The UK's evolving physical landscape Flashcards
1
Q
Abrasion
A
the scratching and scraping of a river bed and banks by the stones and sand in a river
2
Q
Alluvium
A
all deposits laid down by rivers, especially in times of flood
3
Q
Antecedent rainfall
A
the amount of moisture already in the ground before a rainstorm
4
Q
Anticline
A
a dome of folded rocks forming an arch
5
Q
Arch
A
A curved passage through a headland created when a cave was eventually broken through by erosion
6
Q
Attrition
A
the wearing away of particles of debris by the action of other particles, such as river or beach pebbles
7
Q
Backwash
A
the flow of water back to the sea after waves break on a beach
8
Q
Bankful
A
the discharge or contents of a river which is just contained within its banks. This is when the speed, or velocity, of the river is at its greatest
9
Q
Bar
A
an accumulation of sediment that grows across the mouth of a bay, caused by longshore drift
10
Q
Beach
A
an area of sand or pebbles along the shore of a body of water
11
Q
Beach profile
A
the shape of a beach resulting from how waves break
12
Q
Berm
A
deposited sand formation
13
Q
Carbon dating
A
uses radioactive testing to find the age of rocks which contained living material
14
Q
Carboniferous period
A
a geological period of time, 250 to 350 million years ago
15
Q
Cave
A
a large hole, either underground or in the side of a hill or cliff, often created when waves force their way into cracks in the cliff face
16
Q
Channel
A
the bed and banks of a river
17
Q
Concordant
A
(coasts) follow the ridges and valleys of the land, so the rock strata is parallel to the coastline
18
Q
Constructive waves
A
build beaches by pushing sand and pebbles further up the beach
19
Q
Cost-benefit analysis
A
looking at all the costs of a project, social and environmental as well as economic, and deciding whether it is worth going ahead
20
Q
Cove
A
a sheltered area
21
Q
Cross profile
A
shows a cross section of a river’s channel and valley at certain points in the river’s course
22
Q
Cross section
A
a view or drawing that shows what the inside of something looks like after a cut has been made across it
23
Q
Delta
A
a low-lying area at the mouth of a river where a river deposits so much sediment it extends beyond the coastline
24
Q
Destructive waves
A
waves which erode beaches
25
Dip slope
a gentle slope following the angle of rock *strata, found behind escarpments
26
Discharge
a gentle slope following the angle of rock *strata, found behind escarpments
27
Discordant
(coasts) alternate between bands of hard rocks and soft rocks, so the rock *strata is at right angles to the coast
28
Dissipate
means to reduce wave energy, which is absorbed as waves pass through, or over, sea defences
29
Dredging
digging out drainage ditches and rivers to make them artificially deeper
30
Dry valleys
valleys where rivers once flowed
31
Erosion
wearing away the landscape
32
Escarpment
continuous line of steep slopes above a gentle dip slope, caused by the erosion of alternate strata
33
Estuary
where a river meets the sea
34
Evaporation
the changing of a liquid into vapour or gas. Some rainfall is evaporated into water vapour by the heat of the sun
35
Eyot
a small island in a river
36
Fault scarp
when faults form a steep edge
37
Faults
large cracks caused by past tectonic movements
38
Fetch
the length of water over which the wind has blown, affecting the size and strength of waves
39
Flood plain
flat land around a river that gets flooded when the river overflows
40
Friction
the force which resists the movement of one surface over another
41
Glaciated
formed or once covered by glaciers or ice sheets
42
Gorge
a steep valley
43
Gradient
slope
44
Groundwater flow
movement of water through rocks in the ground
45
Groynes
wooden or stone structures built at right angles to the coast to trap sediment from longshore drift, allowing a beach to build up
46
Hard engineering
building physical structures to deal with natural hazards, such as sea walls to stop waves
47
Helicoidal flow
a continuous corkscrew motion of water as it flows along a river channel
48
Holistic
(coastal management) takes into account all social, economic and environmental costs and benefits. This means looking at the coastline as a whole instead of an individual bay or beach
49
Hydraulic action
the force of water along the coast, or within a stream or river
50
Hydrograph
a graph showing the amount of water in a place at different times
51
Igneous
Rock type formed from lavas and deep magmas. They were once molten, then cooled and crystallised
52
Infiltration
the soaking of rainwater into the ground
53
Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
the holistic management of coasts
54
Interception Zone
the capture of rainwater by leaves and branches. Some evaporates again and the rest drips from the leaves to the soil
55
Interlocking spurs
hills that stick out on alternate sides of a V-shaped valley, like the teeth of a zip
56
Jet stream
high level winds at around 6-10km that blow across the Atlantic towards the UK
57
Lagoon
a bay totally or partially enclosed by a spit, *bar or reef running
across its entrance
58
Levees
naturally formed or artificially built embankments beside rivers
59
Limestone
a pale grey rock consisting of crushed shells of corals that lived in tropical seas 300 million years ago
60
Load
material carried by a river such as boulders or stones
61
Long profile
shows how a river’s gradient changes as it flows from its source to its mouth
62
Longshore drift
