Distinctive Landscapes Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is a Landscape?
A landscape is the scenery or appearance of an area. It includes both physical and human features.
What are the 5 main features of Landscapes?
1) Physical (eg. Mountains)
2) Water (eg. Rivers)
3) Living (eg. Flora + Fauna)
4) Transitory (eg. Weather)
5) Human (eg. Buildings)
How can we categorise Landscapes?
• Natural vs Built
• 4 other categories:
1) Coastal
2) Rivers
3) Glacial
4) Tectonic
Name 3 Upland Areas in the UK
Any of the following:
- Cairngorms
- Grampian Mountains
- Southern Uplands
- Cumbrian Mountains
- Pennines
- Cambrian Mountains
- Brecon Beacons
- Dartmoor
- Exmoor
Name 3 Lowland Areas in the UK
Any of the following:
- The Fens
- North Downs
- South Downs
- Cotswolds
Define Glaciation
A period of time where temperatures drop and ice forms across large areas.
What areas of the UK were affected by Glaciation?
• The ice carved mountains, U-shaped valleys and peaks in Scotland, Northern England and North Wales
• Periglacial conditions created dry valleys in lowland England
What are the 3 types of Rock?
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
What is Igneous rock?
Volcanic/ molten rock brought up to Earth’s surface and cooled into solid rock.
What is Sedimentary rock?
Made from broken fragments of rock worn down by weathering on Earth’s surface, it’s deposited in layers.
What is Metamorphic Rock?
Rock that is folded and distorted by heat and pressure caused by the movement of tectonic plates.
Characteristics of Granite
• Igneous rock with large crystals
• Very hard rock that erodes slowly
• Impermeable (no water passes through it)
• Acidic and not very fertile soil: not good for crops
Characteristics of Chalk
• Sedimentary rock formed on the seabed
• Type of limestone
• Soft and crumbly rock that easily erodes, it’s also permeable
• Soil is alkali and quite fertile, ideal for growing grass + suitable for crops
What is Weathering?
The breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals.
Define Mechanical Weathering
When rocks are broken down without any change in the chemical nature of the rocks, they’re essentially torn apart by physical force.
What is Freeze-thaw Weathering and what are the 4 stages of this process?
Mechanical weathering caused by large temperature variation between day and night, especially on mountains.
1) Rainwater collects in cracks in the rock
2) When temperatures fall, the water freezes and expands to form ice
3) Repeated freezing and thawing makes the crack bigger
4) Eventually the crack widens until the rock splits
Define Chemical Weathering
When rocks are broken down and chemically altered.
Name an example of Chemical Weathering
Any of the following:
- Carbonation
- Acid Rain
- Hydrolysis
- Oxidation
- Acids produced by lichens
Define Biological Weathering
Weathering caused by plants and animals
What are some human activities that can occur in Upland areas?
- Farming (eg. Livestock grazing)
- Camping
- Hiking
- Wind farms
- Hunting
What are the 3 Agents of Change in the UK?
Rivers
Glaciers
The sea
What are Geomorphic Processes?
The ways in which a landscape is shaped.
Define the 3 Geomorphic Processes
Erosion: Wearing away the land and removing broken fragments of rock.
Transport: Carrying away the erodes material.
Deposition: Leaving transported material behind and building up new land.
What are the 4 methods of Transportation?
Traction: Boulders and large stones are dragged across the river bed.
Saltation: Pebbles and small stones are picked up and dropped further along the river.
Suspension: Tiny particles of sand and silt are carried by the flowing water.
Solution: Dissolved, invisible rocks are carried by the river.
