Studied by 4 peoplea landscape is made up of
all the visible features of an area of land
natural landscapes have
more physical features (and less human features)
built landscapes have
more human features (and less physical features)
where are upland areas found in the UK?
upland areas are found in the north and west of the UK
characteristics of upland areas
generally made of harder rocks giving thin soils
many are glaciated landscapes and very steep
climate is cooler and wetter giving lots of rough vegetation
land uses of upland areas
forestry
sheep farming
quarrying
tourism
where are lowland areas found in the UK?
lowland areas are found in the south and east of the UK
characteristics of lowland areas
generally made of softer rocks giving fertile soils
flatter and gently rolling hills
climate is warmer and drier giving vegetation, grassy meadows and deciduous forests
land uses of lowland areas
quarrying
tourism
dairy and arable farming
urban areas and industries
how do U shaped valleys form?
U shaped valleys formed during the last glacial period
ice had covered the north and west of the UK
ice was able to erode the landscape carving out valleys
what happened when the glaciers melted?
lots of material was deposited as the ice melted
the glacial meltwater and deposits formed landscapes in the south and east of the UK
what is mechanical weathering, with an example?
mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition
freeze-thaw weathering
how does freeze-thaw weathering occur?
temperatures fall below 0°C at night
water in the cracks of rocks freezes
the water expands when it freezes
when the ice melts the crack widens and eventually breaks
what is chemical weathering, with an example?
chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition
carbonation weathering
how does carbonation weathering occur?
rainwater has carbon dioxide dissolved in it
the carbonic acid reacts with calcium carbonate in limestone
the rock is broken down
what is biological weathering?
biological weathering is the breakdown of rock by living things
give two examples of biological weathering
plant roots grow into cracks on rock surfaces
this pushes the rock apart
animals burrow into the rocks
what is mass movement?
the shifting of rocks down a slope/cliff
which leads to rapid coastal retreat
what are the two types of mass movement?
slide, when the material falls in a straight line
slump, when the material rotates down
how does mass movement occur?
the rain saturates the rock, making it heavier
erosion from waves undercut a slope
eventually, the rock falls due to a lack of support
what are the four types of erosion?
hydraulic action
abrasion
attrition
solution
what is hydraulic action?
hydraulic action is when waves crash against rocks
these forces air into cracks
the pressure in the rock increases and it breaks
what is abrasion?
abrasion is when eroded particles in water rub against the rock in the sea bed, cliffs, or river channel
this removes small pieces and wears them away
what is attrition?
attrition is when eroded particles smash into each other
they break down into smaller fragments
their edges get rounded off as they rub together
what is solution (erosion)?
solution is when the water dissolves some rocks
dissolved carbon dioxide can make the water acidic
so the acid reacts with some rocks
what are the four types of transportation?
traction
saltation
suspension
solution
what is traction?
traction is when large particles are pushed along the river bed/sea floor
what is saltation?
saltation is when pebble-sized rocks are bounced along the floor
what is suspension?
suspension is when small particles like sand or silt float and are carried along the water
what is solution (transportation)?
solution is when soluble materials dissolve into the water and are carried along the water
how does deposition occur?
the water carrying sediment loses velocity
the material carried is then dropped
how does coastal deposition occur?
constructive waves bring up lots of material
they also take back little material
this is because they have a large swash and small backwash
how does river deposition occur?
at shallow waters there is more eroded material
this reaches the mouth where it is deposited
how does longshore drift occur?
waves follow the prevailing wind direction
they hit the coast at an oblique angle
the swash carries material in the same direction
the backwash brings the wave down at a 90° angle
over time the material zig-zags along the coast
how do headlands form?
headlands form when there is a band of hard rock
the hard rock is eroded slowly, leaving a headland
this sticks out with steep sides
how do bays form?
bays form when there is a band of soft rock
the soft rock is eroded quickly, leaving a bay
this has a gentle slope
how do caves form?
