Unit 1: Section C Phys Landscape (UK) Flashcards
Define cross - section
An imaginary slice through the landscape
Define relief
Height of the land (and different landscape features made by changes in height)
what is landscape like in the north of the UK?
More mountainous terrain, made up of resistant rocks (granite and slate)
what is landscape like in the south of the UK?
lowlands, made with weaker rocks (clay and limestone)
what causes wave formation?
friction of wind blowing over sea
what wave types are there?
constructive and destructive
characteristics of constructive waves?
- strong swash (brings sediment)
- weak backwash (takes little sediment)
- builds beach
- waves low & far apart
characteristics of constructive waves?
- weak swash (brings little sediment)
- strong backwash (takes lots of sediment)
- waves steep & close
define fetch
??????
define weathering
weakening or decay of rock due to the action
types of weathering
mechanical
chemical
biological
what is mechanical weathering?
freeze-thaw (ice expands in cracks and melts repeatedly)
what is chemical weathering?
carbonation - rainwater absorbs co2 => acidic => contact with alkali rocks (limestone)
what is biological weathering?
plant roots widen cracks and animals burrow
what is mass movement?
the downward movement of weathered material and rock due to gravity
what types of mass movements are there?
- rockfall
- landslide
- mudflow
- rotation slip
describe rockfall
rock brakes of cliff due to freeze thaw
what is scree?
pieces of sediment that fall of the cliff face
describe landfall
blocks of rocks sliding downhill
describe mudflow
saturated soil and weak rock flows downhill
what is the lobe of a mudflow?
the bottom rounded part of the mudflow (looks like a lobe)
describe rotational slip
slump of saturated soil and weak rock along a curved surface
what is coastal erosion?
weathering away of the coast
what kind of coastal erosion processes are there?
- solution
- corrasion
- abrasion
- attrition
- hydraulic power
