NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT
Geography
The Physical Environment
[ACCESS 3]
The Scottish Qualifications Authority regularly reviews
the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of
all NQ support materials, whether published by
Learning and Teaching Scotland or others, are
reminded that it is their responsibility to check that the
support materials correspond to the requirements of the
current arrangements.
Acknowledgement
Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledges this contribution to the National
Qualifications support programme for Geography.
The publishers gratefully acknowledge permission from the following sources to reproduce
copyright material: diagram of ‘Meanders’ from Intermediate Geography (2nd edition, 2005)
by Calvin Clarke and diagram of a ‘U-shaped valley’ from Standard Grade Geography (1998)
by Calvin Clarke both republished by kind permission from Hodder & Stoughton; photographs
of ‘glacial U-shaped valley with steep sides, flat floor and truncated spurs’, ‘a pyramidal peak,
two arêtes and a valley glacier in the Chamonix Valley, France’ and ‘Striding edge in the
English Lake District is an arête on the side of a mountain called Helvellyn’ all © Geography
Site (www.geography-site.co.uk).
Every effort has been made to trace all the copyright holders but if any have been inadvertently
overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangement at the first
opportunity.
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
This resource may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by educational
establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage.
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
Contents
Foreword
4
Section 1: Erosion and weathering
Agents of erosion
Weathering
Do all rocks wear away at the same speed
6
6
8
10
Section 2: Glaciated landscapes
Glaciation
Land use in the Lake District
12
12
21
Section 3: Coastal landscapes
Coasts
Headlands and bays
Formation of caves, arches and stacks
Beaches
*Formation of a spit
Case study of the Dorset coast
32
32
36
38
41
43
45
Section 4: River landscapes
Rivers
Stages of a river
56
56
58
Section 5: Limestone landscapes
Limestone
Erosion of limestone
70
70
72
Worksheets
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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FOREWORD
Foreword
This unit was written in line with the recent conditions and
arrangements for Access 3 Geography. Given the intended client group,
the language has been simplified as much as possible, with the
exception of specific geographical terms and terminology that cannot be
simplified without changing their meaning. The unit was very much
based upon the style and content of the textbook Intermediate
Geography by Calvin Clarke. This was deliberate as the likelihood is
that classes will be composites of Access and Intermediate 1 (and
possibly Intermediate 2) in many schools. Access-only classes will
probably be the exception rather than the rule.
The materials in the unit are designed to be used in conjunction with
this text, and can serve as a simplified text with appropriate ta sks.
Questions and text indicated by an asterix (*) are more difficult and
could probably be used for those pupils who may progress to
Intermediate 1.
Group work has been incorporated where possible, and this helps to
bring the unit into line with various aspects of A Curriculum for
Excellence.
Mapwork has been deliberately omitted from the unit. This is due to the
fact that each school has access to different sets of maps and therefore
any reference to a specific map could have caused problems. It is
assumed that each school will be able to devise their own mapwork
exercises, and these can be incorporated into the unit as and when
required. A few maps that could be suitable are:
Glaciation – Beinn Eighe Standard Grade Credit map from 1991
– Fort William Standard Grade General map from 2000
– Torridon Standard Grade Credit map from 2001
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
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FOREWORD
Rivers
– Perth, Standard Grade General level map from 1995
– Wigton Standard Grade Foundation map from 2000
(The Glaciation maps can also be used for rivers in the upper
course.)
Coasts
– Banff Standard Grade General map from 1991
– Great Yarmouth Standard Grade General map from 1992
– Bournemouth Higher map from 1995
Limestone – Ingleborough Higher Grade map from 1998
It would be beneficial if this document could be printed in colour.
This enhances the diagrams, and makes them much clearer to
understand for pupils at Access 3 level. The only ‘write on’ materials in
the document are specific worksheets.
The unit and the maps do not provide exhaustive coverage of the entire
topic, and it is hoped that they are flexible enough to be used in
whatever circumstances exist in each department.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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EROSION AND WEATHERING
Section 1: Erosion and weathering
Agents of erosion
There are many different shapes of land in the British Isles an d these
are always changing. In the North of Scotland we find high mountains
and deep glens or valleys. In South East England there are large areas
of flat land. All around the coast of Britain there are beautiful beaches
and cliffs and nearly everywhere we can see rivers changing the shape
of the land.
Many of the shapes we see on our landscape have taken millions of
years to make, and are there because of the forces of nature eroding,
transporting and depositing rocks from one place to another.