when waves break at an angle to the coast, rather than parallel to it. It usually occurs in one direction and transports sediment along the coastline creating new landforms
63
Lowland landscape
an area of flat land that is at, near or below sea level, which in the UK usually consists of younger and less resistant sedimentary rocks
64
Marine processes
wave-related processes that contribute to coastal erosion
65
Mass movement
the movement of material downslope, such as rock falls, landslides or cliff collapse
66
Meander
a naturally occurring sharp bend in a river
67
Metamorphic
sedimentary rocks that were heated and compressed during igneous activity
68
Middle course
the journey of a river from its source in hills or mountains to mouth is sometimes called the course of the river. The course of a river can be divided into three main sections a) upper course b) middle course and c) lower course
69
Misfit rivers
rivers created by glaciers that are too small to have eroded the valleys they flow through
70
Mudflats
flat coastal areas formed when mud is deposited by rivers and coasts
71
Nodules
(in reference to chalk) pieces of flint within chalk
72
Ox-bow lake
a lake formed when a loop in a river is cut off by floods
73
Permeable
allowing liquids or gases to pass through it
74
Plunge pool
a hollow at the foot of a waterfall
75
Point bar
a low, curved ridge of sand and gravel along the inner bank of a river which is formed in the middle course of a river
76
Prevailing wind
the most frequent direction the wind blows in a certain area
77
Recurved end
the hooked end of a spit
78
River cliff
the steep edge of a river formed when a river erodes and undercuts its outer bank
79
Rock outcrop
a large mass of rock that stands above the surface of the ground
80
Salt marsh
salt-tolerant vegetation growing on mud flats in bays or estuaries. These plants trap sediments which gradually raise the height of the marsh
81
Saltation
the bouncing of material from and along a river bed or a land surface
82
Sand dune
onshore winds blow sand inland, forming a hill or ridge of sand parallel to the shoreline
83
Scarp and vale topography
erosion which has left alternate strata of more and less resistant rock forms a landscape known as scarp and vale topography
84
Scree
angular rock pieces created by freeze-thaw weathering
85
Sediment
material such as sand or clay that is transported by rivers
86
Sedimentary
rock formed from sediments eroded and deposited by rivers, the sea, or on the sea bed
87
Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)
an approach which builds on knowledge of the coastal environment and takes account of the wide range of public interest to avoid piecemeal attempts to protect one area at the expense of another
88
Soft engineering
involves adapting to natural hazards and working with nature to limit damage
89
Soil creep
the slow gradual movement downslope of soil, scree or glacier ice
90
Solution
chemicals dissolved in water, invisible to the eye
91
Spit
a ridge of sand running away from the coast, usually with a curved seaward end
92
Stack
a tall column of rock left standing in the sea after wave erosion has separated it from the mainland
93
Stakeholders
a person with an interest or concern in something, such as those who are likely to be affected by natural hazards
94
Storm hydrograph
a graph which shows the change in both rainfall and discharge from a river following a storm
95
Storm surge
a rapid rise in the level of the sea caused by low pressure and strong winds
96
Strata
distinctive layers of rock
97
Stump
the part of a stack that has been left after wave erosion has caused the stack to collapse
98
Sub-aerial processes
occurring on land, at the Earth’s surface, as opposed to underwater or underground
99
Surface run-off
rainwater that runs across the surface of the ground and drains into the river
100
Suspension
tiny particles of sediment dispersed in water
101
Swallow hole
a hole in the ground caused by water erosion, especially in limestone landscapes; also called a sink hole
102
Swash
when water rushes up a beach
103
Terminal groyne syndrome
when the last groyne along a coast prevents longshore drift from bringing material to other areas, causing erosion problems further down the coast
104
Thalweg
the line of the fastest flow along the course of a river
105
Throughflow
the flow of rainwater sideways through the soil, towards the river
106
Till
sediment deposited by melting glaciers or ice sheets
107
Traction
force that rolls or drags large stones along a river bed
108
Transpiration
when plants lose water vapour, mainly through pores in their leaves
109
Tributary
a river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake
110
Upland landscape
an area of high land, in the UK consisting of resistant igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock
111
Uplifted
(in geology) raised or pushed up as a result of tectonic activity
112
Upper course
the mountain stage of a river’s course with steep gradients, narrow river channels and much erosion
113
Urbanisation
a rise in the percentage of people living in urban areas, compared to rural areas
114
U-shape
(river valley) deep valleys created by glaciers, shaped like the letter ‘U’ with steep, straight sides and a flat bottom
115
Velocity
the speed of a river, measured in metres per second
116
Water table
the upper limit of saturated rock below the ground
117
Waterfall
a place where water flows over the edge of a cliff or rock; generally formed in the upper course of a river
118
Weathering
the physical, chemical or biological breakdown of solid rock by the action of weather (e.g. frost, rain) or plants
