1.1 Physical landscapes

 

 

Physical landscapes comprise the natural features (landforms) of an area. For the exam you need to know the main land forms associated with:

 

GLACIATED AREAS-below

RIVERS-Click River Landforms and Land Use for notes and interavctive tasks on rivers.

 

 

 

1.2 Glaciated landscapes

 

 

Exam questions on Landscapes of Glacial Erosion are often based on a diagram. Try to look at as many of these as you can so that you can recognise the glacial features when they are shown in different diagrams.

Questions may ask you to identify features found on an Ordnance Survey Map. In order to revise for this you will need to practise looking for the contour patterns that show the larger features of Glacial Erosion such as corries, pyramidal peaks and 'U' shaped valleys. As well as being able to recognize landscape features of glaciation you should be able to explain how the most important types were formed.

 

1.3 A How ice erodes

 

Ice erodes by:

 

• Plucking - glacier ice freezes into cracks in rocks and when the glacier moves it pulls out chunks to leave a jagged surface

• Abrasion - rocks stuck in the ice grind away the bedrock under the glacier

 

In addition, weathering plays an important, ongoing part in sculpting glaciated features:

 

• Freeze Thaw - water in cracks in the rock freezes and expands forcing open the gap. When the ice melts more water can get into the crack and freeze again. After many cycles of freezing and thawing lumps of rock are broken off the surface.

 

 

INTERACTIVE TASK

 

Click on link below:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/geography/glaciation/glacial_erosion_rev3.shtml

 

 

1.3 B Formation of features of glacial erosion

 

You should be able to explain how features of glacial erosion are formed. These are always 4 mark KU questions.

 

at S Grade level these features incude

 

corrie

arete

pyramid peak

truncated spur

U shaped valley

 

 

Sample questions

 

The examples of questions that follow show ways of using diagrams to explain how the most common features were formed. Sometimes 'Before' and 'After' diagrams make it easier to explain.

 

 

Question 1: Explain the formation of a Corrie (Cirque). You may use diagrams to illustrate your answer.

 

 

a) During Ice age snow collects in hollows,√ the cool temperatures ensure that the ice does not melt √ over many years, snow compacts to firn, which then becomes ice √ ice moves under gravity, lubricated by meltwater,√  ice rotates to lip and  abrasion deepens corrie √plucking steepens back and sides by removing fragments from the mountaionside √corrie lochan may fill hollow.

 

Question 2: Explain the formation of a truncated spur You may use diagrams to illustrate your answer

 

is formed when the slope of an interlocking spur (ie a slope projecting into a valley)is eroded by a glacier √as the ice moves down the valley it abrades the sides of hills √and ice at the edge of the glacier freezes on to the rock and plucks it away √When the ice melts, the slope is left as the steep side of a u-shaped valley √ and may have crags or cliffs where erosion was greatest √

 

 

INTERACTIVE TASK

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/geography/glaciation/processes_rev3.shtml

 

 

1.4 Features of glacial deposition

 

Exam questions on Landscapes of Glacial Deposition are often based on a diagram. Features of deposition are not usually large enough to show up on the maps that are likely to be used in the exam so you should not worry about recognising them from contour patterns.

 

You will remember that all of the materials, rocks, gravels, sands and clays carried by the glaciers are deposited in two main ways

 

• Glacial Deposits (unsorted) dumped from the melting ice, such as moraines and till. These are jumbled mixtures of broken rock material of many different sizes.

 

• Fluvo-glacial deposits (sorted) washed out of the ice by meltwaters, such as outwash plains, eskers and kames. These deposits are more rounded and have been sorted by the action of the water, the heavier materials being laid down first.

 

 

 

INTERACTIVE TASK

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/geography/glaciation/glacial_depostition_rev3.shtml

 

 

1.5 Identification of glaciated features on an OS map

 

 

The Scalloway web pages have simple contour plans of the main landscape features that you need to know. They also explain how the features are formed.

 

http://www.scalloway.org.uk/phyl12.htm (U-shaped valleys)

 

http://www.scalloway.org.uk/phyl13.htm (corries, detailed)

 

http://www.scalloway.org.uk/phyl14.htm (corries, pyramid peaks)

 

 

 

1.6 Land use in Upland landscapes

 

 

Tourism / sightseeing - Glaciation produces high relief (deep valleys and high rugged mountains) which results in dramatic views. e.g. Cairngorms, Lake District.

