Paper 2: The UK's Physical Landscape - Topic 4 Flashcards

Question

Lake District: Climatological

Answer 1

These landscapes attract a lot of relief rainfall, because hillsides will create this relief rainfall. Also, higher areas of land will be colder and wetter (every 100m up is -1°C on average), which is why it will be colder and wetter too.

Answer 2

- The lowland is found in the South-East of England, especially the Weald - The lowland feature is including of the South and North Downs and the Weald - Highest point is Crowborough Beacon which is 225m above sea level

Answer 3

The Downs and the Weald are lowland landscapes. They are chalk escarpments that lie either side of a large, flat area of clay. The valley is flat (with some small hills). Glacial meltwater eroded large amounst of sedmentary rock leaving this dostinctive lowland landscape.

Answer 4

There are lots of layers of sedimentary rocks, which have been moved by uplift. The top parts of sedimentary rock have been eroded away to create 'The Weald'. The Weald gies from the South Downs, all they way up to the North Downs. Tne alluvium will in future compact to become sedimentary rock.

Answer 5

During glacial periods, (when the climate was colder) the gaps in the chalk froze making it impermeable. When seasonal snow melt occured, it couldn't inflitrate into the chalk and indtead ran over the top and eroded valleys. Now, water runs underground through the chalk and the rivers cannot be seen.

Answer 6

Dry valleys are found in UK lowland landscapes, which hve no visible streams. They have been formed during glacial when the cooler climate led to more freeze-thaw weathering and glacial snow melt, meaning that streams had more water in them than they have today. The hills are gently sloping and are not as steep and as harsh as the ones found in upland areas.

Answer 7

The two types of weather process have taken place to erode the rocks in this area: Biological Weathering, and Chemical Weathering. - Plants and Animals break down the structure od the rock over time as they burrow into rock, which forms cracks in the rock - Rainwater absorbs CO2 as a by-product of pollution, meaning the rain/surface water becomes a weak carbonic acid. The acid reacts with calcium carbonate in the Limestone and Chalk, dissolving the rocks

Answer 8

Soil Creep is the slowest of all mass movements. It takes place at a rate of 1-3mm per year in temperate latitudes and 10mm per year in tropical forests. Soil such as sandstone and clay absorb large amounts of moisture and become saturated - they can move down the slope.

Answer 9

The UK climate is very wet. Heavy rain can lead to flooding, so when rivers flood the overflowing water carries sediment and deposits silt on the valley floor forming a floodplain. This floodplain is very fertile, which is important in lowland areas, hoever in upland areas tne river is eroding downwards, carving out a V-shaped valley.

Answer 10

This landscape will not attract as much relief rainfall, as the hills are not as steep and tall as the mountains that are found in the Lake District. One the note of rain, these areas can get flooded, which will result in overflowing river deposits of silt on the valley floor.

Answer 11

Upland Area - Lake District: In the Lake District, isolated settlements are left far apart, while most places are farms with lots of land, instead of houses. Also, there will be many campsite areas with these kinds of areas quite dispersed too, due to the fact that the environment of the mountains and velleys does not cater for much development. Lowland Area - East Anglia: In East Anglia, you find many more smaller, and more connected villages which are usually located a lot closer together as a result, while there are also no landscape features to get in theway of development either.

Answer 12

Upland Area - Lake District: The building materials used gere will most likely be sourced quite locally, as it will prove difficult and costly to transport anything from anywhere very far. This means materials such as slate, stones and woods will be used more. Lowland Area - East Anglia: The traditional building materials have always been the local chalk and rock sourced from the nearby areas. However, there are more ranges of building materials used today, as there are a lot more viable and reliable methods of transportation for the materials, making them more cost effective and avaliable.

Answer 13

Upland Area - Lake District: From a birds-eye view, fields are not divided by exact straight lines and boundaries, and instead almost flows in and out of each other, in accordance with how the land is shaped. Lowland Area - East Anglia: Overall, in the lowlands, field boundaries are very accurate boundaries that have been carefully drawn out, and they also do not have to be made in line with the contours and shape of the surrounding landscape, unlike the Lake District.

Answer 14

Upland Area - Lake District: Nearly all the farmers in the Lake District will not grow crops, as they won't be able to survive the harshest winters, while cattle like sheep and cows are more likely to. These types of animals will be able to eat much more gard and thorny foods, while the sheep influence the fact that stone walls are made to pen them in, so they don't escape. Lowland Area - East Anglia: The type of farming that will take place here is actually crop farming that will be harvested every so often when the crops are ready. This means that large gillages are found around these farmlands, with there being flat land, with little trees (less than 12% of the UK's trees remain).

Answer 15

Upland Area - Lake District: Afforestation has happened a lot since the 1920's on Ennerdale Valley, which proved conomic value in planting trees commercially. Also, the main income will be of sheeps's wool, as well as sheep and cow as well. Lowland Area - East Anglia: In this area, there is a lot more crop farming while there will be a lot more tertiary secotors and jobs avaliable in the market, because there are more densly populated areas, which means more people will need access to shops, doctors, hospitals, facilities and even more; while in the Lake District, there is no need or demand for this.

