TOPIC 1 CHANGING LANDSCAPES OF THE UK INTRO

Question 1

What are the 3 types of rocks

Answer 1

Igneous
Metamorphic
Sedimentary

Question 2

How are igneous rocks formed

Answer 2

Molten rock (magma) from mantle cools and hardens which forms crystals

Question 3

Example of igneous rocks

Answer 3

Granite and basalt

Question 4

How are sedimentary rocks formed

Answer 4

Layers of sediment are compacted together until they become solid rocks

Question 5

Difference between sedimentary and igneous Rocks

Answer 5

Sedimentary are softer and so more easily eroded

Question 6

Example of sedimentary rocks

Answer 6

Sandstone - made of sand sized particles which have been cemented together
Chalk - formed from tiny shells and skeletons of Dead Sea creatures

Question 7

How are metamorphic rocks formed

Answer 7

Formed when other rocks eg sedimentary or igneous change by heat and pressure becoming harder and more compact

Question 8

Example of metamorphic rock

Answer 8

Marble

Question 9

3 causes of uk landscape being changed

Answer 9

Active volcanoes
Plate collision
Plate movements

Question 10

Explain how active volcanoes change uk landscape

Answer 10

Volcanoes occur near plate boundaries
Volcanic eruptions forced magma through the Earth’s crust which cooled to form igneous rocks eg granite

Question 11

Explain how plate collision change uk landscape

Answer 11

Collisions between tectonic plates cáuses rocks to be folded and uplifted forming mountain range. Many of these areas remain as uplands eg Scottish highlands - igneous rocks are hard and more resistant to erosion
Intense heat and pressure caused by plate collisions firmed hard metamorphic rocks in north Ireland

Question 12

How does plate movement change the uk landscape

Answer 12

345-280 million years ago Britain was in the tropics and higher sea levels meant it was partly underwater - Carboniferous limestone formed in the warm shallow seas which can been seen in the uplands of Peak District
Youngest rocks in the uk were chalks and clays found in southern England which are softer so more easily eroded forming lowlandscapes

Question 13

Characteristics of granite

Answer 13

Form igneous upland landscapes
Has lots of joints which aren’t evenly spread . Parts of the where there are more joints wear down faster vice versa ( fewer joint stick out to form tors)
Impermeable - does not water through creating moorland - large areas waterlogged land and acidic soil with low growing vegetation

Question 14

Characteristics of basalt

Answer 14

Form igneous escarpments in uk uplands and cliffs at coast
Lava cools it can form columns. Cracks between columns may be eroded by glaciation and the sea to form steps eg giant causeway in Northern Ireland

Question 15

Characteristics of slate and schist

Answer 15

Metamorphic rocks
Slate form in layers creating weak planes in the Rock. It is generally very hard and resistant to weathering but it is easily split into thin slabs.
Schists has bigger crystals than slate and also splits easily into small flakes
Slate and schist often form rugged, upland landscapes. They are impermeable which can lead to waterlogged and acidic soils

Question 16

Characteristics of chalk

Answer 16

Chalk forms sedimentary hills in UK lowlands and at the coast. One side of the hill is usually steep and the other side is more gentle.
Chalk is permeable - water flows through it and emerges as a spring where it meets impermeable rock

Question 17

Characteristics of sandstone

Answer 17

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock made from sand. Sandstone can be hard or soft.
Softer sandstones form lowland landscapes. Harder sandstones can form upland landscapes, e.g. the Torridon hills in Scotland.
Sandstone is porous - it has small gaps in it, so it can store water in underground aquifers.

Question 18

How has the uk landscape been shaped by ice

Answer 18

glaciated landscapes are mostly found in upland areas in the north-west of the UK.
Ice is very powerful, so it was able to erode the landscape, carving out large U-shaped valleys in upland areas such as the Lake District.
Glaciation also affected lowland areas. Glaciers deposited lots of material as they melted. Landscapes formed by glacial meltwater and deposits extend south of where the ice sheets were.
E.g. large parts of eastern England are covered in till (an unsorted mixture of clay, sand and rocks) deposited by melting glaciers.

Question 19

Physical process that alter the landscape

Answer 19

Weathering - breakdown of rock into smaller pieces. it can be mechanical, chemical or biological
Erosion - erosion wears away rock. During the last glacial period, ice eroded the landscape. Now river and seas erode the landscape . melting ice at the end of glacial periods made rivers much bigger than normal with more power to erode the landscape.
Slope processes - including mass movements, e.g. rockfalls, slides, slumps and soil creep.

Question 20

Example where physical process are affected by climate

Answer 20

a cold climate increases the likelihood of freeze-thaw weathering
a wet climate increases the number of streams and rivers.

Question 21

Physical process interact to create distinctive upland landscapes

Answer 21

large U-shaped valley was
eroded by ice - it has a flat floor and steep sides. The valley
contains a misfit river that is
too small to have created it.
Freeze-thaw weathering occurs on the steep back wall of the corrie.As the rocks are broken up there are rock falls, which form scree slopes.
There is lots of rain in Snowdonia and the rocks are mostly impermeable.
This means there are lots of streams that are eroding the steep sides of the corrie and forming gullies.

Question 22

Physical process interact to create distinctive lowland landscapes

Answer 22

Dry valleys are found in UK lowland landscapes (valleys with no streams visible - they flow underground in the permeable chalk). They formed during glacial periods when the colder climate led to more freeze-thaw weathering and glacial snow melt meant that streams had much more water in them than they do today.
The UK has a wet climate - heavy rain can lead to flooding. The overflowing river deposits silt on the valley floor forming a flood plain.

Question 23

How has humans changed the landscape through agriculture

Answer 23

Different landscapes have been adapted for different types of farming:
Arable - flat land with good soil, e.g. eastern England, is used for arable farming (growing crops).
* Dairy - warm and wet areas, e.g. south west England, are good for dairy farming. There are lots of large, grassy fields.
* Sheep - sheep farming takes place in the harsher conditions in the uplands. Sheep farming has led to a lack of trees on the hills (young trees are eaten or trampled before they get a chance to mature)

Question 24

How has humans changed the landscape through forestry

Answer 24

1) Forestry is the management of areas of woodland - they can be used for timber, recreation or conservation.
2) The UK used to be covered in deciduous woodland, but there is very little natural woodland left.
3) Coniferous (evergreen) forests have been planted for timber. The trees are often planted in straight lines. When areas are felled, the landscape is left bare. This affects drainage and can lead to increased erosion.
4) In some places, deciduous woodland is being replanted to try to return the area to a more natural state.

Question 25

How has humans changed the landscape through settlement

Answer 25

development of settlements has been concentrated in lowland areas and near rivers and coasts - early settlers needed a water supply, flat land to build on or a place that could easily be defended.
As settlements grew they further influenced the landscape. For example:
* land was concreted over for roads and buildings.
some rivers were diverted through underground channels.
some river channels were straightened or had embankments built to prevent flooding.