gcse edexcel a geography glaciers

Created by

Alice

Cards (150)

what are the three main rock types found in the UK
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic
what are the characteristics of sedimentary rocks
formed in layers, contain fossils, e.g. chalk and limestone
what are the characteristics of igneous rocks
hard, formed of crystals, resistant to erosion, e.g. granite and basalt
what are the characteristics of metamorphic rocks 
formed when rocks are changed by heat and pressure, e.g. schist and slate
how do geology affect the UK's landscape
the north west is mainly harder igneous and metamorphic rocks, which are more resistant to erosion so form upland areas; the south east is mainly softer sedimentary rocks which are less resistant to erosion so form lowland areas
how do plate tectonics affect the UK's landscape
millions of years ago the UK was close to play margins, so the movement of the plates caused mountains and faults in the rock
which processes have affected the UK's landscape
glacial erosion and deposition, climate, river erosion and deposition, slope processes
how does glacial erosion and deposition affect the UK's landscape
glaciers carve out corries and U-shaped valleys
how does the climate affect the UK's landscape
high levels of rainfalls stream over the impermeable rock surfaces, increasing the likelihood of flooding
how do slope processes affect the UK's landscape
mass movement (landslides) and soil creep (gradual downhill movement) cause cliffs to collapse
which historical processes have changed the UK's landscape
farming, forestry and settlements
how has farming changed the UK's landscape
pastoral (animal) farming in upland areas and arable (crop) farming in lowland areas
how has forestry changed the UK's landscape
the UK would naturally be covered by deciduous woodland, but past forestry has decreased the UK's forestry coverage
how have settlements changed the UK's landscape 
areas have been deforested to clear land for buildings and roads, wetland areas have been drained, and valleys have been flooded to create reservoirs; most settlements were also originally set up near rivers, etc, so many big cities are still there
what does weathering do
breaks down rocks and leaves the weathered material in situ
what are the three types of weathering
biological (plant roots or burrowing animals), chemical (dissolving by acid rain), mechanical (freeze thaw)
what is mass movement
the downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity
what are the types of mass movement
rockfall (pieces of cliff falling off), mudflow (saturated soil sliding), landslides (rock chunks sliding), slumping (saturated soil slumping)
what are the types of erosion
abrasion, attrition, hydraulic action, solution
what is abrasion 
when waves throw sediment and stones against the coast causing pieces to break off
what is attrition 
when pebbles carried in the waves rub against each other, causing rough pieces to break off, making them smoother and rounder
what is hydraulic action
when the air in the cracks and joints of a rock face is compressed by the force of waves against the surface, causing the cracks to widen
what is solution
when the chemical action of sea water dissolves certain rock types
what is longshore drift
the (zig-zagged) movement of sediment along the coast by wave action (transported up the beach at an angle by the swash and transported back out to sea at a right angle by the backwash
what are the types of sediment transport
solution (minerals dissolved and carried in sea water), suspension (sand and small particles carried in sea water), saltation (small stones bounced along seabed), traction (large boulders rolled)
what is deposition
when sediment is deposited as wave energy falls (usually in sheltered areas)
what is a concordant coastline
when the bands of rock run parallel to the coastline
what is a discordant coastline 
when the bands of rock run perpendicular to the coastline
what are constructive waves
low energy, occur in calmer conditions, deposit material to build up the coastline, have a stronger swash than backwash, less frequent
what are destructive waves
high energy, occur in rougher conditions, carry away material to erode the coastline, have a stronger backwash than swash, more frequent (occur when the fetch is longer and wind is stronger)
how does storm frequency affect the UK's coastline
storm frequency is high in many parts of the UK so: coasts experience stronger winds and more destructive waves, heavy rainfall saturates cliffs and causes slumps and spits, sand and beaches are changed during storms
how do prevailing winds affect the UK's coastline
mostly come from the south-west so bring warm moist air from the Atlantic Ocean and frequent precipitation which causes faster weathering and mass movement
which coastal landforms form on discordant coastlines
headlands (hard rock) and bays (soft rock)
what are the features of headlands
crack, cave, arch, stack, stump
what is a wave cut notch 
an area of erosion at the base of a cliff (formed by the waves)
how are wave cut platforms formed
waves break at the bottom of the cliff which erode a wave cut notch which undercuts the cliff face (which will eventually collapse by mass movement), the cliff profile is then steepened and the cliff line will gradually retreat inland leaving behind an rocky wave cut platform which gets smoothed by pebbles
what are beaches
deposits of sand and shingle shaped by erosion, transportation and deposition
what are spits
narrow beaches attached to land at one end which extend across a bay or estuary where there is a change in the direction of the coastline (formed by longshore drift)
what is a bar
when a spit extends all of the way across a bay to join two headlands (a lagoon will then form behind the bar)
which human activities change coastal landscapes
urbanisation, agriculture and industry