Geography ✿ Distinctive landscapes

Landscape

an area of land with both physical features and human features

Where are upland areas usually found?

north and west of the UK

Where are lowland areas usually found?

south and west of the UK

Where are glaciated areas usually found?

north-west of the UK

state 4 characteristics of upland areas

• formed of harder rocks (slate, granite, limestone)

• climate is usually cool and wet

• thin soils due to harsh climate

• land used for farming and tourism

state 4 characteristics of lowland areas

• formed of softer rocks (chalk, clay, sandstone)

• climate is warm and dry

• fertile soils

• land used for industries and farming

state 4 characteristics of glaciated areas

• ice causes erosion of the landscape causing valleys

• ice also melts which deposits material

• mountainous areas

• steep slopes

weathering

break down or dissolving of rocks

erosion

transportation of rocks or minerals

biological weathering

the breakdown of rock caused by the movement of animals and plants

chemical weathering

the breakdown of rock by changing it’s chemical composition

mechanical weathering

process of physical changes such as wind, temperature and waves which breakdown rock

3 upper course landforms

• v shaped valley

• waterfalls

• gorges

3 middle course landforms

• wide valleys

• meanders

• ox-bow lakes

3 lower course landforms

• ox-bow lakes

• flood plains

• levees

flood plain

flat land next to a river, material is deposited here when a river is flooded

hard engineering

using artificial structures to control nature

soft engineering

working with natural coastal processes

solution (erosion)

dissolved carbon dioxide making waters acidic, the acid reacts with rocks

abrasion

when rocks scrape against the seabed, removing small pieces

attrition

rocks smashing into each other, breaking them into smaller fragments

hydraulic action

the force of water crashing into headlands/ river banks

how are caves formed?

• waves crash into the headlands, forming cracks by hydraulic action

• repeated erosion causes the cracks to open, forming a cave

how are arcs formed?

a cave becomes larger and eventually breaks through the headland

how are stacks formed?

the base of an arch becomes wider through further erosion, the roof becomes too heavy and collapses

how are spits formed?

• sediment is carried by longshore drift

• a change in wind direction causes a hooked end

How are v shaped valleys formed? [3]

• a river that flows through a mountain is eroded vertically

• overtime this deepens the river bed, creating a deep v shape valley

• mass movement and weathering on valley sides causes lose material to fall which the river carries down stream, deepening its shape

how is a river levee formed? [3]

• a river is flooded and spreads out on the floodplain

• as water overflows, heavy sediment is deposited closest to banks

• this repeats overtime which creates build up of sediment, creating raised embankments

how are headlands and bays formed?

• erosion occurs at more harder rocks which erodes slower than the softer rock

• as the soft rock is eroded away quicker it creates a bay leaving the harder rock sticking out into the sea as headlands

describe the 2 types of waves

constructive and destructive

deposition

when material is being carried by the water (in rivers or seas) and dropped off

describe the 2 types of mass movement

• slumps → material shifts with a rotation

• slides → material shifts in a line

mass movement

the shifting of rocks and loose material down a slope

traction

rocks are pushed along the river seabed by force of the water

saltation

rocks being bounced along the seabed

suspension

rocks like silt and clay are carried along by water

solution (transportation)

soluble material dissolved in the water are carried along

what happens during longshore drift?

• waves hit the coast at an angle

• swash carries sediment up the beach at an angle

• backwash carries sediment down the beach at right angles

• which creates a zig-zag movement of sediment along the beach

Explain why the south and east of England lack glaciated landscapes

there are warmer latitudes, so the ice would melt

Suggest two reasons for variations in the of a river

• erosion such as attrition

• upper course or lower course

How are ox-bow lakes formed? [3]

• erosion in a meander causes outside bends to move closer by hydraulic action

• the river breaks through and the river flows along the shortest route while depositing material

• deposition then cuts off the meander over time

How are meanders formed? [3]

• the river flows fastest on the outside bend, causing erosion by hydraulic action

• the river flows slowest on the inside bend so material is deposited there

• over time, erosion and deposition bend the river even more

How are gorges formed? [4]

• the soft rock is eroded quicker than the hard rock which creates a gap

• the hard rock is undercut, abrasion and hydraulic action erode to create a plunge pool

• over time this gets bigger, and the hard rock collapses

• this repeats and the waterfall retreats upstream, leaving a gorge

natural landscape

an area of land which has more physical features

built landscape

an area of land which has more human features

give 3 characteristics of constructive waves

• low waves

• deposits more material and erode

• powerful swash which carries sediment but weak backwash that causes deposition

give 3 characteristics of destructive waves

• steep waves

• erodes coastlines

• weak swash but powerful backwash which erodes sediment