Theme 1 - Landform Process and Change Flashcards

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1
Q

fluvial?

A

referring to a river and it landforms

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2
Q

erosion?

A

the wearing away of the land

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3
Q

transportation?

A

movement of material by the flow of water

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4
Q

deposition?

A

dropping of the material carried by the river

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5
Q

bed load?

A

material carried by the river being bounced or rolled along its bed

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6
Q

meander?

A

a bend in the river formed by lateral erosion

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7
Q

why do river landforms change over time?

A

due to fluvial erosion, transportation and deposition

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8
Q

erosional processes of the river channel? 3

A

~abrasion
~hydraulic action
~solution

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9
Q

abrasion (river channel)?

A

stones and material carried by the river hitting the river bed and banks, wearing them away

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10
Q

hydraulic action?

A

the sheer force of water hitting the river bed and banks compressing air in gaps in the soil and rock which causes material to be washed away

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11
Q

solution?

A

slightly acidic river water dissolves chalk and limestone rocks which are made from calcium carbonate

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12
Q

erosional processes of the river bed load? 2

A

~attrition
~abrasion

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13
Q

attrition?

A

stones carried by the river collide together and are broken down becoming rounder and smaller

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14
Q

abrasion (bed load)?

A

stones and material carried by the river hitting the river bed and banks become eroded and turn smaller and rounder

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15
Q

when does deposition happen?

A

when the speed of flow is too slow for it to carry the load

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16
Q

where does deposition happen? 3

A

~where there is a lack of rainfall, so there is less water moving
~on the inside of a meander, as water here is moving slower
~at the mouth of the river, where the river water flows against the direction of the sea

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17
Q

river transportation? 4

A

~suspension
~traction
~saltation
~solution

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18
Q

suspension?

A

fine, light material is held up and carried within the rivers flow, this is called suspended load

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19
Q

traction?

A

large boulders and rocks are rolled along the river bed, load carried is called bedload

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20
Q

saltation?

A

small pebbles and stones are bounced along the river bed, this load is lifted then dropped alternatively

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21
Q

solution (transportation)?

A

minerals are dissolved in water, this s a chemical change affecting rocks such as chalk, load transported is called the solute load

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22
Q

examples of river landforms? 5

A

~meanders
~floodplains
~gorges
~waterfalls
~v - shaped valleys

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23
Q

where are v-shaped valleys found?

A

upper course of a river where the river is usually small and the land is steep

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24
Q

what creates the v-shape valley? 2 processes

A

~vertical erosion
~weathering

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25
Q

how is a v-shaped valley formed?

A

~water flows down a steep slope in a river
~flowing water carries sediment and starts to erode the sides of the valley
~over time the continuous erosion deepens and widens the valley creating a v shaped cross-section
processes used - hydraulic action, abrasion

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26
Q

waterfall?

A

water falling from a higher level to a lower level due to a change in rock structure or as a result of glacial erosion

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27
Q

gorge?

A

a steep sided narrow valley formed by a retreating waterfall

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28
Q

floodplain?

A

a flat piece of land on either side of a river forming the valley floor

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29
Q

vertical erosion?

A

erosion of the river channel that results n its deepening rather than widening

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30
Q

interlocking spurs?

A

hard resistant rocks that a river cannot easily erode and therefore the river goes around them

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31
Q

weathering processes that help develop a v shaped valley?

A

~freeze thaw
~biological weathering

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32
Q

what two ways can waterfalls be created?

A

~glacial erosion
~differential erosion

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33
Q

steps on how glacial erosion formed waterfalls?

A

~glaciers move slowly down slopes and valleys carrying rocks and sediments
~as the glaciers move it erodes the land beneath through plucking and abrasion
~eroded material is transported by glaciers
~when the glacier reaches a steep cliff or a change in slope, it starts to melt, and the water flows over the edge
~water flows in a waterfall creating a plunge pool

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34
Q

how are waterfalls formed by differential erosion?