Erosion is the wearing away of the rocks. The material that is worn
away is then carried from one place to another, and this is called
transportation. Then this transported material is dumped or deposited.
This is called deposition.
There are four main things that cause erosion. These are: water, waves,
wind and ice.
Moving water is very powerful, and when it flows in a river it picks up
pieces of rock and bangs them against other rocks and the sides of the
river. This makes the rocks smooth, as all of the rou gh edges are worn
away. Some of these small pieces are then dumped as sandbanks and
beaches. Look at the size and shape of the stones the next time you go
to a beach!
At the coast winds often blow the water into large waves and these hit
the land with great force and throw large stones against the other rocks.
This also breaks up all of the rocks into smaller pieces.
Wind is also very powerful and picks up pieces of sand and dirt and
blasts them against other rocks breaking them up even more. This may
then be dumped in some places as sand dunes.
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EROSION AND WEATHERING
Moving ice is another very strong thing that causes erosion. Ice freezes
on to rocks and rips these pieces of rock off when it moves. Think of
what happens when you make a snowman. When you roll your
snowball, it sticks to the grass and small stones get stuck onto it. Many
thousands of years ago during the ice age large rivers of ice called
glaciers made many of the shapes we see in the high mountains of
Scotland and Wales.
Tasks
Answer the following questions in sentences.
1.
What does erosion mean?
2.
What does transportation mean?
3.
What does deposition mean?
4.
Describe how a river wears away the land.
*5.
How does moving ice change the shape of the land?
*6.
Why are the stones on a beach rounded in shape?
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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EROSION AND WEATHERING
Weathering
Things that cause erosion shape our landscape but these changes take
millions of years, as erosion, transportation and deposition are very
slow. However, smaller changes are taking place every day in our
landscape. These small changes help to break up the rocks of the
surface of the earth. These changes happen when the weather affects the
rocks and breaks them up. This is called weathering.
Weathering takes place in Britain in three main ways: chemical
weathering, freeze–thaw action, and root action.
Chemical weathering happens when rainwater falls onto soft rocks such
as limestone. Rainwater is a weak acid and this then dissolves the
chemicals in the limestone. (You can see this happening if you drop a
piece of chalk into a beaker of acid in the science lab. This happens
much faster than in nature but the idea is the same.) The rock is then
broken up and worn away by the rainwater. Figure 1 below helps to
explain this.
Figure 1: Chemical weathering
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© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
EROSION AND WEATHERING
Freeze–thaw action is also caused by rainwater on rocks. Rain goes into
the cracks in rocks and freezes when the temperature falls below
freezing point. This makes the water grow and forces the crack in the
rock to become bigger. The water melts and leaves a bigger crack in the
rock. When more rain falls the same things are repeated. Over a number
of years the crack will become so big that the rock will split into
smaller pieces. This breaks up the rock and makes it easier for the
things that cause erosion to remove it. Figure 2 below shows how this
type of weathering occurs.
Figure 2: Freeze/thaw weathering
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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EROSION AND WEATHERING
Root action is when plants grow in cracks in the rock, and their roots
force the cracks to get bigger. You can see this in your garden path,
where grass and weeds often grow in cracked slabs or between slabs.
These roots eventually break the slabs or rocks up into smaller pieces.
Figure 3 explains how this happens.
Figure 3: Root action
Do all rocks wear away at the same speed?
Not all rocks are the same. They are all made up of different materials.
Some materials are hard such as metal, while others such as paper are
soft. Therefore when rocks are worn away those which are made of the
softer materials will wear away faster than those made of harder
materials. Examples of hard rock include granite and basalt. Limestone
is softer than granite, and chalk is even softer. Rocks made mostly of
clay are very soft. These will wear away the fastest.
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
EROSION AND WEATHERING
Tasks
1.
Copy the following paragraph and fill in the blanks using the
words below the paragraph. Each dash is one letter.
Weathering is when the _ _ _ _ _ of the earth are _ _ _ _ _ _
up by the weather. This happens very _ _ _ _ _ _. There are
_ _ _ _ _ main ways this happens and these are
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _–_ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ action.
Hard rocks like _ _ _ _ _ _ _ wear away slowly, and soft rocks
like _ _ _ _ wear away quickly.
broken
rocks
freeze–thaw
slowly
chemical
granite
three
clay
root
Answer the following questions in sentences.
2.
Describe how soft rocks such as limestone are broken up by
rainwater.
3.