Answer 16

The differences in temperature have an impact on processes along the coast, e.g the mild temperatures increase the rate of salt weathering because the water evaporates quicker.

Answer 17

Storms are very frequent in winter, the stronger winds create high energy, destructive waves which increases the rosion of cliffs. Intense rain makes cliffs more saturated, making mass movement more likely.

Answer 18

The most commom winds in the UK are South Westerlies which bring storms in from the Atlantic, which exposes the South West coast. Cold Northerly winds are also common on the East Coast.

Answer 19

Mass movement is the shifting of loose rocks and loose material down a slope. In this scenario, the sand is permeable and allows water to pass through, all the way up to the boundary between the clay and the sand (this lubricates the boundary). The water can't pass through the impermeable clay, making the sand fully saturated, which will make it dramatically slump in a rotational manner.

Answer 20

Joints or bedding planes are aligned diagonally to the sea, meaning there is erosion the the base, or weathering at the top of the cliff. Then, the cliff becomes unsupported and can be further lubricated by rain, falling in a straight and diagonal line.

Answer 21

There is freeze-thaw, biological weathering, and chemical weathering. The freeze-thaw can operate in sub-zero temperatures and is when frozen water get in and enlarges cracks in rocks. Biological weathering is when animals and plant roots burrow down into the cracks and openings in the rock, which in turn, makes it weaker and increases the cracks. Chemical weathering (carbonation) breaks down rocks with acid rain, for example.

Answer 22

Broken rock fragments and pebbles carried in the wave 'batter' and 'scour' the land by hitting the cliff face and the floor. This then breaks off other pieces of rock and rubs surfaces down.

Answer 23

When a wave crashes against the land, it compresses air and water and traps into cracks on the rock's surface. When the wave moves away again, the compressed air expands explosivly. Both these actions enlarge the cracks and ultimatly breaks the rock off.

Answer 24

When rock fragments grind and rub each other down into smaller and smaller fragments. For example, rocks are smoothed to pebbles which are eventually reduced to shingle and then sand.

Answer 25

These waves will be higher and more powerful, but roll in more frequently (at around 10-14 waves each minute). This type of wave will bring more sediment out and away from the shore/beach, as the backwash is more powerful than the swash. Storms increase the erosional power of destructive waves which can lead to increased rates of erosion. This type of wave tends to narrow and steep-off cliffs, with the strength, the time and the distance needing to be larger in order of this wave to be formed - Weak swash - Steep Gradient - Short Wavelength - Strong Backwash erodes shore/beach

Answer 26

This type of wave will bring more sediment in, meaning they deposit materials such as sand and shingle (gravel) along the coast to form beaches. This type of wave is associated with light winds and short fetches, meaning it has lower energy, therefore making it less powerful and comes in less fequently. This makes beaches wider but also shallower too. These waves will come in from sheltered areas, as the strength, distance and time will be shorter. - Strong swash deposits washed up materials - Shallow Gradient - Long Wavelength - Weak Backwash

Answer 27

Comsists of resistant rocks, such as igneous granite and resistant sedimentary rocks e.g sandstone, limestone or chalk. Some examples are FlamboroughnHead (East Yorkshire) and Lulworth Cove (Dorset).

Answer 28

Less resistant rocks like shales, which is easily eroded. Examples are Holderness Coast (East Yorkshire), which Christchurch Bay (Doreset and Hampshire) and the North Norfolk Coast.

Answer 29

Joints are small, usually vertical, cracks found in many rocks. More joints mean weaker rock, no matter how strong the rock itself is.

Answer 30

Faults are larger cracks caused by past tectonic movements, where rocks have moved. The more faults, the weaker the rock, no matter what.

Answer 31

Definition: If strata are at right angles to the coast, the coast is known as discordant. These have different rock types. Rock Alignment: Rock layers are perpendicular to the coast. Examples of Coastline: E.g Swanage Bay, Studland Bay, and Dingle Bay. Features and Landforms: Arches, stacks and stumps can be found here. Erosional Landforms, Depositional Landforms, or both: Coastal Erosion and Depsoitional Landforms can form here (so both).

Answer 32

Definition: If strata are parallel to the coastline, the coast is known as concordant. These have the same rock types parallel to the coastline. Rock Alignment: Rock layers are parallel to the coastline. Examples of Coastline: E.g Lulworth Cove in Dorset, and Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire Features and Landforms: They can either be featureless, or there can be some coves created if there are enough weak points in the rock. Erosional Landforms, Depositional Landforms, or both: Just Coastal Erosion Landforms are present here.

Answer 33

They are initially different bands of stronger rock and weaker rock. Then, the sea attacks and erodes a section of the coast with the weaker rock, eroding the weaker rock at a quicker pace, with the stronger rock eroding at a far slower place (and essentially staying put). This erosion of mainly hydraulic action and abrasion then leaves behind headlands that jutt out into sea, and what was the softer rock has now retreated into a sandy beach inside of a bay. This bay continues into the land and the bay continues to retreat until it flattens out with the rest of the land.