caves form when waves crash into headlands
this creates cracks, which are enlarged
hydraulic action and abrasion occur to widen the cracks
this eventually forms a cave
how do arches form?
arches form when erosion deepens the cave all the way through
how do stacks and stumps form?
stacks form when erosion and weathering wear away the rock supporting the arch
the stack is further eroded to make a stump
how do beaches form?
beaches are formed by constructive waves that deposit sand and shingle
what are the characteristics of sandy beaches?
sandy beaches are gently sloped and long
the sand is small enough to be moved down by backwash
what are the characteristics of shingle beaches
shingle beaches are steep and narrow
the shingle is far too big to be moved down by backwash
how do spits form?
spits form at sharp bends on the coastline by longshore drift
strong winds and waves can curve the end of the spit
the sheltered area is protected from waves
how do salt marshes and mud flats form?
salt marshes and mud flats form when material accumulates in the sheltered area behind a spit
longshore drift continues
what is a river basin?
a river basin is the area of land surrounding a river
any rain that falls here makes its way into the river
what is a watershed?
a watershed is a ridge of high land that separates river basins
what is a tributary?
a tributary is a smaller river that joins a main river
what is the source of a river?
the source is where a river starts
it is usually in an upland area
what is the mouth of a river?
the mouth is where a river flows into a sea / lake
it is usually in a lowland area
what is the course of a river?
the course is the path of a river
there is the upper course, middle course, and lower course
what landforms are found in the upper course of a river?
V shaped valleys
waterfalls
gorges
plunge pools
how do V shaped valleys form?
V shaped valleys form from fast flowing water, heavy rain, and turbulence
boulders are transported down leading to abrasion
the valley sides are exposed to weathering
more material fall into the water, leading to more abrasion
there is not enough energy for lateral erosion
so there is mostly vertical erosion
how do waterfalls form?
waterfalls form when a river flows over an area of hard rock onto an area of soft rock
the softer rock is eroded by hydraulic action and abrasion
this creates a step in the river
the softer rock is eroded more until a steep drop is formed
this creates a waterfall
how do plunge pools form?
plunge pools form when the hard rock at the waterfall is eventually undercut by erosion
it becomes unsupported and collapses
the collapsed rocks are swirled around at the foot of the waterfall, eroding the softer rock by abrasion
this creates a deep plunge pool
how do gorges form?
gorges form when the waterfall retreats
more undercutting causes more collapsing
this leaves a steep sided gorge behind
what landforms are found in the middle course of a river?
meanders
oxbow lakes
how do meanders form?
meanders are formed by erosion and deposition
water naturally flows in a corkscrew fashion
the water is faster on the outside of the bend
and is slower on the inside of the bend
how do river cliffs form?
river cliffs form on the outside of a meander
the current is faster because the channel is deeper
there is less friction to slow the water down
more erosion takes place on the outside of the bend
how do slip off slopes form?
slip off slopes form on the inside of the meander
the current is slower because the channel is shallower
the eroded material is deposited on the inside of the bend
how do oxbow lakes form?
oxbow lakes form when erosion causes the outside bend to get smaller until there is a small bit of land between the meanders called a neck
during a flood, the river breaks through the neck
the river then flows along the shortest course
deposition eventually cuts off the meander
this forms an oxbow lake
what landforms are found in the lower course of a river?
floodplains
leeves
how do floodplains form?
floodplains form when the wide valley floor on either side of the river gets flooded
the water slows down and deposits eroded material
this builds up the floodplain
how do meanders affect floodplains?
meanders migrate across the floodplain, making it wider
meanders migrate downstream, flattening the valley floor
the deposition on the slip-off slopes builds up the floodplain
what are leeves?
leeves are natural embankments (raised bits) along the edges of a river channel
how do levees form?
levees form during a flood, where eroded material is deposited over the floodplain
the heaviest material is deposited closest to the river channel
this is because it gets dropped first when the river slows down
the deposited material builds up creating levees
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