Topic 4 UK Physical Flashcards
(148 cards)
1
Q
Define bedding plane
A
the surface between two layers (or strata) in sedimentary rock
2
Q
What does the term bio-chemical weathering mean?
A
the process of rocks being broken down by chemicals produced by living things, such as acidic droppings
3
Q
What does the term biological weathering mean?
A
the process of rocks being broken down by living things
4
Q
Define carboniferous limestone
A
deposited rocks that were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago
5
Q
What does the term bio-physical weathering mean?
A
the process of rocks being physically broken up by living things such as tree roots
6
Q
Define the term clint
A
the large blocks of rock on a limestone pavement, separated by grykes
7
Q
Define the term clitter slope
A
the trail of deposited rocks from the action of freeze thaw weathering on tors
8
Q
What does the term dip slope mean?
A
land that follows the same gentle slope as the layers of rocks underneath
9
Q
Define the term erosion
A
the wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a river, a breaking wave or a glacier
10
Q
What does the term errartic mean?
A
a rock or boulder that differs from the surrounding rock, brought from a distance by glacial action
11
Q
What does the term freeze thaw weathering mean?
A
the process of rocks breaking up from repeated freezing and thawing
12
Q
Define the term geology
A
the different types of rocks that make up an area
13
Q
Define the term glacial
A
a period of time with lower average temperatures causing widespread glaciations
14
Q
Define the term gorge
A
a steep, narrow valley with rocky sides
15
Q
Define the term granitic
A
granitic a rock with a similar composition to granite: high in silica, with quartz crystals.
16
Q
What is a gryke?
A
a vertical joint, enlarged by weathering, between the blocks in a limestone pavement
17
Q
Define the term interglacial
A
a period of time between two glaciations with higher average temperatures
18
Q
Define the term joint
A
a vertical crack within a layer of rock
19
Q
Define a term landslip
A
the movement of rocks or soil down a slope due to gravity
20
Q
What is meant by the term limestone pavement
A
a horizontal or gently sloping area of limestone, comprised of large blocks (dints) separated by deep eroded fissures (grykes)
21
Q
Define metamorphic rock
A
a rock formed from other rock changed by extreme pressure or heat. It is usually formed from layers or bands of crystals and is very hard
22
Q
Define the term scarp slope
A
a steep slope that cuts through the layers of rock underneath
23
Q
What does scree mean?
A
angular rock pieces created by freeze thaw weathering
24
Q
What does the term sediment mean?
A
material such as mud, sand and pebbles carried and deposited by rivers or waves
25
Define the term sedimentary rock
rock formed of small particles that have been eroded, transported, and deposited in layers, such as sandstone or from the remains of plants and animals
26
What does soil creep mean?
the slow gradual movement downslope of soil, scree or glacier ice
27
What is meant by strata?
distinctive layers of rock
28
What does the term sub-aerial processes mean?
acting on the Earth's surface, including weathering and mass movement
29
Define the word till
sediment deposited by melting of glaciers or ice sheets
30
Define the term topography
the shape and physical features of an area
31
What does the term tor mean?
a block of granite found at the top of a hill
32
Define the term weather
the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, e.g. temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, etc
33
Define the term weathering
the breakdown and decay of rock by natural processes acting on rocks, on cliffs and valley side
34
Define the term abrasion
caused by the river picking up material in the river and rubbing it against the bed and banks of the channel in the flow
35
What is afforestation?
the planting of trees where there were none before, or they had been cut down
36
Define alluvium
fine sediments which are deposited by rivers
37
What are antecedent conditions
conditions in a drainage basin in the period before a rainfall event, such as saturated or frozen ground
38
What is an arch?
the rock bridge formed over a passage through a headland eroded by the waves
39
Define the term attrition
a type of erosion where particles carried by rivers or waves are worn down as they collide with each other, so they become smaller and rounded
40
Define backwash
the movement of a wave down a beach back to the sea
41
What does bankful mean?
the discharge or contents of the river which is just contained within it banks. This is when the speed, or velocity, of the river is at its greatest
42
What is a bar?
a ridge of sand or shingle across the entrance of a bay or river mouth
43
What is a bay?
an area of sea, curved in shape which has been eroded between two headlands
44
Define a beach
a sloping area of sand or pebbles between the low and high water marks
45
What is beach replenishment?
the process of adding sand or shingle to widen or improve a beach
46
What does the term berm mean?
a ridge of sediment found towards the back of a beach
47
Define the term channel
refers to the bed and banks of the river
48
What is a concordant coast?
the type of coast where the rock type runs parallel to the coastline
49
Define a constructive wave
a gently breaking wave with a strong swash and weak backwash. It adds more material to the beach than it removes
50
Define the term corrosion
chemical erosion caused by the dissolving of rocks and minerals by water
51
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
a way of reaching a decision by comparing the costs of a project with the benefits it will bring
52
Define the term cove
a small bay with a narrow inlet
53
What is deforestation?
permanently removing forest so the land can be used for something else
54
Define a delta
formed where layers of sediment are deposited at river mouths faster than the sea can erode them. Deltas are usually roughly triangular in shape, and the river splits into several channels.
