Distinctive Landscapes Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is the difference between natural and built landscape
natural - landscape with more physical features e.g. mountains forests
built - more visible human features e.g. town or a city
Describe upland areas in the UK
Found in the north and west of the UK
Formed of harder rocks which resist erosion e.g. grate granite, limestone
Gradient of the land is steep
Climate is cooler and wetter
Harsh climate and thin soils allow rough vegetation to thrive
Land uses - sheep farming, quarrying, tourism
Describe lowland areas in the UK
Found in the south and eats of the UK
Formed from softer rocks e.g. chalk, claw, sandstones
Landscape is flatter
Climate - warmer drier
Most urban areas and industries (factories) are located in lowland areas
Land uses - quarrying, toursim, dairy and arable farming
Describe glaciated landscapes
Glaciated landscapes are found in upland areas
ice is very powerful so it was able to erode the landscape carving out valleys
Deposited a lot of material as it melted
What is the main type of mechanical weathering that affects UK landscape
freeze-thaw weathering
Explain the process of freeze-thaw weathering
it happens when temperature alternates above and below degrees celsius ( freezing point of water)
Water gets into a rock that has cracks e.g. granite. Water freezes and expands which puts pressure on the rock. When the water thaws it contracts which release pressure on the rock
Repeated freezing and thawing widens the crack and causes the rock to break up
Explain the process of the chemical weathering, carbonation weathering
Happens in warm and wet conditions
Rainwater has carbon dioxide dissolved in it, which makes it a weak carbonic acid
Carbonic acid reacts with rock that contains calcium carbonate e.g. carboniferous limestone, so the rocks are dissolved by the rainwater
What is biological weathering
The breakdown of rocks by living things e.g. plant roots break down rocks by growing into cracks on their surfaces and pushing them apart
What is mass movement
The shifting of rocks and lose material down a slope e.g. cliff or a valley side. It happens when the force of gravity acting on a slope is greater than the force supporting it
Mass movement causes coasts to retreat rapidly
They are more likely to happen when a material is filled with water - it acts as a lubricant and makes the material heavier
Undercutting a slope by erosion will increase the chance of mass movement
What are 2 types of mass movement
Slides - material shifts in a straight line
Slumps - material shifts with a rotation
What is hydraulic action
along coasts waves crashes against rock and compresses the air in the cracks, this puts pressure on the rock. Repeated compression widens the cracks and makes bits of rock break off.
What is abrasion
eroded particles in the water scrape and rub against rock in sea bed, cliffs. or river channel, removing small pieces and wearing them away. Most erosion happens by abrasion
what is attrition
eroded particles in water smash into each other and break into smaller fragments . Their edges get rounded off as they rub together
What is solution
dissolved carbon dioxide makes river and sea water slightly acidic. The acid reacts chemically with some rocks e.g. chalk, limestone, disolving them
What is transportation
movement of eroded material
What are the 4 processes of transportation
Traction- large particles like boulders are pushed along the river bed or sea floor by the force of water
Saltation - pebble-sized particles are bounced along the river bed by the force of the water
Suspension- small particles like slit and clay are carried along by the water
Solution - Soluble material dissolve in the water and are carried along
What is deposition
material being carried out by sea water or diver is dropped. It occurs when water carrying sediment loses its velocity so that it isnt moving fast enough to carry so much sediment
What are constructive waves
waves deposit more sediment than they erode
low frequency
low and long
powerful swash and carries material up the coast
backwash is weak
Give reasons why rivers slow down and deposit material
volume of water in the river falls
amount of eroded material in the water increases
water is shallower e.g. inside of the bend
The river reaches the sea or a lake at its mouth
How are headland and bays form
When there are alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rocks along a coast
The less resistant rock e.g. clay is eroded quickly and this forms a bay - bays have a gentle slope
The resistant rock e.g. chalk is eroded more slowly and it is left jutting out forming a headland - headland have steep sides
How do headlands erode to form Caves, Arches and Stacks
Headlands are made of resistant rock that have weaknesses such as cracks
Waves crash into the headland and enlarge the cracks mainly through hydraulic action and abrasion
Repeated erosion and enlargement of the cracks causes a cave to form
Continued erosion deepens the cave till it breaks through the headland e.g. Durdle Door in Dorset
Erosion continues to wear away the rock supporting the arch until it eventually collapses
This forms a stack - and isolated rock that is separate from the headland e.g. Old Harry in Dorset
Where is the Dorset coast located
south coast of England
its called the Jurassic Coast because it has lots of fossils dating from the Jurassic period
How does climate influence the geomorphic processes on the Dorset Coast
Exposed to prevailing winds from the south-west. These prevailing winds can bring storms to the UK from the Atlantic Ocean. Storms bring high energy, destructive waves which increase erosion on the cliffs. Hydraulic action and abrasion increase during a storm and erode the base of the cliffs -> unstable = mass movement
Wet winters
Soils and rocks become heavier when they are saturated which can make them more prone to mass movement
How does geology influence geomorphic processes on the Dorset Coast
Discordant coastline
rocks have been eroded at different rates - differential erosion which has created coastal landforms e.g. Lulworth Cove
Soft rock easily eroded by hydraulic action and abrasion
harder chalk and limestone cliffs are weathered and eroded more slowly - headlands
Chalk and limestone are vulnerable to erosion by solution -> sea water chemically reacts withrock causing it to dissolve
