Distinctive landscapes

Landscape

The visible features of an area, including natural (rivers, mountains) and human (buildings, roads) elements.

Upland Areas

High-relief landscapes, often mountainous, with steep slopes and hard rock (e.g., Scottish Highlands).

Lowland Areas

Flat or gently sloping landscapes, often used for farming (e.g., The Fens, East Anglia).

Coastal Landscapes

Areas shaped by erosion, deposition, and human activity (e.g., Dorset Coast).

Glaciated Landscapes

Areas shaped by glaciers, with features like U-shaped valleys and moraines (e.g., Snowdonia).

Weathering

The breakdown of rock in situ (without movement).

Mechanical Weathering

Physical breakdown of rock (e.g., freeze-thaw weathering).

Chemical Weathering

Rock breakdown by chemical reactions (e.g., limestone dissolved by acid rain).

Biological Weathering

Breakdown by plants and animals (e.g., tree roots cracking rocks).

Erosion

The wearing away and removal of material.

Hydraulic Action

Water forces air into cracks, breaking the rock.

Abrasion

Sediment in water scrapes against surfaces.

Attrition

Rocks collide, breaking into smaller pieces.

Solution (Corrosion)

Water dissolves certain rock types (e.g., limestone).

Transportation

The movement of eroded material.

Traction

Large rocks rolled along the river/sea bed.

Saltation

Small pebbles bounced along.

Suspension

Fine particles carried in the water.

Solution

Dissolved materials transported in water.

Deposition

When transported material is dropped due to reduced energy.

Waves

Formed by wind energy transferring to water.

Constructive Waves

Low-energy waves that deposit material and build beaches.

Destructive Waves

High-energy waves that erode the coast.

Longshore Drift

The zigzag movement of sediment along the coast due to angled wave approach.

Headlands & Bays

Formed by the erosion of softer rock (bays) and resistance of harder rock (headlands).

Caves, Arches, Stacks & Stumps

Features formed as cliffs are eroded.

Spits

Extended stretches of sand/shingle formed by longshore drift.

Bars & Tombolos

Bars block off bays, tombolos connect land to islands.

River Long Profile

The changes in a river's features from source to mouth.

Upper Course

Steep, narrow, fast-flowing (e.g., waterfalls, V-shaped valleys).

Middle Course

Wider, meandering, with floodplains.

Lower Course

Wide, slow-moving, with estuaries and deltas.

Fluvial Erosion

The processes of hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, and solution in rivers.

Waterfalls & Gorges

Formed by erosion of soft rock under hard rock.

Meanders & Oxbow Lakes

Formed by lateral erosion and deposition.

Floodplains & Levees

Created by repeated flooding.

Jurassic Coast

A coastal area in Dorset, UK, known for unique geology and landforms.

Location of jurassic coast

Southern England, stretching 95 miles from Exmouth (Devon) to Studland Bay (Dorset).

Geology

Layers of limestone, chalk, sandstone, and clay create varied coastal features.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Famous for fossils, rock formations, and historical significance.

Durdle Door

A natural limestone arch formed by hydraulic action and abrasion.

Lulworth Cove

A bay created by waves eroding soft rock behind a harder rock barrier.

Old Harry Rocks

Chalk stacks and stumps formed by erosion of a headland.

Chesil Beach

A tombolo connecting the Isle of Portland to the mainland.

Studland Bay

Sand dunes and salt marshes formed by deposition.

Hard Engineering

Sea walls and groynes used to prevent erosion (e.g., Swanage Beach).

Soft Engineering

Beach nourishment and managed retreat allow natural processes to shape the coastline.

River Severn

The longest river in the UK, flowing 354 km from Wales to the Bristol Channel.

Source

Plynlimon Hills, Wales, in a high-rainfall area.

Severn Break-its-Neck Waterfall

A waterfall in the upper course formed by hard and soft rock layers.

V-Shaped Valleys

Steep valleys in the upper course, created by vertical erosion.

Meanders

Large bends in the middle course, such as those near Shrewsbury.

Severn Estuary

One of the largest in the UK, with a tidal range of ~15m (second highest in the world).

Mudflats & Salt Marshes

Important habitats in the estuary, created by deposition.

Tewkesbury Floods (2007)

A major flood event caused by heavy rainfall and saturated ground.

Social Impacts of Flooding

50,000 homes lost power, water supply cut off.

Economic Impacts of Flooding

£3.2 billion in damages, businesses and transport affected.

Environmental Impacts of Flooding

Farmland flooded, water pollution from sewage.

Hard Engineering for Flood Management

Flood defences, embankments to protect towns.

Soft Engineering for Flood Management

Flood warnings, land-use zoning to reduce damage risk.

Severn Bore

A large tidal wave that travels upstream due to the funnel-shaped estuary.

Tourism from Severn Bore

Attracts surfers and spectators from around the world.

Importance of Case Studies

Used in exams to provide specific examples of processes and impacts.

Use of Maps & Diagrams

Needed to explain landscape features like meanders, spits, and waterfalls.