Paper 1 Flashcards The Physical Environment _____________________________________________ Main UK rock types There are 3 main types of rock in the UK - igneous -sedimentary -metamorphic basalt chalk marble Igneous rock is made from cooling lava. It is hard and made of crystals. Sedimentary rock is made from squashed sediment (mud). It is soft and can sometimes contain fossils. Metamorphic rock is made when igneous or sedimentary rock is squashed or heated for a very long time. It is hard and made of crystals. Paper 1: Physical Environment • 1 hour and 30 minutes • 94 marks Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Topics Rocks Climate change Ecosystems Coasts UK climate Tropical Rivers Tropical cyclones rainforests Droughts Deciduous woodlands Any case studies? No Hurricane Sandy: Cuba Amazon Rainforest Hurricane Sandy: USA Epping Forest Drought: Namibia Drought: California, USA Main UK rock types 1) State 1 type of rock found in the UK. (1 mark) 2) State 1 characteristic of igneous rock (1 mark) 3) State 1 characteristic of metamorphic rock (1 mark) 4) Name 1 sedimentary rock (1 mark) 5) Describe the formation of sedimentary rock (2 marks) 8 markers None for this section of the exam Upland and lowland landscapes Upland landscapes are mountains. They are usually made of igneous rock that has not been worn away. Lowland landscapes are flat. They are usually made of sedimentary rock that has been worn away. If upland areas are made from igneous rock, it proves there were once volcanoes in the UK. They are not active anymore – luckily for us! Physical processes Physical processes are the things nature does that shape the land. Example of physical processes are erosion, deposition and weathering – Geographers are physical process experts! Erosion and weathering wear the land away. They make steep landscapes like valleys. Deposition builds the land up, making landscapes like beaches. Upland and lowland landscapes 1) State 1 characteristic of upland landscape (1 mark) 2) Explain why upland areas are usually made (2 marks) from igneous rock 3) State 1 piece of evidence for the UK’s tectonic (1 mark) past (1 mark) 4) State 1 characteristic of lowland landscape (1 mark) 5) Explain why lowland areas are usually made (2 marks) from sedimentary rock. 8 markers None for this section of the exam Physical processes 1) Define ‘physical process’ (1 mark) 2) State 1 physical process (1 mark) 3) State 1 impact of weathering on the landscape (1 mark) 4) Weathering is one example of a physical process. (1 mark) State 1 more physical process. 8 markers None for this section of the exam Human activity Human processes are the things people do to change the landscape. There are loads of things we do every day that affect the landscape. Building new houses → Causes deforestation and flooding Driving cars → Causes pollution and climate change Farming → Causes deforestation and animals lose their habitat These are just a few examples – I bet you can think of lots more! Physical processes at the coast (1) The coast is where the sea meets the land. Lots of physical processes happen here. Erosion Weathering When the land is worn away by When the land is worn away by something still. something moving. Biological – when living things break the rock Abrasion – rubbing against the apart eg: Rabbits burrow in the rock cliffs Solution – dissolved by chemicals Chemical – when chemicals dissolve the rock Hydraulic action – air burst the away eg: Acid rain rock apart Attrition – two rocks hit together Mechanical – when hot or cold temperature break the rock apart eg: Freeze-thaw weathering Human activity 1) Define ‘human process’ (1 mark) 2) State 1 human process (1 mark) 3) State 1 impact of human activity on the (1 mark) landscape 4) Explain 1 impact of farming on the landscape (2 marks) 5) Explain how 1 human activity affects the (2 marks) landscape 8 markers None for this section of the exam Physical processes at the coast (1) 1) Define ‘erosion’ (1 mark) 2) State 1 type of erosion (1 mark) 3) State 1 type of weathering (1 mark) 4) State 1 type of chemical weathering (1 mark) 5) Explain how 1 type of weathering affects (2 marks) the landscape 6) Explain how chemical weathering affects (2 marks) the landscape 8 markers None for this section of the exam Physical processes at the coast (2) Not all physical process at the coast wear the land away. Some build it up to make beautiful beaches. Deposition is mainly controlled by longshore drift – the zig-zag movement of sand along the beach by the waves. When waves transport material, there are 4 ways this can happen. - traction (rolling) -saltation (bouncing) - solution (dissolved in water) -suspension (floating) Rocks at the coast Depending on which rocks you get at the coast, this will create different features. If all the rock is the same, the If there are stripes of hard and soft coastline will be in a neat line. rock, you will get headlands and This is called a concordant bays. This is called a discordant coastline. coastline. Physical processes at the coast (2) 1) State 1 type of transport that occurs at (1 mark) Identify 1 feature that deposition creates (1 mark) at the coast 2) Write a definition for longshore drift (1 mark) 3) Describe how sediment is transported along (2 marks) the coast 8 markers None for this part of the course Rocks at the coast 1) Write a definition of concordant coastline (1 mark) 2) Identify 1 feature of discordant coastlines (1 mark) 3) Explain the difference between concordant (2 marks) and discordant coastline 4) Explain how rock type affects the formation (2 marks) of headlands 8 markers Examine the physical processes that cause the (8 marks) formation of headlands and bays in Figure 2. Weather and climate at the coast In the UK, weather at the coast is often windy. Mostly, the wind comes from the South East. This is the prevailing wind direction. When the weather is wet and windy, erosion speeds up. This means erosion is fastest in winter. Climate change is making storms in the winter even worse, so erosion will get worse, too. Strong wind makes destructive waves. These are big and have lots of energy – they erode the coast very quickly. Weak wind makes constructive waves. These are small and have less energy – they deposit sand on the beaches. Erosion at the coast Erosion at the coast can create some pretty impressive scenery. Wave cut platform Cave-arch-stack-stump This is a long strip of rock at These are features of the coastline the bottom of a cliff. that are often found together. 1) Waves hit the cliff. 1) Waves erode a crack in the cliff 2) Waves erode a little hole into a cave. 3) The hole gets bigger and the 2) The back of the cave is eroded cliff gets weaker. to make an arch 4) The cliff falls down - you could swim through this. 5) At the bottom of the cliff, 3) The arch falls down and makes there is a flat bit of rock a stack. where its base used to be. 4) The stack falls down and makes a stump. Weather and climate at the coast 1) State the prevailing wind direction in the UK. (1 mark) 2) State 1 characteristic of constructive waves. (1 mark) 3) Explain how destructive waves affect the rate (2 marks) of erosion. 4) Explain why the rate of erosion is fastest in (2 marks) winter. 5) Explain 1 way climate change will affect the (2 marks) UK’s coastline. 8 markers None for this part of the course Erosion at the coast 1) Identify 1 feature of the coast which was formed (1 mark) by erosion. 2) Explain how erosion creates a wave cut platform. (3 marks) 3) Explain how a stack is created by erosion (3 marks) 8 markers Examine the physical processes that control the (8 marks) formation of the wave cut platform in Figure 1. Examine the physical processes that control the (8 marks) formation of the stack in Figure 2. Deposition at the coast Deposition at the coast makes sandy features like big beaches. Spits This is a long strip of sand that sticks out from the coast. 1) Longshore drift carries sand in a zig- zag along the coast. 2) When the coastline changes direction, longshore drift carries on. Bars 3) Sand gets put down in the sea. 4) The sand builds up, making a spit If a spit carries on growing all the way that sticks out. across a gap, it makes a bar. 5) A salt marsh forms behind the spit - this is a boggy, smelly bit of muddy Any water trapped behind it is called a land. lagoon. Human activity at the coast The coast is a very popular place to live. There are many jobs there in tourism and in fishing. Erosion at the coast is threatening peoples’ homes and businesses. As homes fall into the sea, the value of houses is going down. People are also losing their businesses. As land falls into the sea, we call this coastal recession. Climate change is causing bad winter storms, causing flooding. This is damaging homes and businesses, as well as blocking off roads. In the future, this will get worse – especially if sea levels rise. Deposition at the coast 1) Identify 1 feature of the coast which was formed (1 mark) by deposition. 2) Write a definition for a spit. (1 mark) 3) Explain how deposition creates a spit (3 marks) 4) Explain how a bar is created by deposition (3 marks) 8 markers Examine the physical processes that control the (8 marks) formation of the spit in Figure 1.