Answer 34

Headlands are usually made of more resistant rocks that have weaknesses like cracks, joints, or faults. When waves crash into the headlands and enlarge the cracks in these rocks, mainly by using hydraulic power and abrasion, more erosion continues to take place, therefore leading these cracks to eventually widen out into a cave. Even more continued erosion like abrasion pushes the cave back and widens it out up to a point where it passes through the whole of the headland to make an arch. Erosion at the bottom of the arch, and chemical weathering, for example, at the top of the arch wears away the rock at the top and the bottom, until the overhanging rock that connects both sides of the arch eventually falls down, which makes a stack in it's place. After even more time, the stack is weathered at the top and eroded at the bottom until it either just shrinks down into a stump by the weathering, or through erosion where part of it breaks off, and topples and falls down into the sea to make a stump.

Answer 35

The waves cause most erosion (abrasion and hydraulic action) at the foot of the cliff, while at the top of the cliff, weathering takes place. This forms a wave-cut notch, which is enlarged as this erosion continues. This results in the notch becoming unstable and collapses. The fallen material is washed away and a new wave-cut notch is formed. The repeated collapsing results in the cliff retreating, just leaving a wave-cut platform left over, as the cliff continues to retreat.

Answer 36

Deposition is when material is deposited by constructive waves and forms landscapes such as: beaches, spits, and bars. This happens because the water or the wave doesn't have enough energy to transport the material, so it simply dropped.

Answer 37

Material is transported along coasts by a process called longshore drift. Firstly, the waves follow the direction of the prevailing wind. They usually hit the coast at an oblique angle (not a right angle). The swash carries the material up the beach in the angked direction that the wave comes in at, while the backwash then carries material back down the beach at right angles towards the sea. This basically creates a big zig-zag path of the sediment moving across the coast, so overtime, this is how sediment like sand slowly moves across the beach.

Answer 38

(Smallest Particles) Chemicals can be dissolved and these area often derived from limestone or chalk, and this dissolved rock can flow with the water.

Answer 39

(Bigger particles than Solution) Here, particles are carried (suspended) within the water. These particles are small enough to travel with the water, but not to dissolved into it.

Answer 40

(Bigger particles than Suspension) This is a 'hopping' or 'bouncing' motion of particles that are slightly too heavy to be suspended. This means it can't be fully carried by the water.

Answer 41

(Bigger particles than in Saltation) This is when large rocks/pebbles are rolled along the seabed, because the current of the water does not have enough energy and isn't strong enough.

Answer 42

Spits are essentially made up of deposited material that builds up over time to make new land. 1. Spits form at sharp bends in the coastline, e.g at the river mouth. 2. Longshore drift transports sand and shingle past the bend and then deposits it in the sea. 3. Strong winds and waves then curve the end of the spit, then as a result, curving the end. 4. The sheltered area behind the spit is protected from waves - lots of material accumulates in this area, which means plants can grow there. 5. Over time, this sheltered area can be cut off from the water supply and can become a mud flat or a salt marsh. 6. The spit may not reach the whole way across because of deep water and river currents.

Answer 43

A bar is formed when a spit forms, but travels to a point where it joins two different headlands together. 1. The longshire drift moves a d deposits the sand and shingle until it's deposited to connect the two headlands. 2. This bar cuts off the bay between the headlands from the sea. 3. As a result, this means a lagoon can form behind the bar because of this.

Answer 44

At Easington Gas Work (which processes 25% of the UK's gas), for example, increases the weight on the cliff, which adds to rotational slumping and mass movement - Direct Negative Impact Pollution of the water, air, and noise is a big problem threatening wildlife - Direct Negative Impact Sand was dredged from the beach and under the sea to build the height of the gas works, making the waves more destructive - Indirect Negative Impact

Answer 45

At Tunstall Farm (for example), people have decided not to protect it from the coast due to it's poor quality and low value - Direct Negative Impact The fact that there is no protection, means the coast is eroding at 2m per year - Indirect Negative Impact However, because there are no barriers, longshire drift can happen, which is building up the coast further down - Indirect Positive Impact When the farmer ploughs the farm, it exposes the soil and rock to the rain, weathering, and mass movement - Direct Negative Imapct

Answer 46

A decision was made to protect Mapleton Village (for example), by building a groyne. - Direct Positive Impact This led to less coastal erosion at Mapleton Village - Indirect Positive Impact However, in Great Cowden, erosion is much quicker and land being lost - Indirect Negative Impact

Answer 47

Bridlington's Harbour has been built, but is negativly affecting the stability of the cliffs - Harbour built is Direct Positive (tourism and income), but the rest is Indirect Negative The boats and runoff from the land has also polluted the water quality more in this area - Indirect Negative Impact

Answer 48

The sea is rising due to three main factors: Global Warming, which leads to Glacial Ice Melting into the sea, and then on top of this is Thermal Expansion that this also caused by the Global Warming. This will expand the already heated wated and also hest up the Glacial Ice Melted Water and will expand that too.