55
What is deposition?
a process where sediments are dropped by the river, glacier or waves that carried them
56
Define a destructive wave
a strong wave that removes material from the coastline
57
Define discharge
the amount of water flowing in a river, made up of its volume and speed, and measured in cubic metres per second (m3/sec, or cumecs)
58
What is a discordant coast?
a coast where bands of hard and soft rocks lie at right angles to the coastline forming headlands and bays
59
Define dissipate
to reduce wave energy, which is absorbed as waves pass through, or over, sea defences
60
Define distributaries
a smaller river channel created where a river splits, often to form a delta
61
What is a drainage basin?
the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
62
Define an estuary
the mouth of a river which broadens into the sea and is affected by tides
63
What is evaporation?
the changing of a liquid into vapour or gas. Some rainfall is evaporated into water vapour by the heat of the sun
64
Define a flood plain
the flat land in the valley floor each side of a river channel, which is sometimes flooded
65
Define a gabion
a large wire basket filled with rocks used to prevent coastal erosion
66
Define gradient
how steep a slope, river channel or valley is
67
What is groundwater flow?
movement of water through the rocks in the ground
68
What is ground water?
stored underground in rocks and soil
69
What is a groyne?
a wooden barrier built at right angles to the coast, used to break waves and reduce the movement of sediment along the coast
70
What is hard engineering?
strategies using artificial structures (e.g. concrete) to prevent river or coastal flooding
71
Define helicoidal flow
a continuous corkscrew motion of water as it flows along a river channel
72
73
What is a headland?
an area of more resistant rock jutting out into the sea from the cliff-line
74
What are high and low water marks?
the points reached on a coast by the highest and lowest tides
75
Define holistic management
takes into account all social, economic and environmental costs and benefits. In coastal management this means looking at the coastline as a whole instead of an individual bay or beach.
76
Define hydraulic action
this results from the sheer force of moving water wearing away the river bed and banks, or waves wearing away sea cliffs
77
What is a hydrograph?
a graph showing changes in a river's discharge and rainfall over time
78
Define interlocking spurs
areas of higher land jutting out of steep valley sides in a river's upper course
79
Define lag time
the difference in time between the peak rainfall and the river's peak discharge on a hydrograph
80
Define a lagoon
a fresh water lake formed when a bay is cut off from the sea by a beach bar
81
Define lateral erosion
erosion where a river cuts sideways into its banks
82
What are levees?
the naturally raised bank of sediment along a river bank, which may be artificially strengthened or heightened
83
Define the term long profile
the shape and gradient of a river bed from source to mouth
84
What is longshore drift?
the movement of material along a beach transported by wave action
85
Define a long term response
reaction that happens in the weeks, months and years after an event
86
What is a meander?
a bend formed in a river as it winds across the landscape
87
Define the middle course of a river
the journey pf a river from tis source in hills or mountains to mouth is sometimes call the course of a river. (this can be split into upper, middle and lower course)
88
What is the mouth of a river?
the point where a river leaves its drainage basin and reaches the sea
89
What are mudflats?
flat coastal areas formed when mud is deposited by rivers and coasts
90
What is the 'neck' (of a meander)?
the narrow strip of land between the two closest banks of a meander
91
Define an oxbow lake
a semi-circular lake on a river flood plain, which has been cut off by a meandering river
92
Define a plunge pool
a hollow in the river bed caused by erosion underneath a waterfall
93
Define the term plunging waves
typically tall can close together, created by strong winds.
