Topic 4 Uk Geology Flashcards
How is igneous rock created
Magma cools and hardens
How is sedimentary rock created
Layers of sediments are compacted together
How is metamorphic rock created
Formed when other rocks (igneous) are changed by heat and pressure
What 3 types of weathering are there
Mechanical, chemical, biological
What are 4 types of slope processes
Rock falls, slides, slump, soil creep
What is freeze-thaw
When water slips into cracks, freezes and expands, eventually splitting rock
2 characteristics of U-shaped valley
Flat or slightly curved bottom
Steep sides
Where do the upland areas tend to be in the UK
North and west of the country
Where do the lowland areas tend to be in the UK
Around south and east of UK
Give one example of an area of upland in the UK
Snowdonia
Describe snowdonia
A glaciated upland formed from rock of extinct volcanoes. It contains steep mountains and glaciated valleys
What are the three main ways that past tectonic processes have shaped the UK landscape
Active volcanoes
Tectonic collisions
Tectonic movements
How did volcanoes shape some of the UK landscape
Active volcanoes forced magma through the earths crust which cooled to form igneous rock
How did plate collisions help to shape some of the UK landscape
Plate collisions caused rocks to be folded and uplifted forming mountain ranges
How did plate movements help shape some of the UK landscape
Britain was in the tropics and higher sea levals meant it was partly underwater
Give 3 characteristics of granite
Very resistant and forms upland landscapes
It has lots of cracks which arent evenly spread
Granite is impermeable (doesnt let water through)
Give 2 characteristics of limestone
Rainwater eats away limestone through weathering
Limestone is permeable (lets water through)
Name 3 characteristics of state and schist
State forms in in layers creating weak planes in the rock
Splits easily into small flakes
They often form rugged upland landscapes
Give 3 features of chalk and clay
Chalk forms hills in UK lowlands and cliffs at the coast
Chalk is permeable (water can get through it)
Clay is very soft and easily eroded
What 4 things do physical peocesses include
Weathering
Erosion
Post-glacial river processes
Slope processes
What is weatheing (physical processes)
Weathering is the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces (chemical,mechanical,biological)
What is erosion
Erosion wears away rock. Rivers and amd sea constantly erode the landscape
What are post-glacial river processes
Is the melting of ice at the end of glacial processes that cause much bigger and powrful tides than normal
What are slope processes
Includes mass movement (rockfalls,slides,slumps,soil creep)
Properties of lowland landscapes
Dry valleys
Wet climate
Larger rivers
Properties of upland landscapes
Slope processes
Most of the rocks are impermeable
U/V shaped valleys
How have people changed the landscape (3 ways)
People clear land of forest to make space for farming
Walls have been put in to mark out fields
Draining ditches- dug to make the land dry enough for farming
How have humans changed the landscape through forestry (3 ways)
Evergreen forests have been planted for timber in straight line and doesnt look natural
Little natural wood left
Trees are chopped down for timber and other things