Answer 49

- Low-lying coastal areas could be flooded, leaving some places uninhabitable - Coastal Industries may be shut down because of water damage to equipment and building - There's a risk to the damage of infrastructure like roads and rail links too. - The coastal tourist economies will be badly affected

Answer 50

- Ecosystems will be affected by seawater due to it's high salt content. It can affect agricultural land by reducing soil fertility - The force of floodwater can uproot trees and plants, as well as drowing them - Some coservation areas are threatened by coastal erosion, like the lagoons on Holderness Coast

Answer 51

Storms are becoming more frequent due to warmer tempeartures in the atmosphere, therefore, it will have more energy and can create bigger and more frequent waves and storms.

Answer 52

Storms will cause more erosion of the land, which means cliff are being undercut, with the land above collapsing, meaning the coastline retreats. Soft rock coastlines such as gravel or clay will experience more erosion, retreat, and collapse with higher sea levels and lots of storms.

Answer 53

- Businesses near the coast could fail due to their buildings collapsing or places such as warehouse could get flooded, or could collapse - Roads can get flooded, along with transport links such as trains being affeted due to the tracks being too dangerous and/or unsafe - Houses near the coast could get wahsed away by floods or could fall down over the cliffs if the coastal erosion gets that far

Answer 54

- Land and farms can get flooded, meaning what was fertile soil, could easily get destroyed by the floodwater, which would also kill the crops - Trees can get uprooted, washed away, or topped over, which would destroy the habitats of animals like birds - Water supplies for animals and humans can get flooded by rising sea levels, meaning many water sources could easily get polluted

Answer 55

-They are wooden/stone fences that are built at right angles to the shore. They trap sediment and material that is being moved by Longshore Drift, meaning it can't move further up the coast. (It is Hard Management)

Answer 56

Benefits: - Popular with councils as it is a cheap and quick fix for erosion. - Creates wider beaches which slow the waves. This gives better protection against flooding and erosion. Problems and Costs: - They starve beaches of sand further down the coast, making them more narrow. - Narrow beaches don't protect the coast very well, leading to increased floods and erosion.

Answer 57

- It is a wall made out of a hard concrete that reflect waves back out to sea - This means the energy of the waves are almost deflected away from the coast by these walls (It is Hard Management)

Answer 58

Benefits: - It prevents erosion of the coast very well. - It also doubles up to make a barrier against floods. - It can provide a platform for a promenade which is good for tourism. Problems and Costs: - They ceate a strong backwash, which erodes under the wall too. - Sea wall are also very expensive to build and also maintain.

Answer 59

- Adding sediment to a beach builds up the beach height - The beach absorbs wave energy and prevents waves breaking at the base of the cliff. (It is Soft Management)

Answer 60

Benefits: - It creates wider beaches which slow the waves. - This gives greater protection from flooding and erosion - It looks natural and also attracts more tourists. - Doesn't affect erosion down coast Problems and Costs: - Taking material from the seabed can kill organisms like sponges and corals. - It's a very expensive defence which has to be repeated multiple times over the years.

Answer 61

- Vegetation is planted by laying geo-meshes and planting grasses and shrubs - the roots can stabilise soil. - Drainage pipes are placed which reduces water pressure and prevents saturation. Together, these reduce mass movement slumping (It is Soft Management)

Answer 62

Benefits: - It prevents mass movement by increasing the strength of the slope. - This doesn't interfere with any other erosion like Longshore Drift. Problems and Costs: - Slope stabilisation is very expensive and sometimes very difficult to install - Sometimes the areas around it, including the parts of the beach, have to be closed when the work is carried out.

Answer 63

Hold the Line - Use sea defences to stop erosion and so the coast stays where it is. (Can be expensive Advance the Line - By building new defences on the seaward side of the original defence. (Can be very expensive) Strategic Retreat/Realignment - Gradually let low value areas of the shoreline to erode back to help, in turn, protecting higher value areas. No Active Intervention - This means there is no investment in coast defences or operations.

Answer 64

In the UK, local councils have to pay for sea defences themselves. They may get money from the Government or an Environmental Agency if there is high risk, like a flood.

Answer 65

If costs of building the sea defence are less than the value of the land under threat, then the area will be protected. If the value of the land under threat is less than costs of building the sea defence, then the area will not be protected.

Answer 66

Why: - It's an urban development - Has a population of around 35,000 - It offers great tourism opportunities - Offers recreation water sports and has an operational fishing community and is nationally important for sea birds How: - Groynes have been built along beaches to stop longshore drift - Sea walls have been put in to reflect wave energy

Answer 67

Why: - It has approximatly 50 properties - The village has been subject to intense erosion at a rate of 2m per year - The access road only 50m from the cliff edge at it's closest point - The villagers campaigned for this and were restless in their petition How: - There is rock armour to deflect and absorb the energy from the waves - Groynes have been put in to prevent longshore drift - Because of the groynes, the beach got thicker, meaning the waves won't get to the cliff as easily/quickly

Answer 68

Why: - There are no coastal defences in Great Cowden - It is mainly home to farmland and caravan parks - Great Cowden's coastline has suffered as a knock-on effect from protecting Mappleton How: -Here, there are no defences and the coastline suffers due to coastal management strategies used in Mappleton

Answer 69

Why: - It is one of the 6 main gas terminals in the UK - This station accounts for approximatly 25% of all Britain's gas supply - This station is an important infrastructure and needs to be protected How: - Rock armour is sued along the coast to protect Easington from the enrgy of the waves - The rocks used to form the rock armour were actually shipped all the way from Norway

Answer 70

This deepens the river valley (and channel), making it V-shaped. It's dominant in the upper course of the river. High turbulence causes the rough, angular particles to be scraped along the river bed, causing intense downwards erosion.

