Geography GCSE Edexcel B - Topic 4: The UK's evolving physical landscape - Geology

Explain how geology has influenced the physical landscape of the UK

• Igneous rock in the North so more mountainous because more ressistant so eroded slower
• South has sedimentary rock which is less resistant so flatter, lower land is there as it is eroded faster

Explain how tectonic processes have influenced the physical landscape of the UK

Over 300 million years ago, three tectonic processes affected rocks in the Pennines:
• The plate the UK sits on shifted away from the tropics
• Convection currents beneath the plate uplifted rocks from below the sea, becoming land.
• During uplift, some rocks snapped and moved along faults over thousands of years which form a steep edge called a fault scarp where uplift had raised some parts more than others.

Explain how glaciation has influenced the physical landscape of
the UK

Glaciers turned V-shaped valleys into U-shaped valley and created waterfalls. Glaciers eroded deep valleys, where rivers now flow, they're called misfit rivers because they are small compared to the valley they are flowing through.

What are the three processes by which glaciation affects the landscape?

erosion, transportation and deposition.

When was the last ice age?

18,000 years ago

what percentage of the UK was covered in ice during the last ice age?

30%

What is a glacier?

a slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles.

What are the qualities of upland areas in the UK?

• Found in the North West
• Most are older rocks
• Mostly Igneous and metamorphic rock (most resistant)
• More fault lines so more tectonic activity

What are the qualities of lowland areas in the UK?

• Found in South East
• Most are younger
• Mostly sedimentary rock (mostly less resistant)

Define weathering

The breakup and decomposition of rocks in-site (in their place of origin)

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?

Weathering does not involve the movement of material

What are the three types of weathering?

physical (freeze-thaw weathering), chemical weathering, biological weathering

What happens in freeze-thaw weathering?

This is the most predominant weathering process:
1) Water seeps into the cracks of a rock
2) Water freezes and expands which wedges the rock apart
3) When this repeats, the rock breaks into pieces

What happens in chemical weathering?

The weak acids in rainwater react with certain rock types e.g. Carbonates in limestone disintegrate or break up.

What happens in biological weathering?

action of plants and animals on land. e.g. if seeds go in cracks of rocks, growing then cracking the rocks. Or burrowing animals like rabbits break rocks up because of the way they tunnel through the upper layer of soil.

Define erosion

the process of breaking down rock by wind, water, or other natural agents.

What are the upland areas in Scotland?

The Northwest Highlands, the Cairngorm Mountains, the Grampian Mountains and the Southern Uplands.

Where are the upland areas in Scotland?

Northwest Highlands - Northwest Scotland
Cairngorm Mountains - Just under Northwest Highlands
Grampian mountains - Just under Cairngorm Mountains
Southern uplands - just above the Scottish border

What are the upland areas in England?

The Pennines, Lake District, Dartmoor and Exmoor.

Where are the upland areas in England?

The Pennines - go through about a third of England through the centre from around the Scottish border
Lake District - West of Northern Pennines
Dartmoor - South West England
Exmoor - just above Dartmoor

What are the upland areas in Wales?

Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons

Where are the upland areas in Wales?

Snowdonia - North Wales
Brecon Beacons - South Wales

What are the lowland areas in the uk?

The Ferns, South Downs, North Downs, York Moors, Salisbury Plain

Where are the lowland areas in the uk?

The Ferns - East England, below sea level
South Downs - South England, Centre of South Coast
North Downs - North East of South Downs, on East coast
Salisbury Plain - North West of South Downs

What and where is the UK's highest peak?

Ben Nevis, in the Grampian Mountains.

What and where is England's highest peak?

Scafell Pike, found in the Lake District.

What and where is Wales' highest peak?

Snowdon, found in Snowdonia

What are the main rivers in the UK?

Thames, Severn

Where are the main rivers in the UK?

Thames - going through London, estuary just above North Downs
Severn - Source in Cambrian Mountains, goes into another river called Avon

Explain the formation of igneous rocks.

Magma from the mantle cools down and hardens. The rock forms crystals as it cools. Igneous rocks are usually hard, e.g. granite

Explain the formation of sedimentary rock.

Layers of sediment are compacted together until they become solid rock. Sedimentary rocks vary in hardness. e.g. Clays and shales are made from mud and clay materials.

Explain the formation of metamorphic rock.

Other rocks (igneous, sedimentary or older metamorphic rocks) are changed by heat and pressure. The new rocks become harder and more compact, e.g. shale becomes slate and, with further pressure and heat, slate becomes schist.

What are the characteristics of igneous rock?

• Very resistant
• does not contain fossils
• randomly arranged crystals

What are the characteristics of metamorphic rock?

• Very resistant
• Formed by heat and pressure
• Formed from other rocks.

What are the characteristics of sedimentary rock?

• Some resistant
• Contain fossils
• Variety in colour
• Have layers

What are examples of igneous rock?

granite and basalt

What are examples of metamorphic rock?

marble, schist and slate

What are examples of sedimentary rock?

chalk, carboniferous limestone, clay

Name an example of an upland landscape in the UK

The Lake District

How has geology shaped the Lake District?

Lake District is mostly made up of igneous rock which is more resistant to erosion so it is more mountainous as the rock is hard to erode.

How has weathering shaped the Lake District?

In Lake District, Freeze thaw weathering takes place because in winter, at night, temperatures are below freezing and during the day it is warmer. This creates scree which makes the ground rough.

How has slope processes shaped the Lake District?

Rockfalls - Scree fragments are unstable and move easily during rockfalls, increasing dangers for walkers
Landslides - Rain adds to the weight of weathered rock so it slides easily.

How has glaciation shaped the Lake District?

Glaciation created U shaped valleys with water flowing through

Name an example of a lowland landscape in the UK

The Weald

What is scarp and vale topography?

A steep slope on one side of a hill and a gentler one on the other

How is a scarp and vale topography formed?

• Resistant rocks, like chalk, form steep escarpments (like a cliff)
• Behind the escarpment, gentle slopes follow the angle at which rocks are tilted (called the dip), known as a dip slope.
• Softer clays are lower and flatter, forming the vales

How has geology shaped The Weald?

different hardness of rocks caused scarp and vale topography

How has Weathering shaped The Weald?

The chalk is affected by chemical weathering
Tree and Shrub roots break up solid rock

How has slope processes shaped The Weald?

Slower slope processes including soil creep.

How has glaciation shaped The Weald?

Water in chalk froze during ice age, making it impermeable. As the climate warmed, water seeped into the chalk again leaving dry valleys where water had once flowed.

How has the landscape influenced human activity?

In The Yorkshire Dales, Norse farmers used the limestone on the valley sides to build their houses.
In East Anglia, the ground was too soft to build stone walls on so they used hedges for field boundaries.

Explain how has human activity influenced the landscape?

𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
The building of settlements: houses, industries and roads connecting settlements have changed the landscape forever, with natural landscapes becoming human ones.
𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Originally the land was farmed with hedges and walls as field boundaries; as farming practices have changed over time, the hedges in some parts of the country have been removed and extensive areas of land have been created to allow for the large machinery that is now used.
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆
Originally much of the UK was covered by deciduous woodland. Over hundreds of years the woodland has been felled (cut down). There has also been a change in the type of woodland in the UK, because much of the woodland which has been grown to replace the felled woodland is coniferous