Draw three diagrams to show how freeze/thaw weathering takes
place. Add labels to your diagrams to help explain how it works.
4.
What is root action?
*5. Name two places where could you see root action happening in
everyday.
*6. Why do you think we get more potholes in our roads in winter than
in summer?
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Section 2: Glaciated landscapes
Glaciation
In Britain today we do not find glaciers or large areas of ice . However,
in the past much of Britain was covered in ice and this eroded the land.
This ice then melted, and we can now see some of the shapes made by
ice. The map below (Figure 4) shows the main areas of Britain that
were covered by ice and where we find these shapes made by the ice.
Figure 4: Main areas covered by ice in The British Isles
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
How does ice erode the land?
Moving ice is a very powerful thing. When huge chunks of ice move
they change the shape of the land in many ways. They do this in two
main ways: plucking and abrasion.
A simple example of how plucking works can be seen when you make a
snowman. You start with a small snowball and roll it in the snow to
make it bigger. As it gets bigger pieces of grass, stones, twigs and
anything that is on the ground stick on to the snowball. When you roll
the snowball, these things get plucked from the ground and become part
of the snowball. The same thing happens when ice freezes on to the
rock. As the ice moves, the rocks stick to it and are pluck ed away from
the land. All of these stones then stick out of the ice and hit other
pieces of rock when they move over them. In this way they wear away
even more rock. This wearing away by rock stuck in the ice is called
abrasion. It is just as if the ice was a large piece of sandpaper and was
being rubbed over the ground. Other pieces of rock will be broken off
and be moved by the ice.
Tasks
1.
Take a blank map of Britain and copy the information from the
map above on to your map. Remember to give your map a title
and a key.
Answer the following questions in sentences.
2.
Name three areas in Scotland that were covered by ice in the past.
3.
Name two areas of Britain not in Scotland that were covered in ice
in the past.
4.
Which part of Britain was not covered by ice in the past?
5.
Name the two ways in which a glacier erodes the land that it
passes over.
6.
Describe how plucking occurs.
7.
Describe how abrasion takes place.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Formation of corries, arêtes and pyramidal peaks
When the ice disappeared from Britain it left behind many beautiful
shapes. Three of these shapes on our landscape are called corries, arêtes
and pyramidal peaks. These three features are shown in the pictures
below, Figures 5, 6 and 7.
Figure 5: A corrie
Steep
back wall
Lip at front
of corrie
Steep
side walls
Water
fills
the
hollow to
make a
tarn
Figure 6: An arête
Steep backwall
of one corrie
Steep backwall
of one corrie
Arête is the
sharp ridge
between
the two corries
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Figure 7: A pyramidal peak
Pyramidal
peak between
three corries
Steep
backwall of
one corrie
(behind
mountain
peak)
Steep
backwall of
one corrie
Steep
backwall of
one corrie
Corries form when snow gathers in a small hole or hollow in the ground
high up on a mountain. The snow does not melt but gets thicker and
thicker each year and after hundreds of years it turns to ice. This is a
glacier. The glacier will become too big for the hollow and will start to
move down the hill. When this happens, it sticks to the back of the
hollow and plucking takes place. This makes the back of the hollow
very steep.
The rocks under the ice wear away the rocks on the bottom of the
hollow. This is abrasion. This means that the hollow becomes deeper.
When the ice melts, a very deep hollow with three steep sides is left.
(Look at the photo on the previous page and make sure you can see the
three steep sides.) Sometimes the hollow fills with water and makes a
lake. This deep hollow is called a corrie, and the lake is called a tarn.
Figure 8 shows the way in which a corrie forms.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Figure 8: Formation of a corrie
1. Snow gathers in a
hollow and does not
melt. This is the start
of a glacier.
3. At the back of
the hollow the ice
sticks to the rocks
and plucking
occurs.
5. When the ice
melts, a deep hollow
called a corrie is left
behind. It often fills
with water and a
tarn is made.
2. The glacier gets
too big for the
hollow and starts
to move down the
mountain.
4. At the bottom of the
hollow the rocks in the
ice rub against the rocks
in the hollow. This is
abrasion.
If there is another hollow on the other side of the mountain, a corrie
will start to be made here as well. When this happens the two corries
meet in the middle and a very steep narrow piece of land is all that is
left between the corries. This piece of land is called a ridge and when it
is in between two corries it is called an arête. Look at the photo of the
arête (Figure 6) and make sure you can see the two corries back to back
and the sharp piece of land in between.