Answer 71

This widens the river valley (and channel) during the formation of meanders. It's dominant in the middle and lower courses.

Answer 72

Increases Lots As the river goes further down stream, there will be more water in it, with tributary's also adding their water in too, which is why there is such a huge increase in discharge.

Answer 73

Increases As lateral erosion continues downstream, the channel width will widen, which is especially obvious when going from the upper course, to the middle course.

Answer 74

Increases As vertical erosion continues downsteam, the channel depth will deepen, this is very obvious when going from the middle course to the lower course, and especially the river mouth, as it joins up with the sea.

Answer 75

Increases A Little The velocity will slightly increase, as the water has built up momentum, and then river sed and sides will be smooth, allowing this to happen.

Answer 76

Increases Lots There will be more sediment further down, as the river is larger, and stronger, but the actual pieces of rock will be smaller, because of increased erosion further downstream, which is helped by the increased velocity too.

Answer 77

Decreases The particle shape will get wmore and more smoother further downstream, because there will be more erosion of the river, and the sediment inside of it.

Answer 78

Decreases The gradient will decrease as the river nears the mouth, because the mouth eill be at sea level, whereas the source of the river was up in the hills.

Answer 79

- In an area of hard resistant rock - It will be steep side, due to vertical erosion, with a steep gradient - The channel is narrow and shallow, making the discharge low - The source is in Black Fell Moss (670m above sea level) - The velocity is low due to friction from the rough sides and bed - Large and angular stones will be carried.

Answer 80

- Will be made of softer, less resistant rock, like sandstone which is easily eroded by the river. - The valley sides become gentle slopes, meaning it is less steep - The river channel becomes wider and deeper - Discharge increases as more streams join the main river. - The sediment load is made up of more smaller, and more rounded rocks. - The river valley will become wider

Answer 81

- Here, the valley is very flat, and very wide - The river will now only be a few meters above sea level - The river channel will be very wide and very deep (In the centre of Carlisle the river is 50m wide. - It will also have a very large discharge because the river will have other rivers and tributaries flowing into it, like the Caldew and the Petteril. - It will have a high velocity, due to little friction from the smooth sides and bed - The material in it will be fine and well rounded, and will most likely be carried by suspension or solution - The River Mouth opens up at Solway Firth, after the river has travelled 145km (90mi) all the way from it's source.

Answer 82

Source: Where the River first starts, or the farthest place from where the river's mouth is. Tributary: A river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake. Confluence: The junction of two rivers, where one flows into the larger one. Mouth: A river mouth is the part of a river where the river opens up into into a lake or the sea. Watershed: An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers.

Answer 83

1. A waterfall, like Mallerstrang `Falls on the River Eden, occurs when more resistant rock lies over a layer of less resistant rock. 2 Less resistant rocks erodes more easily by Abrasion (sandpapering action) and Hydraulic Action (force of water getting into cracks) 3. The river's bedload swirls around at the foot of the waterfall, gradually eroding the river bed to form a plunge pool. 4. The collapse of the less resistant rock results in further erosion of the more resistant rock. 5. Eventually, the overhang of more resistant rocks collapses under its own weight, because of it being undercut. 6. This results in the waterfall eroding upstream, forming a steep-sided valley called a gorge.

Answer 84

1. A river's discharge is low in the upper course and so the river only has enough energy to erode downards. This is called vertical erosion. 2. The valley's sides are slowly broken down through weathering (chemical, biolgical, freeze-thaw). 3. The weathered material is transported via gravity and rainfall towards the river channel. This process steepens the valleys sides. 4. The steep-sided and narrow valley shape that is created is typical of upland rivers.

Answer 85

1. In the Upper Course of a river must of the erosion is vertically downwards. This creates steep sided, V-Shaped valleys. 2. The rivers aren't powerful enough to erode laterally - they have to wind around the hillsides that stick out into their paths on either side. 3. The hillsides that interlock with each other (like a zip if you were looking from above) as the river winds around them are called interlocking spurs.

Answer 86

How meanders form: Rivers develop large bends called meanders in their middle and lower courses, in areas where there are both shallow and deep sections in the channel: 1. The current is faster on the outside of the bend because the river channel is deeper (there's less friction to slow the water down). 2. This means more erosion (abrasion and hydaulic action) takes place on the outside of the bend, forming ruver cliffs. 3. The current is slower on the inside of the bend because the river channel is shallower (there's more more friction to slow the water down) 4. As a result, eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend, forming slip-off slopes. This process happens more and more overtime, changing the shape of the meander, until it eventually bends back on itself to form an ox-bow lake.