 

Hill walking / mountaineering / rock climbing - Corrie sides and headwalls provide stiff climbing on their steep and frost shattered slopes. Arêtes and broader ridges allow walkers access to the more rounded summits. The variety of landscape provides a test for every level of mountaineer, especially in winter. e.g. Cairngorms, Ben Nevis Massif; Mountain biking incrreasingly popular on many hills.

 

Winter sports - Alpine skiing / snow boarding- corries gather and hold snow and provide a variety of slopes from the steep sides to the flatter floor. Cross country skiing may be available on the lower slopes and valley floor depending on the snowfall.

 

Hunting - Especially in Scotland many of the glaciated uplands are covered in moor partly because the thin acidic soils do not support many types of plant and partly because of past deforestation and sheep grazing. This land is used for rearing grouse and deer to shoot.

 

Forestry - Many of the lower slopes were once forested and forestry remains an economic possibility where the soils are thicker and better drained and temperatures are not too extreme.

 

Hydro Electric Power (HEP) - High rainfall over the mountains. Corrie lochs and hanging valleys can be used or dammed to hold more water. Hard crystalline rocks provide firm foundations and prevent leakage. Steep drop from corrie e.g. Ben Cruachan, or hanging valley provides a good head of water to power turbines.

 

This type of scenery has limitations caused by the high altitude, steep slopes, thin and infertile soils, heavy rainfall and low temperatures. This prevents any kind of intensive agriculture with hill sheep farming being the most important. Communications are difficult and roads and railways are usually only found in the valley floors.

The remoteness is a disadvantage as it costs more to import and export goods, and the cost of living for the inhabitants is consequently higher.

The "unspoilt" nature of the glacial highlands has meant that land use conflicts occur.

Often the need to develop an area by, for example, opening up a quarry or enlarging a ski resort will conflict with the desire to protect the environment.

 

 

1.7 Land use in lowland areas

 

Farming - Till (boulder clay) can be fairly fertile allowing arable farming or dairy farming on heavier clays. Outwash sands and gravels are less fertile, often used for heath or forest but the finer deposits can be farmed.

 

Quarrying - Outwash sands and gravels provide important sources of aggregate for making concrete because they are already fairly well sorted and were laid down by fresh water, unlike sea-dredged gravels which have to be washed to remove salt contamination.

 

Forestry - Moraines may be too rocky for farming and may be forested. Large areas of outwash which cannot be farmed may be forested.

 

Settlement – Glacial Till usually provides good foundations and where there is farming settlements will have grown up. However, risk of flooding/poor drainage on outwash plains leads to lower density, dispersed settlements

 

Communications - Fairly easy. Land is fairly level, routes may wind between drumlins

 

 

1.8 Gathering and Processing techniques for glaciated areas.

 

 

Gathering:-

 

• Take photographs of landscape features, eg corries-digital photos are particularly good as you can store them , save to computer, electronically   adapt.

• Draw sketches and add labels. Sketches show the main features and omit “background” information that may not be relevant.

• Look at OS map to identify height and aspect of corries, eg to see if most of them face north

• Annotate a map to show land use at different heights and slopes of a U shaped valley. This information will be up to date and specific to your enquiry.

• Carry out a questionnaire of people to find out what they think about eg,  a new ski-ing development, to get first hand views

• Read books, newspaper articles on controversial topics, eg wind farms

 

 

Processing:-

 

• Draw a land use transect to show how land use changes across a U shaped valley; this will show relationship between land use , height and slope.

• Make up a land use map of a glaciated area; this shows the extent of each land use, and also how land use is related to physical features.

• Draw graphs to show percentages of people who have differing views about new development

• Draw bar graph to show numbers of visitors to the Highlands in terms of the activities they do, where they stay, how long they stay for

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INTERACTIVE

 

Mind maps are an excellent way to revise

click on the address below for a mind map of the main points in glaciation and river landforms:

 

http://www.scalloway.org.uk/phyl_mm.htm

Note that you can click on the blue highlights in the map for more details

 

 

EXTENSION

 

See also the following

 

 

http://www.glacier.rice.edu/land/5_tableofcontents.html (glaciers)

 

http://www.georesources.co.uk/nplow.htm (national parks)