physical geography coasts

Question 1

What is mechanical weathering

Answer 1

The breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition

Sea water gets into the cracks in the rocks
Salt crystals then form in the rock when the water evaporates
They then expand which puts pressure in the rocks
This repeatedly widens the crack forcing the rocks to break up

Question 2

What is biological weathering

Answer 2

When living organisms contribute to the process eg trees crack into the rocks eg. Plant roots grow into cracks in the rocks

Question 3

What is slumping

Answer 3

When the rain water gets through the cracks at the top and the waves attack the cliff from the bottom destabilising the cliff and slumps down due to gravity

Question 4

What is igneous rock formed from

Answer 4

Melted rock that has cooled and solidified

Question 5

What is sedimentary rocks formed from

Answer 5

Layers of sediment that compact to form solid rock
Softer than igneous and metamorphic rocks

Question 6

How is metamorphic rocks formed?

Answer 6

When other rocks (sedimentary, igneous or old metamorphic) have been changed by heat or pressure
The new rock becomes harder and more compact

Question 7

What is rockfall

Answer 7

When weathered rocks fall due to gravity

Question 8

Examples of sedimentary rock

Answer 8

Chalk sandstone

Question 9

Examples of metamorphic rock

Answer 9

Slate, marble

Question 10

Example of igneous rock

Answer 10

Granite and basalt

Question 11

What is mass movement

Answer 11

The downhill movement of a cliff under the influence of gravity
There are a range of different types of mass movements

Question 12

What is abrasion

Answer 12

Eroded Particles scrape and rub against the cliff eroding small peices

Question 13

What is hydraulic action

Answer 13

Waves crash against the rock and compress the air putting pressure on the rock this repeated widens the crack and causes bites to break off

Question 14

What is attrition

Answer 14

The rocks from the sea knocks into the cliff

Question 15

What are characteristics of destructive waves

Answer 15

Have a high frequency
High and steep
Backwash more powerful than swash so material is removed

Question 16

Characteristics of constructive wabes

Answer 16

Low frequency
Low and long
Powerful swash
Backwash is weaker so material is deposited on the coast

Question 17

What is longshore drift

Answer 17

Waves follow directions of prevailing wind
Swash carries material up the beach in the same direction as the waves at a angle
Backwash carries material down the beach at right angles back into the sea
Over time material zigzags along the coast transporting material

Question 18

What is a concordant coastline

Answer 18

Bands of soft and hard rock that run parallel to coastline

Question 19

What is solution

Answer 19

Calcium based rocks are dissolved by the chemicals in seawater

Question 20

How does a wave cut platform form

Answer 20

The waves erode away the lower bit of the cliff due to hydraulic action and abrasion
The cliff then collapses due to gravity and weathering
The cliff retreats and it happens again

Question 21

How is a bar formed

Answer 21

When a spit grows a across the mouth of the bay creating a lagoon behind it

Question 22

How is a spit formed

Answer 22

When the coastline changes direction and longshore drift continues to move material along the beach
Longshore drift continues and build up till its abouve sea level

Question 23

Why is granite found in upland areas

Answer 23

Very resistant and slow to erode

Question 24

Why are some igneous rocks found in the uk

Answer 24

Active volcanoes around 500 million years ago used to be on plate boundaries where the land that now makes up the uk is therefore the magma from europtions solidified to form igneous rocks

Question 25

How have upland areas in the uk formed

Answer 25

When tectonic plates have collided folding and lifting rocks form upland such as Lake District, Scottish highlands

Question 26

Why have these highlands/uplands not yet weathered away

Answer 26

As they are made of metamorphic/igneous rock so are more resistant

Question 27

How has Carboniferous limestone been formed in the uk

Answer 27

Over 200 million years ago before Britain drifted north in continental drift the uk was partially underwater so this limestone formed in the warm shallow areas

Question 28

How is sandstone formed

Answer 28

When sand grains are cemented together by natrual cements

Question 29

How were upland areas affected by glaciers

Answer 29

V shaped Valleys turned into u shaped valleys due to erosion

Question 30

How did glaciers affect the lowland

Answer 30

Glaciation deposited material as it melted Parts of eastern England are covered in till (an unsorted mixture if clay sand and rocks) diposited by the glaciers

Question 31

Examples of physical processes that altered the landscape

Answer 31

Weathering Erosion Post glacial more powerful rivers due to more water from glaciers Slope processes (mass movements

Question 32

What are examples of how humans have affected landscape processes

Answer 32

Settlements - forests destroyed for concreted buildings and roads Rivers diverted Agriculture- deciduous woodland destroyed for farming purposes People cleared flat land and built straight hedgerows and walls

Question 33

What is arable farming

Answer 33

Flat land with good soil for growing crops Destroy natrual landscape

Question 34

Dairy farming in uk?

Answer 34

Warm and wet areas large grass fields for cows Destroys the natrual landscape

Question 35

How do sheep on mountains destroy the natrual landscape

Answer 35

By trammelling over trees etc in upland areas

Question 36

What’s swash

Answer 36

The forward movement of water that runs up the beach till it runs out of energy depositing sediment

Question 37

What’s chemical weathering

Answer 37

The breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition

Question 38

What’s backwash

Answer 38

The backward movent of water where sediment is transported from the beach to the sea

Question 39

What’s deposition

Answer 39

When waves lose energy they drop the material they are carrying as they aren’t travelling fast enough to carry the sediment

Question 40

Why do low energy waves carry the sediment

Answer 40

There not strong enough to carry the sediment away

Question 41

What are waves that deposited more material than they erode called

Answer 41

Constructive waves

Question 42

What are waves that erode more sediment than they deposit called

Answer 42

Destructive waves