Answer 87

An Ox-Bow Lake can only start to from once a meander has been fully formed. When a meander has fully formed, the process of creating an Ox-Bow Lake follows: 1. Erosion causes the outside bends to get closer, until there's only a small bit of land left between the bends (called the neck). 2. The river starts to bend back on itself, and begins to break through this land meaning the river essentially loops back on itself, usually during a flood, and the river flows along the shortest course. 3. Now, the water travels in a straight line, and not through the old meander to form an ox-bow lake. Depositon eventually cuts off the meander, and the water forming an ox-bow lake (on the right). Over time, the water supply will run out, and the ox-bow lake will dry out, creating a meander scar.

Answer 88

The river erodes on the outside of the bend where the current flows fastest and strongest. This washes away the river bank creating a river cliff. On the inside of the bend where the water flows slowest and weakest, it deposits its load, forming a slip-off slope. The line of fastest flow is called the thalweg.

Answer 89

In the lower course of the river, the main process is lateral erosion and deposition, as the river is carrying a very large amount of sediment. At a meander bend the river eroded on the outer bend and the river migrates. Usually, it moves downstream and outwards. After time, the meander erodes into the hills and creates a very wide and flat area next to the river, which is called the river floodplain. Suddenly the river flows slower because friction increases. This added sediment and makes the floodplain very fertile due to the ions and minerals that are left over.

Answer 90

Floodplains and levees are formed by deposition at times when rivers flood. A river's load is composed of different size material. When a river floods it suddenly soread out and the water slows down because of friction, and it deposits rhe heaviest of these particles first. The larger particles, often shingle, will form a levee which is a natural embankment. The sands, slits, and clays are similarly sorted with the sands being deposited next, then the slits, and finally the smallest clays. Every time the river floods, depositon builds up the floodplain which is the flat land either side of the river.

Answer 91

When a river reaches another body of water such as a sea, or an ocean, it loses velocity and deposits sediment. If a river deposits sediment faster than the coastal processes erode it, sediment will build up in layers in a fan-shaled delta. The river splits into many river channels called distributaries and creates large areas of wetland.

Answer 92

Discharge is the volume of water flowing in a river at one particular point and time. It is measured in cubic meters per second (m^3/s) (cumecs).

Answer 93

Peak rainfall – the highest amount of rainfall Peak discharge – the largest volume of water in the channel at one point Lag time – difference between peak rainfall and peak discharge Rising limb – shows rising water after rainfall Falling limb – shows discharge falling as less water reaches the Channel Ground water flow – water level flowing under the surface

Answer 94

The amount and intensity of the rainfall is not the only factor influencing the shape of the hydrograph. Below are other influences: - Precipitation - Geology - Drainage basin shape and size - Soil - Slopes and soil depth - Vegetation - Towns and cities - Antecedent conditions

Answer 95

Storm hydrographs show how the discharge of a river changes over time. We use them to see how the river responds to rainfall events. It shows 2 things which are: Rainfall (bars), and Discharge (line)

Answer 96

Precipitation - Large amounts of rainfall, or sudden snow melt, or heavy rainstorms can cause this. Geology - Impermeable rocks such as granite cannot absorb water, so there's more runoff. Drainage basin shape and size - Rainfall reaches the river channel quickly om a small drainage basin, but a large basin can create high discharges over time. Soil - Frozen and saturated soil can hold little more water, while clay soils have small pore space, meaning less water infiltration, and more runoff. Slopes and soil depth - Steep slopes and thin soils can cause rapid surface runoff, meaning steeper the slope, the less infiltration. Vegetation - Little vegetation cover means more surface runoff, deforestation and too many grazing animals can increase flooding. Towns and cities - Lots of urban surfaces are impermeable, so water quickly runs off into the drainage basin. Antecedent conditions - If recent hign rainfall has already saturated the ground, inflitration is reduced, so any new rainfall will cause quickened surface runoff.

Answer 97

Precipitation - Small amounts of gentle rainfall or gradual snow melt. Geology - Permeable rocks such as sandstone can absorb and store water, so there's less runoff. Drainage basin shape and size - When drainage basins are of certain shapes, the water can sometimes take longer to reach the main channel. Soil - Dry soil can absorb and store lots more water, and sandy soil have large pores so more water can infiltrate, and less water can runoff. Slopes and soil depth - Gentle slopes and deep soils can lead to lower surface runoff, and more infiltration as a result. Vegetation - Plants and trees interceot and absorb rainfall when it inflitrates into the soil. As a result, afforestation can reduce flooding. Towns and cities - Rural land has many permeable surfaces, meaning water can infliltrate easier, reduce surface runoff. Antecedent conditions - When thete jas been lityle recent rainfall, the ground has space to absorb and store water so there is less surface runoff as a result.

Answer 98

Lag time happens because most rainwater doesn't land directly in the river channel - there's a delay as rainwater gets to the channel. It gets there by flowing quickly overland (surface runoff), or by inflitrating into the ground and flowimg slowly underground.

Answer 99

Surface runoff is the main cause of the rising limb, as this is the quickest route of transportation for the water, as this can happen overground, without having to inflitrate into the ground, which would've added on time. The last type of flow to reach the river is the Groundwater flow, as it has to go through inflitration and percolation before it even gets to the groundwater flow, and then eventually makes it's way to the river.

