Leaving Cert Geography Short Questions

Asthenosphere

the upper part of the mantle that flows like treacle

Moho

is the mark between the crust and the mantle (moho discontinuity)

2 minerals in earth's core

Iron and Nickel

Lithosphere

The upper part of the mantle and crust

Endogenic forces

Forces that change the earth's crust from the inside

Exogenic forces

Forces that change the earth's crust from the outside

The focus

Point at the depth ; place where seismic waves emit from

Epicentre

the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus, place where most damage occurs

3 main folding periods...

1- Ancient Caledonian folding period 400 million years ago e.g Leinster mts
2- Armorican folding period 3o00 million years ago
e.g munster ridge valley provence
3- young Alpine folding period 50 million years ago
outside Ireland e.g Alps

folding is also known as

orogeny

Faulting

Crack in the earth's surface where two pieces of land are moving in different directions ( pressure and friction building)

Folding

the bending of rock layers due to compression of tectonic plates ( bend and uplift with aid of heat making rock flexible)

symmetrical folds

where equal pressure was applied to both sides

asymmetrical folds

where pressure was applied more on one side making it more slanted on one side

overfold/recumbent fold

-when more pressure applied on one side causing rock to overturn on itself
-recumbent folds are when overfold becomes horizontal

Normal fault

Type of fault where the hanging wall slides downward; by being pulled apart... revealing fault scarp (rock face)

landform created by normal fault is...

A rift valley, where there's two normal faults parallel e.g the great african rift valley

Reverse fault

a type of fault where the hanging wall slides upward; caused by compression in the crust

landform created by reverse fault is...

A block mountain/a horst, where there are two parallel reverse faults e.g Ox mountains

Thrust fault

type of reverse fault dipping less than 20 degrees

Tear/Transform Fault

is where there is a vertical fault in landscape but the movement has been horizontal

The rock cycle

the series of processes that change one type of rock into another type of rock, by either external or internal processes
external: weathering and erosion
internal: melting, great heat and pressure

Uses of rock

sedimentary: limestone - statues
igneous: granite - worktops

Limestone pavement

is a bare karst landscape found in Burren

Horizontal joints

beddings planes

Vertical joints

Joints

pavement

consists of clints and grikes - which are widened by process of carbonation

Carbonation

rain soaks up carbon dioxide = weak carbonic acid
acid rain falls on limestone which contains calcium carbonate
acid rain turns carbonate into bicarbonate (soluble) which is the washed away by rain

surface karst features

swallow hole doline

swallow hole

an enlarged joint into which water falls

doline

sinkhole

under ground karst features

caves, stalagmite, stalagmite and pillar

stalagtite

rain water dripping from cave roof
rain drops evaporate slightly leaving a
ring-like deposit of calcite
calcite ring builds up to form straw-like
rock fragment can block straw,so calcite on outside:carrot

stalacmite

water drops onto floor
evaporates slightly leaving little mound of calcite on the floor
gradually builds up forming stalacmite

pillar

stalactite met stalagmite in middle

curtain stalactite

crack in roof of cave, calcite deposits in curtain design

Bedrock

The solid layer of rock beneath the soil, found hundreds of metres below the surface

Alluvium

Fine, fertile sediment found at oldest part of river, alluvium is deposited by a river during times of flood

e.g point bar, floodplain

Primary economic activities NW Ireland...

Primary way to earn money in NW...
agriculture
forestry
fishing
fish farming
mining

Secondary economic activities NW Ireland...

secondary way of making money...
big companies e.g merit medical

Tertiary economic activities NW Ireland...

3rd way of making money...
transport
tourism
communications

Fetch

the distance a wave has travelled over water before reaching land

Constructive waves

have a strong swash, bringing up material and depositing it on beach - constructing a beach

Destructive waves

occur in stormy conditions, pounding + eroding coastline. Destructive have strong backwash... pulling and dragging the rock back out to sea with them

Wave refraction

is the bending of the wave crests in towards coastline/ copy the shape of the coastline e.g headlands and islands

Hydraulic action (sea)

the force of moving water - pounding the coastline and wearing it away

Abrasion (sea)

when the sea's load hits and scrapes the coastline, wearing it down

Air compression (sea)

when waves force air into cracks in rock, causing cracks to expand. when waves are released the air is released letting rock to contract again. this continuos expansion and contraction of rock eventually causes it to crack and crumble

