uk’s physical and coastal landscape Flashcards

Question

mass movement

Answer 1

the downward movement of rock or soil due to gravity caused by the weathering of the rock and heavy rainfall.

Answer 2

A slide occurs when a portion of the soil or rock along a steep slope suddenly gives away and moves downhill, usually aided by heavy rainfall. Sliding mass movement occurs on slopes weakened by weathering such as landslides, rockslides, and mudslides.

Answer 3

In slumping, the soil or rock debris moves downhill along a concave or curved plane in a rotational manner. The upper part of the slump moves vertically downward, but the lower part moves outward, forming what is known as a toe at the bottom of the slump area.

Answer 4

A rockfall is the fastest moving type of mass movement where rocks break away from the cliff face and fall, bounce or roll downslope. Rock falls are typical in areas that experience freeze-thaw mechanical weathering, which causes chunks of rock to lose contact with the cliff face and fall

Answer 5

bands of differing rock types run perpendicular to the coast

Answer 6

bands of differing rock types run parallel to the coast

Answer 7

Bands of soft rock such as clay and sand are weaker therefore they can be eroded quickly. This process forms bays. A bay is an inlet of the sea where the land curves inwards, usually with a beach. Hard rock such as chalk is more resistant to the processes of erosion. When the softer rock is eroded inwards, the hard rock sticks out into the sea, forming a headland

Answer 8

The sea attacks the base of the cliff between the high and low water mark. A wave-cut notch is formed by erosional processes such as abrasion and hydraulic action - this is a dent in the cliff usually at the level of high tide. As the notch increases in size, the cliff becomes unstable and collapses, leading to the retreat of the cliff face. The backwash carries away the eroded material, leaving a wave-cut platform. The process repeats. The cliff continues to retreat

Answer 9

* soft - working with nature * hard engineering - working against nature

Answer 10

schemes that work with natural processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion

Answer 11

man made structures built to control the flow of the sea to reduce flooding and erosion

Answer 12

often cheaper as you are working with nature can be less effective

Answer 13

often expensive can be more effective

Answer 14

hard engineering - a barrier between waves and land - usually made out of concrete, modern versions have a curved face they reflect and absorb wave energy back out to sea and so reduce the waves erosive power.

Answer 15

advantages: - effective - prevents erosion - acts as a barrier - can act as a promenade/cycle path - can last for many years disadvantages: - expensive to build (£5000/m) - strong backwash erodes beach - expensive to maintain - can restrict access to the beach

Answer 16

good for densely populated areas, will have to be built higher due to rising sea levels

Answer 17

hard engineering - large rocks creating a physical barrier - as water enters the gap pressure is released so the waves have less power

Answer 18

advantages: - cheaper than a sea wall (£1000 - 3000/m) - gaps disperse energy - fairly cheap - built quickly disadvantages: - unattractive and restricts access to the beach - expensive to import - can need maintenance

Answer 19

appropriate for towns + densely populated areas

Answer 20

hard engineering - steel wire mesh cages filled w/ pebbles/rocks - placed against cliffs so that the waves enter the cages which absorbs energy reducing erosion

Answer 21

advantages: - low cost + low tech (£110/m) - accessible for diff. levels of economic development - reduces erosion - quick + easy to build - vegetation can grow over them - looks natural - can last 20-25 years disadvantages: - if damaged, dangerous for bird life + for humans - ugly to look at - cages can corrode so maintenance needed

Answer 22

good options for coastal residents

Answer 23

hard engineering -structures (wooden or stone) built at right angles to the beach - reduces LSD so beach grows larger

Answer 24

advantages: - creates wider beaches - encourages tourism - fairly cheap (£5000 each) - can last up to 40 years disadvantages: - prevents material from being transported down the coast and so starve these areas of sediment which increases erosion in areas - hazard to windsurfers

Answer 25

good for touristic areas affected by LSD

Answer 26

SE - replacing or adding of sand or pebbles on a beach - a beach is the best form of natural defence as it absorbs wave energy

Answer 27

advantages: - creates wider beaches - stops erosion - natural - blends in w/ environment disadvantages: - can kill sponges and corals in sea bed when taking materials - costs are high £2 mil - has to be repeated storms can remove material

Answer 28

good for touristic areas

Answer 29

SE - artificially reshaping of a beach using existing beach material`

Answer 30

advantages: - costs spread over time - looks relatively natural disadvantages: - has to be done twice a year - causes disruption - cost can be 200k/year - bulldozers are noisy - beach can look unnatural - beach habitats can be disrupted

Answer 31

good for touristic areas affected by LSD - work with groynes

Answer 32

SE - artificial creation of new sand dunes or regeneration of existing dunes - plant fences to encourage sand to build up behind them and marram grass to stabilise the dunes - sand dunes act as a barrier and absorb wave energy

Answer 33

advantages: - effective protection from the sea - low cost - works w/ natural environment disadvantages: - restrict access to the beach - involves removal of sea-buck thorn to be effective - more expensive

Answer 34

good for areas with low population density

Answer 35

SE - area of the coast is allowed to erode and flood naturally - usually in area considered to be of low value - encourages the development of salt marshes which store water in times of flood

Answer 36

advantages: - reduces pressure of flooding further along the coast - very cheap - conserves natural coastal habitats disadvantages: - land can be lost - relocation costs can be high - locals feel 'let down' and communities can be broken up

Answer 37

good for areas w/ low value land.