Answer 100

Firstly, water droplets will start off as precipitation. Then they can either fall straight to the ground, or go through interception by the trees, and then make their way onto the ground. This could travel surface runoff. After the droplet gets through the interception, it will have to go through inflitration to get from the surface storage, down to the soil moisture store, where is could travel as throughflow. Next a water droplet could have to go through percolation to get to the Groundwater Storage, where it would travel as Groundwater Flow, if it was to get that far down. (How far down water droplets get, depend on the saturation of the layer of land below it.)

Answer 101

The River Eden, November-December 2015

Answer 102

There are many different Physical Factors that can contribute to increased chances of flooding, especially with the River Eden. Some of these physical factors can be the fact that Cumbria is on the West Coast, which means that it will be more vunerable to the South-Westerly prevailing wind, which would've resulted in the land recieving a lot of Relief and Frontal Rainfall. Another reason could be that the area is that it is in itself, is one of the wettest areas in the UK. This matter is made far worse by the fact that the River Eden is surrounded by landscape with impermeable surfaces, as both the Pennines and Lake are made up of hard and impermeable rocks, which can be made even worse when snow starts to melt around the ends if winter.

Answer 103

There are also many, many different human factors that come into play when you're looking at how the chances of flooding is increased in the River Eden. One of the main human contributers is the fact that Carlisle is a large built up area (with a population of around 75,000 people), meaning that parts of the floodplain have been devloped on, while a high surface runoff is generated due to the impermeable surfaces used in this area for roads and e.c.t (meaning if the drainage system doesn't work, then there will be masses of standing water). Also, lots of natural woodland and heathland have been cleared, which allows for less interception, while less trees mean that less water can be absorbed into the ground, meaning surface runoff is increased.

Answer 104

The River Eden runs through North Cumbria, and is in the North-West of England between the Pennines and the Lake District. The source is up in the Pennine hills, while it runs 145km from this source, all the way to the mouth in Solway Firth. Also, the River Eden is quite susceptible to lots of floods, as it runs through some areas that do seem to flood quite a bit, like Carlisle.

Answer 105

Both Physical and Human factors had an affect on the Flooding of River Eden flooding in 2015 in Early December, with some of these different factors interacting, therefore increasing the chance of an even more devastating flood in the process. The first thing that must be said is that the November just before was the second wettest Novemebee ever recorded in the area, meaning the antecedant conditions were heavily impacted, which meant the soil got saturated and the River Discharge was already high. On top of this, there was insufficent drainage systems in place with lots of impermeable surafces which overhelmed these drains, which escalated the volume of water on the surface runoff, which was coupled with the short lag time, resulting in a huge spike of water in River, which essentially flooded the area very, very badly. Because the area was flooded, many human and environmental things would've been impacted, which resulted in roads getting flooded, stranding vehicles, along with houses and buildings being partly covered in water (leading to 40 schools closing). This meant emergency rescue proceedures had to be put in place to get as many people to safety as possible, but unfortunately, one person died. The surrounding fields and landscape was flooded with dirty water, destroying any crops that would been planted, and also affecting the land that sheep would graze on in some cases too.

Answer 106

Physical/Environmental Factors: - Cumbria is on the west coast of the UK facing the prevailing SW winds – it receives a lot of frontal and relief rain. - Wet antecedent conditions. November 2015 was the second wettest November ever recorded. - The River Eden’s river levels were already high in November - Storm Desmond (a depression) caused very heavy rainfall, 341mm of rain fell in 24hours – a record for the UK! - The Lakes and Pennines are mountainous areas of the UK with mountains been almost 1000m high - The River Eden drainage basin drains areas of the Lakes and Pennines - Impermeable rock is common in this area, mainly igneous in the Lake District and limestone in Pennines - Snowfall is common on higher ground in the autumn/winter which melts when it rains/warms

Answer 107

Human Factors: - The reservoirs in the Lake District quickly became full and couldn’t store any more water - Drainage ditches have been dug in the drainage basin to increase the surface flow to the main river - Carlise (population of 75,000) is an urban city – it has many impermeable concrete. - There was an issue with drainage. The drains weren’t big enough to hold all the rain and quickly blocked with storm debris - Natural woodland had been cleared for farming and sheep farming has increased in intensity - Parts of the Eden’s drainage basin has been drained to make way for farmland - The rivers in the area had not been dredged effectively after previous storms – the river capacity was reduced.

Answer 108

The Environment Agnecy is responsible for managing the risk of flooding in England and Wales. It does this by: - Reducing the chances of flooding hapoening by mannaging rivers and land use, controlling development in floodplains, and building flood defences - Reducing the impact of flooding by helping people prepare for flooding and giving flood warnings.

Answer 109

The Risk of a Flood is Calculated by: Risk = Flood Likelihood x Flood Magnitude

Answer 110

Defences are often expensive, and create problems downstream. The Environment Agency finds the most effective locations for flood and damage prevention. - The EA make an Environmental Impact Assessment to see effects on residents, buildings, transport, wildlife, and water quality. - They make a cost-benefit analysis to decide if a scheme is value fir money. - This often means having different schemes for different sections of the same river.