Attrition (sea)

is the sea's own load wearing itself down - by hitting+ eroding itself down

Solution (sea)

the salt in saltwater chemically erodes rock on coastline

landforms of marine erosion

bays & headlands
caves, arches, sea stacks, sea stumps
cliffs & wave cut platforms

bays & headlands

-bays are large indentations in the coast (soft rock)
e.g Galway bay
-headlands just out to sea (hard rock)
e.g hook head

caves arches sea stacks stumps

erosion processes combine to enlarge cracks in rock to form caves.. which turn into arches... which turn into sea stacks... which turn into sea stumps e.g Mizen head Co.Cork

Cliffs

are steep slopes of rock formed where land meets sea

Wave-cut platforms

This feature is formed as a result of cliff retreat/ cliff slumping

Marine transport...

long shore drift = material being moved up the shore at angle then pulled out to sea by right angle

Features of marine deposition

1 beaches
2 sand spits
3 tombolos

Beaches

form in sheltered areas where constructive waves deposit material e.g Tramore beach

Sand spits...

long deposits of sand with one end attached to land.
spits form when long shore drift interrupted
e.f Inch strand Kerry

Tombolo

a sand spit that grew out from mainland and attached to an island: Tombolo connects island to mainland
e.g Sutton, Dublin

The ground water table

Line/level marking where rock moves from unsaturated to saturated

human interaction to encourage deposition

Fences in sand dunes to encourage build up of wind blown sand. Fences also prevent the trampling of marram grass ( which hold dunes together)

human interaction to prevent erosion

massive rock armour placed at coast/existing sea wall which absorbs waves energy e.g Lahinch

Mass movement

is the movement of regolith downhill under the influence of gravity

Factors affecting mass movement

natural:
water - if soil is saturated it moves downhill quicker
vegetation - plant roots bind soil together, if plants are gone soil is more loose

Human:
undercutting of soil when building roads
deforestation
skiing in snow

soil creep is slow

evident of bent tree trunks and terrecettes in hill

solifluction sow and wet

soil moving downhill due to permafrost melting

mud flow

fast and wet - usually triggered by torrential rain, saturating soil and causing it to flow downhill, dangerous

Lahar

fast and wet. Lahars form when volcanic ash mixes with water, usually after torrential rain

slump/landslide

rotational slump, sediment suddenly moves downhill

Avalanches

fast and dry, avalanches are classified as dry mass movement as snow flakes act as dry particles.

Rock-falls

fast and dry, exposed rock faces exposed to weathering eventually break down into scree.
scree can become rock fall

name given to lines on a weather map

isohyets

is rainfall more likely during an anticyclone or a depression

depression

what kind of front is this

cold front

what kind of front is this

warm front

what kind of front is this

occluded front

what kind of front is this

stationary front

what unit of measurement is used to measure atmospheric pressure

hectopascal (hPa)

what is the average sea level air pressure

1013 mb

areas with an air pressure of over 1013 mb are areas of _________ pressure

high

areas with an air pressure of lower than 1013 mb are areas of _________ pressure

low

what is a H a symbol of

anticyclones

what is L a symbol of

depression / low pressure

What type of weather is associated with anticyclones?

good weather, clear skies, little wind

What type of weather is associated with a cold front?

bad weather, rain, high winds,

what is it called when isobars make a sharp bend around a low

trough

what weather would be found at the front of 2 air masses

stormy weather

What is a stationary front?

Where two air masses meet, but neither one advances.

What is a cold front?

a front that occurs when a cold air mass moves in and replaces a warm air mass

What is a warm front?

Warm air that moves forward and rises over top of the cooler air.

What is an occluded front?

when a cold front overtakes a warm front

Name one example of a mountain range formed by folding found outside Ireland.

The Himalayas, Alps, Andes

Explain seismologist.

A person who studies earthquakes.

Explain seismometer.

Machines that detects and records earthquakes.

Name two factors that influence the operation of mass movement processes.

Weathering and the removal of vegetation cover.

Name two European Union member states not in the Eurozone area in 2015

Sweden and Denmark.

Name two non-European Union member states using the Euro in 2015.

Vatican City and Andorra.

Name two periods of Fold Mountain building that shaped the Irish landscape over the last 400 million years.

Alpine and Armorican orogeny

Name one process of coastal transportation associated with the formation of sand spits, lagoons and tombolos.

Longshore drift and prevailing winds.