Topic 4: UK Physical Flashcards
How are Igneous rocks formed?
They are created by volcanic activity when magma or lava cools, forming rocks made of crystals that are usually hard.
How are Sedimentary rocks formed?
Are formed of small particles that have been eroded, transported, and deposited in layers, or from the remains of plants and animals.
What are Metamorphic rocks?
They are existing rocks that have been changed by extreme pressure or heat. They are usually comprised of layers or bands of crystals and are very hard.
Identify the weathering type, slope processes and post glacial river processes in upland areas.
Freeze that weathering
Dry valleys
Soil creep
Identify the weathering types, slope processes and post glacial processes in low land areas.
Chemical weathering
Biological weathering
Dry valleys
Soil creep
What are the characteristics of a destructive wave?
Strong backwash
Tall wave height
Which of these describes the fetch?
The distance that the wind has to blow over water
Waves crash against rock and compress the air into the cracks. Thos puts pressure on the rock. This happens over and over again until rock breaks off describes.
What is this?
Hydraulic action / power
Eroded particles in the water smash into each other and break into smaller fragments. Their edges also get rounded off as they rub together.
What is this?
Attrition
Eroded particles in the water scape and rub against rock, removing small bits.
What is this?
Abrasion
When water gets trapped between sand and clay along a coastlines the subaerial process of mass movement occurs.
True or False?
True
Freeze thaw weathering is an examples of mechanical weathering.
True or False?
True
What best describes discordant coastlines?
Different rock types
Headland and bays a common feature
Longshore drift moves up the beach in a straight line and travels down the beach in the direction of the prevailing wind.
True or False?
False
What is the landform for deposition?
Spit
Glacial processes ______ years ago the uplands were under ___m of ice with eroded large corries like Blea Water.
a. 12,000
b. 300m
As ice moved through the upland landscape it eroded juge areas to create _-______ ______. These had steep sides, flat bottoms and hanging valleys.
U-shaped valley
Name the 3 types of weathering
Biological, Chemical, Freeze-thaw
Name the 4 erosion methods
Abrasion
Attrition
Hydraulic Action
Solution
What is Chemical Weathering?
When chemicals break down rock as a result of a chemical reaction.
During glacial periods (when the climate was colder) the gaps in the chalk froze making it ___________. When seasonal snow melt occurred, it couldn’t infilitrate into the chalk and instead ran over the top and ______ the valleys. Now (it is warmer amd the ground has melted) the water runs underground through the chalk and the rivers can’t be seen.
a. Impermeable
b. Eroded
What is soil creep?
Soil creep is the slowest of all mass movements. It takes place at a rate of 1-3mm per year in temperature latitudes and 10mm per year in tropical forests.
Soils such as _________ and clay can absorb large amounts of ________ and become saturated - they can move down the slope
a. Sandstone
b. Moisture
The UK climate is very ___. Heavy rain can lead to ________. When rivers foood the overflowing water carries sediment and deposits silt on the valley floor forming a flood plain. The floodplain is very fertile. This is important in the lowland areas however in the upland areas the river is eording downwards carving out a V-shape valley.
a. Wet
b. Flooding
What is weathering?
The breakdown of rock into smaller pieces
What is erosion?
The wearing away of rock. During the last glacial period, ice eroded the landscape. Rivers amd the sea now constantly erode the landscape.
What are post-glacial river processes?
Melting ice at the end of glacial periods made rivers much bigger than normal with more power to erode the landscape. The ice also left distinctive landforms when it melted.
What do Groynes do?
Groynes work to stop longshore drift transporting sediment along the coast amd instead encourage deposition of sediment on beaches. As the beach gets bigger it will be able to absorb wave energy and protect the coadt.