Answer 111

The EA works with the government to educate people about what they should do before, during and after a flood. This information is released through the Internet, leaflets, helplines and training exercises. Local governments will only give planning permission for buildings near rivers if a full flood risk assessment has been carried out. A law set out in 2010 states that all new properties built near rivers must be flood resistant. However, sometimes flooding is inevitable. Here, the EA try to reduce impacts on people, land, and property. They make use of the Internet and news to provide flood warnings, a live flood map, and a three-day flood risk forecast. In these there are three warning levels: flood alert, flood warning, and severe flood warning.

Answer 112

- Electrical sockets should be fitted 1.5 meters above ground floor level - Install boilers for heating systems on the first floor - Fit non-return valves to drains and water inlet pipes - Install Flood door barriers - Use tiles or rugs instead of carpets on ground floors - Fit plastic window frames and doors instead of wooden ones - Fit stainless steel or plastic units and cupboards in the kitchen, not wooden ones

Answer 113

Increased Population: As Britain's population grows, more urban areas are expanded, meaning more people will be physically affected by a flood. This means that there are increased amounts of imermeable surfaces, which increase the levels of suface runoff, contributing to more water on the surface.

Answer 114

Land Use Change: Because of the rising population, the way land is used tends to be leaning towards the removal of vegetation and permeable surfaces, while changing them to impermeable surfaces, and building properties on floodplains, which results in the area being flooded on a larger scale, as there are now less areas that can absorb and take in the water, leaving more water of the surface runoff, which increases the flood chances.

Answer 115

Climate Change: Scientists think that a warmer climate is making extreme weather more likely, but on top of that, a warmer climate can lead to ice caps melting, which will icnrease the amount of water in our seas, while thermal expansion makes the water take up a larger volume, which will push the sea levels up even more. This keans that there is more water in the sea, which can the come down as previpitation, or even turn into a tropical storm, which can cause flooding by itself, without even taking inti account the other afcrors that also contribute to flooding.

Answer 116

Description: High banks built on near riverbanks. Not very expensive Advantages: - Stops water from speading into areas where it cause cause damage - They can be soil and grass banks, which blend in with the environment. - They allow people to live beside rivers or farms with less fears of flooding Disadvantages: -Flood water may go over the top, then get trapped behind them -They can burst under pressure, possibly causing even greater damage. They can increase the of flooding downstream -They could end up getting erded or could start slumping

Answer 117

Description: Artificial barriers designed to raise the height of the river banks to hold more water. Slightly Expensive Advantages: - Useful for city centres where space is limited - It is cheap and is a one-off cost - They prevent water from soreading into areas where it would have a high impact (like hosuing) Disadvantages: - They can disperse water quickly and can increase the flood risk downstream - They are expensive to build, but allow flood water to quickly go past, increasing flooding dienstream - They don't look natural and can spoil the view.

Answer 118

Description: A temporary structure that is only installed when needed. Not very expensive Advantages: - They can be put up when a flood is forecast, then taken down when it's over. - They can be used in places where a permanent flood wall would spoil the view. Disadvantages: - It can only be used in the specific location set to be deployed - There is a risk that the defence may not be installed in time.

Answer 119

Description: Floodgates built near the river mouth to prevent a storm surge or spring tide from flooding the area behind the barrier. Very Expensive Advantages: - These gates can be closed when high tide, or a surge is forecast - They are able to protect large areas from storm surge conditions Disadvantages: - Construction cost is high, and it will needs lost of maintainence - Some people may believe that they make the area look ugly.

Answer 120

Description: Strategies to maintain and restore the river's original flood plain. Not very Expensive Advantages: - The flood water will slow down and recover a river's natural sedimentation process if it is left. - The soil structure will be restored in the floodplain - This gives it an increased ability to store floodwater in the future Disadvantages: - Allowing land to flood may mean a change of land use, for example a change in farmland - A huge large scale flood can still take place.

Answer 121

Description: Using a variety of strategies to restore the river's original course. Not very Expensive. Advantages: - This method improved ecology by a 30% increase in birds and insects in one year - Most people think it looks more natural - Embankments are taken away and meanders are restored, to allow the river to flood, but in a slow manner Disadvantages: -Some flood banks are often still needed, and like flood-plain retention, changes in land use may bring some disadvantages

Answer 122

Managing Flood Risk is important to ensure an area's safety and protection from a river flood, and can be done in many different ways, including hard engineering methods, as well as soft engineering methods. Hard engineering can protect certain areas well, however it can be prone to increase flooding further downstream, while many people complain that they spoil the good view of a river. It is mainly from these two reasons, along with the fact that they are quite expensive, that people lean more towards soft engineering when managing flood risk. This can be done through the means of River Restoration, as well as Flood-plain Retention. These ways both improve the ecology in the area, while it also looks more natural, allowing a good view in doing so. On the flip side, even if a river does flood, it will happen a lot slower if it is managed naturally, and will build up levees over time, which can act as a defence in themselves at times; reducing the risk in future. It is for these reasons that Soft Engineering is preferred, not to mention how much cheaper this strategy is too.

Paper 2: The UK's Physical Landscape - Topic 4 Flashcards

(146 cards)