94
What is a point bar?
sediment laid down on the inside of a meander bend where the river flows slowly
95
Define the prevailing wind
direction in which the wind blows most frequently
96
What is a profile?
a cross section of the landscape, for example a river valley or beach
97
Define rip rap
large boulders of resistant rock placed at the bottom of cliffs that dissipate wave energy
98
Define a river cliff
a steep section of river bank, caused by fast-flowing water eroding the outside of a meander
99
Define river erosion
the action of water wearing away the rocks and soil on the valley bottom and sides
100
What does the term runoff mean?
water running across the land surface or the proportion of rainfall that flows in rivers
101
Define saltation
a process where sediment is transported by being bounced along a river bed or sea floor
102
Define a saltmarsh
an area of mud flats formed by deposition of sediment in the low wave energy area behind a spit
103
What is a sand dune?
onshore winds blow sand inland, forming a hill or ridge of sand parallel to the shoreline
104
What does saturate mean?
soil becomes saturated when it has absorbed as much water as is possible. If any more water is added, it cannot be absorbed
105
What is a sea wall?
a curved or straight wall built along the coastline to prevent waves eroding the coastline
106
What is the sediment load?
the sediment particles carried by a river
107
What does a Shoreline Management Plan mean?
a plan which assesses the risks to a piece of coastline and how to manage these
108
Define a slip off slope
the gentle slope on the inside of a meander bend formed by deposition slumping a type of mass movement where soil or rock slides down a slope, often rotating as it moves
109
What does soft engineering mean?
flood defences that work with natural processes to reduce the risk and impact of coastal or river flooding
110
Define the term solution
the process where some rock minerals slowly dissolve in water, which is slightly acid
111
What is the source of a river?
the starting point of a stream or river, often a spring or a lake
112
What is a spit?
a ridge of sand or shingle deposited by the sea. It is attached to the land at one end but ends in a bay or river mouth
113
Define spring-line settlement
where there is a ridge of permeable rock lying over impermeable rock; with a line of springs along the boundary between the two layers
114
What is a stack?
an isolated column of rock, standing just off the coast that was once attached to the land
115
What is a stakeholder?
a person with an interest or concern in something
116
Define a storm surge
an increase in the height of the sea due to a storm
117
What does strategic realignment mean?
the planned movement of the coastline inland because it can no longer be protected, also known as managed retreat
118
What is a storm hydrograph?
a graph which shows the change in both rainfall and discharge from a river following a storm
119
Define the term stump
a short piece of rock found at the end of a headland formed after a stack has collapsed
120
Define surface runoff
water running across the land surface into streams and rivers
121
Define suspension
the process where small particles of sediment are held up and carried along by moving water
122
Define swash
the movement of a breaking wave up a beach
123
What is throughflow?
the flow of rainwater sideways through the soil, towards the river
124
Define traction
the transport of sediment along a river bed or the sea floor through a rolling action
125
Define the term transportation
the movement of sediment by rivers, glaciers or waves
126
What is a tributary?
a stream or small river that joins a larger one
127
Define a tsunami
giant sea wave travelling at high speed
128
What is a V-shaped valley?
a valley with a V-shaped cross-section formed by river erosion
129
Define velocity
the speed at which a river flows; river velocity is often measured in metres per second
130
Define vertical erosion
downward erosion of the river bed
131
What is a wave cut notch?
a small overhang at the base of the cliff formed where wave action is greatest
132
What is a wave cut platform
a flat area of rock at the bottom of cliffs seen at low tide
133
Define the term weathering
the breakdown and decay of rock by natural processes acting on rocks, on cliffs and valley sides
134
Define acid precipitation
also called acid rain. When industrial air pollution causes water vapour in the atmosphere to become acidic and fall as acid precipitation topic
135
Define basalt
a dark coloured colonic rock. Molten basalt spreads rapidly and is widespread. About 70% of the earths surface is covering in basalt lava flows topic
136
Define the term cave
a hollow at the base of a cliff which has been eroded backwards by waves
137
Define the term cross-section
a diagram showing the shape of a feature or landscape as if it was cut through sideways
138
Define the term fetch
the distance a wave has travelled towards the coastline over open water, the longer the fetch the more powerful the wave
139
What are impermeable rocks?
that are impermeable, like clay, do not allow water to pass through them
140
What is infiltration?
the process whereby water soaks into the soil and rock
141
What is the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)?
a way to manage the coast and the land behind it sustainably, by involving everyone involved in using it
142
Define interception
the process where vegetation catches rainfall on its leaves and branches
143
Define kinetic energy
energy generated as a result of movement
144
What is mass movement?
the movement of material down a slope due to gravity
145
Define permeable
rocks that are permeable, like chalk, allow water to pass through them
146
Define the term thalweg
the line of the fastest flow along the course of the river
147
What is transpiration?
the release of water vapour through a plant's leaves
148
What is thermal expansion?
as a result of heating, expansion occurs. When sea water warms up it expands