It is not too difficult to imagine what would happen if another corrie
formed on another part of the mountain. The mountain would be worn
away on at least three sides, and only a large peak shaped like a
pyramid would be left. This is called a pyramidal peak. Look back at
Figure 7 and make sure you can see the corries and the arêtes making
the peak.
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Tasks
Use the information above to help you to answer the following
questions.
1.
The following statements are about how a corrie is formed.
However, they are not in the correct order. Write them down in
the correct order so that they give you an explanation of how a
corrie forms.
 a deep bowl-shaped hollow begins to form
 and the bottom of the hollow by abrasion
 as the ice moves down the mountain it erodes the back of the
hollow by plucking
 snow and ice collect in a hollow high up in the mountain
 when the ice melts lakes sometimes fill these hollows
2.
Describe how an arête might form on a mountain.
3.
How does a pyramidal peak form?
4.
Complete the tasks on Worksheet 1.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
How a glacier changes a valley
When a glacier moves down a valley it changes the shape of the valley.
When water flows downhill it can turn around corners in the land quite
easily. Glaciers cannot do this because they are so big. It is like trying
to take a very large lorry around bends in a narrow country road. The
lorries cannot turn easily. Because the ice is so powerful it simply
bulldozes the corners of the valley away. This makes the valley
straight. At the same time the ice is abrading and plucking rocks from
the sides of the valley. This makes the valley deep. So what we are left
with is a deep, steep sided valley, which looks like the shape of the
letter ‘U’. This is called a ‘U’-shaped valley.
The diagram below shows how the shape of the land changes after a
glacier has passed over it.
Figure 9A: How a glacier changes a valley
The slopes
are smooth
and rounded
in shape.
The stream
winds
down the
valley.
The valley is ‘V’ shaped with gentle sides and a narrow valley bottom.
The slopes
are more
jagged in
shape.
The stream is
small compared
to the size of the
valley and flows
straighter.
The valley is ‘U’ shaped with steep sides and a wide valley floor.
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THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Figure 9B shows what a ‘U’-shaped valley looks like.
Figure 9B: A ‘U’-shaped valley
Valley is quite straight and deep.
Very steep sides
Wide, flat valley floor, usually with a small river in it.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Tasks
1.
Put the following heading into your jotter – ‘How a glacier
changes a valley’.
2.
Copy and complete the following paragraph. Use the diagrams
above to help you. The words are given below the paragraph.
A glacier moves down a ‘V’-shaped valley. As it moves it
_ _ _ _ _ _ the sides and _ _ _ _ _ _ of the valley and makes
it _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and changes it to a
_ shape.
U
deeper
straighter
bottom
erodes
*3. Look at Figures 9A and 9B on the previous page, which show the
changes to the shape of a valley after a glacier moves down
through it.
Draw two columns in your workbook.
Put the heading ‘Shape of a Valley before Glaciation’ for one
column and ‘Shape of a Valley after Glaciation’ for the other
column.
Put the following phrases under the correct headings to show you
how a valley changes shape after a glacier moves down through it.
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The valley is ‘U’-shaped
The sides are gentle
The valley is straight
The valley is deep
The valley is ‘V’-shaped
The valley floor is narrow
The sides are steep
The river is too small for the valley
The valley is winding
The river fits the valley
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Land use in the Lake District
One of the main areas of England which was shaped by glaciers is the
Lake District. The map below shows where this area is found.
Figure 10: Location of the Lake District
Some places have been put on the map to help you see where the Lake
District is. This area is about 700–1000m in height and as the name
suggests it has many lakes. There are many steep slopes, deep valleys
and some small areas of flatter land. In this area you can see many of
the features that have been mentioned so far – corries, arêtes and
‘U’-shaped valleys.
As this area is quite high it receives a lot of rain. The temperatures are
lower because it is high up. The heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures
make the soils in this area quite poor, and it is difficult to grow crops.
The steep slopes also make the use of farm machinery difficult. Much
of the area is covered in moorland and the grass is of poor quality. This
area is mostly rough grassland and heathland.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
What is this area used for?
We can answer this by thinking about what we CANNOT use the land
for.
Tasks – in a group
In a group look at and talk about the questions below.
Once you have got these answers choose someone to tell the rest of the
class what you have found.
1.
Think about the shape and height of the land in all of the photos
and maps that you have looked at so far in your studies. Look back
at some of these to help you remember. Answer all of the
questions below, giving as many reasons as you can for each one.
This will tell you what you cannot use the land for.