A

~hard resistant rock is undercut by erosion of the soft rock
~the water falls over the hard rock lip and splashes against the soft rock on the back wall
~soft resistant rock is eroded on the wall causing it to move back
~a plunge pool is formed by the force of water and is deepened by abrasion
~the overhang collapses due to lack of support and the pull of gravity
~gradually the waterfall retreats upstream, leaving a steep sided gorge

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35
Q

when is a gorge formed?

A

when a waterfall collapses and retreats upstream

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36
Q

slip off slope?

A

a bank of gently sloping deposited material found on the inside bend of a meander

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37
Q

where are meanders usually found?

A

middle and lower course of a river valley

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38
Q

what are meanders caused by?

A

erosion on the outside of the bank and deposition on the inside of the bank

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39
Q

feature of a meander?

A

~fastest flow outside bend
~slowest flow inside bend
~shallow water inside bend
~deep water outside bend
~deposition inside bend
~erosion outside bend

40
Q

what happens to a floodplain when a river floods?

A

it gets covered with water

41
Q

what is commonly found on floodplains?

A

meanders

42
Q

where are floodplains found?

A

middle and lower course of a river

43
Q

3 types of weathering?

A

~physical
~biological
~chemical

44
Q

2 types of physical weathering?

A

~freeze thaw action
~salt crystal growth

45
Q

2 types of biological weathering?

A

~plant roots
~burrowing animals

46
Q

freeze thaw steps?

A

~rainwater enters crack in cliff
~temp drops and water freezes and expands making the crack bigger
~temps rise water melts and more water flows in crack
~process repeats until the rock falls off

47
Q

salt crystal growth steps?

A

~seawater left on rock
~water evaporates leaving salt behind
~salt crystals grow and exert pressure on rock
~rocks broken apart

48
Q

plant roots steps?

A

~plants grow on top of cliff
~roots push into cracks of rocks
~rocks broken apart

49
Q

burrowing animals steps?

A

~small animals burrow through soil and into cracks in the rock
~rock is broken apart

50
Q

type of chemical weathering?

A

carbonation

51
Q

carbonation steps?

A

~rainwater enters cracks on the cliff face
~the weak acid reacts with carbonates in the limestone
~cracks get bigger

52
Q

slope processes?

A

processes involved in moving material from the cliffs on to the beach

53
Q

weathering?

A

breakdown of rocks in place by elements of the weather

54
Q

mass movement?

A

when soil, rocks or stones move down a slope

55
Q

examples of mass movement? 2

A

~rockfalls
~landslides

56
Q

what causes rockfalls on cliffs?

A

as waves erode the base of the cliff, a large section collapses

57
Q

coastal erosion processes and what part they erode? 4

A

erode cliff
~hydraulic action
~abrasion
~solutions
erode beach material
~abrasion
~attrition

58
Q

how does hydraulic action erode coasts?

A

waves crash into cliffs, trapping and compressing air in the cracks which break up the rocks

59
Q

how does abrasion erode coasts?

A

waves hurl sand and pebbles against the cliff, which wears the land away

60
Q

how does solution erode coasts?

A

salt water dissolves rocks made of calcium carbonate

61
Q

how does attrition erode coasts?

A

pebbles are rolled back and forth, they collide with each other which makes them smaller and rounder, eventually turning into sand

62
Q

sediment?

A

material carried by the sea

63
Q

longshore drift?

A

process by which sediment is moved along the coastline

64
Q

process of longshore drift?

A

swash - pushed up the beach at the same angle as the wind
backwash - moves straight down the beach due to the pull of gravity

65
Q

what is a headland and how is it formed?

A

a headland is an area of land that juts into the sea and is formed due to harder, more resistant rock being eroded more slowly

66
Q

how is a bay formed?

A

a bay is formed between the headlands due to softer, less resistant rock which erodes more quickly, beaches often form in sheltered bays

67
Q

bay?