Answer 38

the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries with a boundary known as the watershed

Answer 39

upper, middle and lower course

Answer 40

* location of teh source * river volume is small and shallow * v shaped

Answer 41

* v-shaped valleys * interlocking spurs * waterfalls * rapids

Answer 42

* river is increasing in colume * it has become wider and deeper * the relief of the land around it has reduced

Answer 43

* meanders * ox-bow lakes

Answer 44

* the river has reached its highest volume as it nears the mouth * land is flat as the river is close to sea level * river channel is at its widest and deepest

Answer 45

* levees * estuaries

Answer 46

water under high pressure cause cracks to force apart and widen in any rocks along the bank and river

Answer 47

the rock carried by the river scrape anf bang against the sides of the river and so wear away the channel gradually

Answer 48

rocks and pebbles hit each other so they then become rounder and smaller

Answer 49

chemicals or acids dissolved in the river channel can dissolve rocks

Answer 50

large, heavy pebbles are rolled along the river bed. This is most common near the source of a river, as here the load is larger.

Answer 51

pebbles are bounced along the river bed, most commonly near the source

Answer 52

lighter sediment is suspended (carried) within the water, most commonly near the mouth of the river

Answer 53

the transport of dissolved chemicals. This varies along the river depending on the presence of soluble rocks.

Answer 54

* shallow water * at the end of the river's journey, at the river's mouth * when the volume of the water decreases

Answer 55

the area of high land forming the edge of a river basin

Answer 56

where a river begins

Answer 57

where a river meets the sea

Answer 58

a small river or stream that joins a larger riverthe point at which two rivers meet

Answer 59

a small river or stream that joins a larger river

Answer 60

where the river flows

Answer 61

a line representing the river from its source (where it starts) to its mouth (where it meets the sea). It shows how the river changes over its course.

Answer 62

a cross-section of a river’s channel and valley at a certain point along the river’s course.

Answer 63

1. The soft rock is eroded quicker than the hard rock and this creates a step. As erosion continues, the hard rock is undercut forming an overhang. 2. Abrasion and hydraulic action erode to create a plunge pool 3. Over time this gets bigger, increasing the size of the overhang until the hard rock is no longer supported and it collapses. This process continues and the waterfall retreats upstream. 4. A steep-sided valley is left where the waterfall once was. This is called a gorge .

Answer 64

In the upper course there is more vertical erosion. The river cuts down into the valley. If there are areas of hard rock which are harder to erode, the river will bend around it. This creates interlocking spurs of land which link together like the teeth of a zip.

Answer 65

1. As a river goes around a bend, most of the water is pushed towards the outside. This causes increased speed and therefore increased erosion (through hydraulic action and abrasion). 2. The lateral erosion on the outside bend causes undercutting of the bank to form a river cliff. 3. Water on the inner bend is slower, causing the water to slow down and deposit the eroded material, creating a gentle slope of sand and shingle. 4. The build-up of deposited sediment is known as a slip-off slope (or sometimes river beach).

Answer 66

Due to erosion on the outside of a bend and deposition on the inside, the shape of a meander will change over a period of time. Erosion narrows the neck of the land within the meander and as the process continues, the meanders move closer together. When there is a very high discharge (usually during a flood), the river cuts across the neck, taking a new, straighter and shorter route. Deposition will occur to cut off the original meander, leaving a horseshoe-shaped oxbow lake.

Answer 67

an area of land which is covered in water when a river bursts its banks.

Answer 68

Floodplains are often agricultural land, as the area is very fertile because it's made up of alluvium (deposited silt from a river flood). The floodplain is often a wide, flat area caused by meanders shifting along the valley.

Answer 69

1. Levees occur in the lower course of a river when there is an increase in the volume of water flowing downstream and flooding occurs. 2. Sediment that has been eroded further upstream is transported downstream. When the river floods, the sediment spreads out across the floodplain. 3.When a flood occurs, the river loses energy. The largest material is deposited first on the sides of the river banks and smaller material further away. 4.After many floods, the sediment builds up to increase the height of the river banks, meaning that the channel can carry more water (a greater discharge) and flooding is less likely to occur in the future.

Answer 70

where the river meets the sea, the river here is tidal and when the sea retreats the volume of the water in the estuary is reduced. When there is less water, the river deposits silt to form mudflats which are an important habitat for wildlife.