Could we grow crops here?
Could we keep cattle here?
Why are there not many large towns here?
Why would you not build a factory here?
2.
Now think what is left to use the land for.
Write down as many ways as you can to show what the land is
used for.
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
You should have found out that the land in the Lake Dist rict could be
used for the following.
1.
Hill sheep farming – Sheep can live on steep slopes and do not
need a lot of grass to feed on. They can also survive in cold
conditions and do not need a lot of attention. This makes them
ideal for these areas.
2.
Forestry – Trees can grow on poor soils and steep slopes. If the
land cannot be used for anything else it is better to plant trees on it
and cut these to sell than not grow anything.
3.
Water supply – There are many lakes in the area and water can be
stored here and used as a water supply for the towns in other areas .
4.
Hydro-electric power – this is when water is used to make
electricity. The power of water falling down a mountain can be
used to turn a machine, which makes electricity. There is plenty of
water in these areas so it makes sense to use it to make power.
5.
Tourism – This is one of the main uses that we find in areas such
as the Lake District. These highland areas give lots of things for
people to do during their visits there, including:








winter sports, as there is plenty snow
sightseeing, looking at the deep valleys and waterfalls
fishing and canoeing in the rivers and lakes
enjoying the peace and quiet of the countryside
rock climbing
hillwalking
nature studies, such as birdwatching
visiting places of historical interest, such as seeing old villages,
castles and lakes that famous poets wrote about
 visiting traditional farming areas, with old houses and barns.
THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ACCESS 3, GEOGRAPHY)
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2007
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Tasks
Answer the following questions in sentences.
1.
Give three reasons why this area is used to keep sheep on.
2.
Why are trees grown here? Give two reasons for your answer.
3.
Give three examples of how the lakes in this area are used.
4.
Give five different ways in which tourists use this area.
*5. Explain why the Lake District is used for a lot of different types of
water sports.
Task – in a group
Your task as a group is to produce an information leaflet on the Lake
District.
The leaflet should contain information on




How to get to the Lake District from Scotland by road and rail.
The things to do there.
Special attractions to see or places to visit.
Other information that may be useful for tourists visiting the area.
Before you start, think about the following questions and organise a
plan for your group.
Where will I find the information?
How easy is it to get access to these sources?
There are six main things to think about before you start making up
your leaflet.
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Think about all of these before you start, as this will help you get
organised.
1.
Who is going to be responsible for what? Look at the different
things your leaflet should contain.
2.
How are you going to present this? Is it a single page or a
newsletter type leaflet or a folded leaflet?
3.
Who is going to use the leaflet? Is it for adults, families or
students?
4.
How can the leaflet be made interesting? Could it contain pictures,
maps? If so where will you get this information?
5.
How could people find out about things in the Lake District, which
do not appear on the leaflet?
6.
How long do you have to complete the task? Ask your teacher.
Once you have discussed all of these points – and any others that you
can think of – start to produce your leaflet in your group.
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Land use conflict
When many people want to use the same piece of land for different
things, land use conflict will occur. This means that when one person or
group uses the land for one thing, other people might not agree with
that use. When people use the land they often change it in some way.
These changes can then have a bad effect on how other people can use
the land. In the Lake District there are many examples of how different
groups of people can be in conflict with each other over the use of the
land.
From your group task you should have found that the following group s
of people use the land in the Lake District:





Tourists
Farmers
Local residents
Industry
Forestry
Advantages of tourism
Tourism is one of the main land uses of the Lake District. The lea flet
you produced should contain a lot of information on why tourists visit
the area.
Tourism has many benefits for the area. It brings in a lot of money and
gives the local people jobs. This stops them from having to leave the
area. Local people can use the things that have been built for the
tourists, such as leisure centres. If the area was not popular with
tourists, these things may not have been built in the area. The roads will
also have been improved to help the tourists and this makes it easier for
the local people to travel.
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
Tasks
1.
Read the section above and write down four advantages that
tourism has given to the Lake District.
2.
Here is a list of jobs to do with tourism. The letters have been
mixed up. Rearrange the letters into the correct order to find the
type of job.
e.g. axti rvreid is a taxi driver.
hfec
igude
ubs rdveri
teloh rptoer
wtareiss
Disadvantages of tourism
There are also many examples where tourism has caused problems for
the people who live and work in the area of the Lake District.
