beach reprofiling

A
  • creates water beaches slowing the waves

- gives greater protection from flooding & erosion

Geography (11 decks)

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