Physical landscapes

Boulder clay

A soft, easily eroded material deposited by glaciers; found along parts of the UK coast such as the Holderness Coast.

Character (of a landscape)

The visible features of an area shaped by the combination of natural elements like geology and relief, and human activity such as land use and settlement.

Coastline features

Landforms like arches, stacks, and spits created by erosion and deposition along the coast; seen in places like the Dorset coast.

Estuary

The tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream. Examples include the River Severn estuary (Bristol) and the River Mersey (Liverpool).

Fens

Flat, low-lying marshlands found in eastern England; originally wetlands that have been extensively drained for agriculture.

Glaciated uplands

Mountainous regions shaped by glacial processes; includes areas like Snowdonia and the Lake District.

Grampian Mountains

Part of the Scottish Highlands, home to Ben Nevis. Known for steep, rocky terrain and sparse population.

Holderness Coast

A coastline on the east of England made mainly of soft boulder clay, which erodes rapidly.

Lake District

An upland area in north-west England with prominent glacial features.

Landscape

An area’s appearance shaped by the interaction of physical (natural) and human elements.

Lowlands

Gently sloping or flat areas of land found mainly in the south and east of the UK, including regions like Norfolk and the South Downs.

Relief

The shape of the land in terms of elevation and slope. It is determined by geology and glacial history.

Rugged

A descriptive term meaning rocky and uneven, often used to describe upland landscapes like the Highlands or Snowdonia.

Snowdonia

A glaciated upland area in North Wales formed from ancient volcanic rock; known for steep valleys and mountainous terrain.

South Downs

A range of chalk hills forming a lowland landscape in southern England.

Upland areas

High elevation regions with steep relief, usually found in northern and western UK (e.g., Grampians, Lake District, Snowdonia).

Abrasion

A form of erosion where loose material and sediment 'sandpapers' the walls and floors of the river, cliff or glacier.

Attrition

Rocks bang against each other chipping away to make smaller, smoother rocks.

Backshore

The upper beach closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes.

Beach Nourishment

The addition of sand and sediment to an eroding beach by humans. The new material will be eroded by the sea which saves the cliffs or sand dunes from erosion and recession.

Biological Weathering

Rocks are broken apart by vegetation and roots, or chemical reactions from animal faeces erodes the rock face.

Corrasion

A form of mechanical erosion where material and sediment in the sea is flung at the cliff-face as waves break against it, this breaks up the rocks making up the cliff.

Chemical Weathering

Where the weak acid in rainwater dissolves chemical compounds in the rock.

Drainage Basin

The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

Dredging

Rubbish and sediment are dug up from the bottom of the river.

Embankments

The banks of the river are built up in brick and concrete, to increase the channel capacity.

Fetch

The length of water over which the wind has travelled.

Floodplain

The low lying and wide floor of a river valley. Floodplains are found in the lower course and tend to act as overspill for the river when its channel is full.

Floodplain Zoning

Controlling where houses and buildings are built relative to the river to reduce flooding risk.

Freeze Thaw

A form of physical sub-aerial weathering where water freezes in the cracks of a rock, expands and enlarges the crack. This weakens the rock over time leaving it more open to erosion.

Geology

The physical structure and arrangement of a rock.

Groyne

A form of hard-engineering. Low-lying concrete or wooden walls, constructed perpendicular to the seafront and run out to sea. They encourage the trapping of sediment to reduce erosion caused by longshore drift or by winds.

Hard Management

The use of concrete structures to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline. Includes: Groynes, Sea Walls, Rock Armour.

Highlands

An area of land that is at a high elevation and tends to have a larger relief.

Hydraulic Action

The pressure of compressed air forced into cracks in a rock face will cause the rock to weaken and break apart.

Impermeable

A rock that does not allow water to pass through it.

Levee

The banks of the river.

Longshore Drift

The transportation of sediment along a beach. Longshore Drift is determined by the direction of the prevailing wind.

Mass Movement

Where there is a large downhill movement of material usually from a cliff-face. Here, the rock is often weak due to erosion and the movement is caused by gravity.

Mechanical Weathering

Sometimes called physical weathering, this is the breakdown of rocks due to forces, not chemical reactions.

Permeable

A rock that allows water to pass through it.

Rock Armour

Large rocks or concrete blocks, used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs.

Saltation

A form of transportation where smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed pushed by currents. This sediment is too heavy to be picked up by the flow of the water.

Salt Marsh

In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up. Vegetation may establish, further stabilising the marsh.

Sand Dune

A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood and accumulate over time.

Sea Wall

A hard-management coastal defense, where a concrete wall is built parallel to the seafront, to redirect the energy of waves away from sensitive cliffs or the edge of a coastal town.

Soft Management

The use of natural materials and environmentally sustainable approaches to reduce coastal recession. Includes: Beach Nourishment, Managed Retreat, Sand Dune Encouragement.

Solution

Acidic water dissolves chemicals from a rock face into the water. These chemicals can then be transported as chemical compounds in the water.

Storm Hydrograph

A graph to show the variation of river discharge over a short period of time (days).

Suspension

Small rocks that are light enough to float are carried in the water, rather than along the bed.

Spit

A long depositional landform, formed from sand and shingle.

Thalweg

The path of fastest water flow in a river.

Traction

Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river or sea.