A

a recessed area of coastline often found between two headlands

68
Q

wave cut platform?

A

a coastal landform made of a rocky shelf in front of a cliff

69
Q

wave cut notch?

A

a slot with overhanging rocks that has been cut into the bottom of a cliff by wave action

70
Q

bedding plane?

A

clearly seen layers of rock in a cliff face

71
Q

how are wave cut platforms made?

A

~as waves pound the base of the cliff, hydraulic action and abrasion cut a wave cut notch into the base of the cliff
~with continued erosion the wave cut notch will make the cliff unstable and collapse due to gravity
~material from the cliff will then be moved by the sea, and in doing so abrasion will smooth the surface of the wave cut platform left behind

72
Q

how are arches and stacks formed?

A

~two caves on either sides of a headland erode by abrasion and hydraulic action backwards until they cut through the back wall, this creates an ARCH
~weathering erodes the roof of the arch and wave cut notches erode the base of the arch to make it wider
~eventually the roof will collapse to leave a rock pillar called a STACK

73
Q

swash?

A

movement of water up the beach as a wave breaks

74
Q

backwash?

A

flow of water back into the sea after a wave has broken on to the shore

75
Q

beach?

A

created by deposition and lies between the high water mark and low water mark

76
Q

spit?

A

sand or shingle beach that is joined to the land but projects outwards into the sea in the direction of the prevailing wind

77
Q

offshore bar?

A

an area of deposition that is slightly off the coastline in the estuary of a river

78
Q

how is a spit formed?

A

~longshore drift carries sediment along a coastline, swash brings material on shore, backwash removes material
~this continues in a zigzag movement along the coast
~if the coast changes direction, material will continue to be deposited in the original direction in a shallow sea
~the built up material is a SPIT

79
Q

offshore bars?

A

ridges of sand or shingle running parallel to the coast in an offshore zone

80
Q

how are offshore bars formed?

A

destructive waves erode sediment and backwash transport it off the coast and deposit the material

81
Q

example of a sand dune?

A

Ynyslas sand dunes

82
Q

rock pool?

A

a pool of seawater between shoreline rocks

83
Q

how are sand dunes formed?

A

sand dunes are formed by wind blown sand, when wind moves across a flat, sandy surface it lifts and transports loose grains of sand, as the wind slows down, it drops the sand creating dunes

84
Q

what happens at high and low tide to rocks pools?

A

high - covered by the sea
low - some seawater remains forming the rock pools

85
Q

cavern?

A

large underground cave which has been created due to enlargement of joints in carboniferous limestone

86
Q

sink hole?

A

a hole in the ground caused by a collapse of the surface layer, often found in carboniferous limestone areas where caverns are present

87
Q

what factors affect the rates of landform change? 3

A

~geology
~climate
~human activity

88
Q

how can geology affect the rate of landform change?

A

they type of rock being eroded and the way in which rock types are laid down
~hard rock takes much longer to erode then soft rock

89
Q

concordant coastline?

A

rocks are formed parallel to the sea so that erosion rates along the coastline are even

90
Q

discordant coastline?

A

rocks are formed at right angles to the sea and so erosion rates vary along the coastline

91
Q

how does climate affect the rate of landform change? 3

A

coasts - prevailing wind affects the angle at which the waves break on to the coastline, therefore the direction of erosion and transportation
rivers - the more flowing water in a river the higher the erosion rates - in UK during winter months as most rainfall
extreme weather events - a powerful storm can change the coasts overnight as it causes destructive waves

92
Q

fetch?

A

distance waves have travelled before breaking onshore

93
Q

how does human activity affect the rate of landform change?

A

~intended human activity includes management strategies to reduce erosion impacts of both river and coastal landforms

94
Q

how are meanders managed?

A

using gabions, cages filled with rock which absorb the power of water reducing erosion on the outside bend

95
Q

groyne?

A

a low wall or barrier on a beach built at right angles to the sea to restrict longshore drift