Tourists and local residents
Many problems can occur when tourists visit the area. Most tourists
come in their cars. This means that the roads are very busy, especially
in the summer months and during holiday weekends. This makes the
roads dangerous for people to cross. It also makes the area noisy an d
the fumes from car exhausts causes pollution. When the tourists park
their cars they take up parking spaces that the locals would normally
use. This means that local people may have to walk further to get to
their house. This can be very difficult for elderly people.
Tourists drop a lot of litter. This makes the place look untidy and spoils
it for the people who live there. The local council has to clean up the
litter and this costs a lot of money.
Tourists and tourists
One group of tourists can cause problems for other groups of tourists. If
someone wants to use a lake for fishing, they want the lake to be nice
and peaceful and clean. However, if another group uses the lake for
large motor boats, a problem will occur. The noise from the boats will
scare the fish and the fishermen will not be able to fish anymore. The
noise will spoil the enjoyment of the area for people who want a quiet
walk beside the lakes. If oil leaks from the boat it could pollute the
water and this can kill the fish and other animals in the area.
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GLACIATED LANDSCAPES
When people walk along paths they wear the paths away. This makes
them look ugly especially when it is muddy and wet. This spoils the
view for other people who use the area. It can put people off from
returning to the area.
Tourists and farmers
Farmers complain about tourists for many reasons. Tourists can leave
gates open and animals may escape. They may wander onto a road and
be killed, and the farmer loses money. Even if they are not killed, the
farmer wastes time going to get the animals back into the fields.
Tourists can also climb over fences and break them. The farmer needs
to repair these to stop the animals escaping. Tourists may also cut
across fields full of crops and cause damage.
Task
Write a few short paragraphs to describe how tourists cause problems
for:
(a)
(b)
farmers.
local residents.
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Solving the problems of land use conflict
The problems caused by tourism in areas such as the Lake District need
to be looked at. There are many ways in which this has been tried. This
has been done by the use of voluntary and official methods.
Voluntary methods
Some people think that the best way to solve the problems is by getting
people to talk to each other about what the problems are. This way they
can talk about different things that could be done to cut down on the
problem. In some areas there are meetings held each month between
farmers and tourist groups. They talk about what each one can do to
reduce the problems.
Another way of solving problems is by using organisatio ns such as the
National Trust. This group buys up land in the area and runs it for
tourists, but at the same time it does not allow it to be used too much.
This means that it tries to keep the land in a condition that is suitable
and useful for both locals and tourists.
For example, the National Trust pays for the cleaning up of litter
dropped by tourists. This helps the land to look better and stops the
litter causing problems for the farmers b y sticking to their hedges. The
trust also pays for extra litter bins for the area. It also makes leaflets
about the country code and gives these to tourists. The country code is
made up of a few simple things that tourists should do so that they
enjoy the area but do not destroy it for the locals, farmers, or other
tourists.
Other groups such as the National Heritage Society help to repair any
walls and fences that are damaged. This stops animals from escaping
and makes the area look better. Where footpaths have been worn away,
the group’s volunteers lay blocks of stone on the paths to make them
clearer and less muddy. This stops the walkers leaving the path s and
walking on the grass where they destroy other plants.
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Official organisations
There are official organisations that work to help keep the area nice for
tourists. One of the most important of these is the National Park
Authority. This is a group that gets money from the government. It tries
to plan how each part of the area could be used so that farmers, locals
and tourists are all happy. The group can stop too many car parks or
cafés being built which would take away farmers’ land, or take business
away from local cafés or shops. The Authority also tries to solve traffic
problems by making one-way systems in small villages. In some towns
it makes pedestrian-only areas to make the area safer for tourists and
locals. It also runs buses from one area to the other so that people do
not use their cars. This cuts down traffic congestion and pollution.
The Park Authority also only lets tourists do certain things in certain
areas. For example, it divides some lakes into different areas. One area
may be used for fishing, another for boats, and other areas for
swimming. This makes each piece of the lake safer and lets different
people use it without disturbing each other.
Tasks
1.
Describe two ways that voluntary organisations can help to solve
problems in areas like the Lake District.
2.
Write down three of the ways the National Park Authority tries to
help solve some problems.
*3. Do you think it is better to try to solve these land use conflicts by
voluntary methods or do it through official organisations? Give a
few reasons or examples to help to explain your answer.
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Task – in a group
Imagine you are visiting the Lake District on holiday. You see a n otice
about a public meeting to be held in the town hall. This meeting is
about some problems that are caused by tourists in the area. Out of
interest you go along to the meeting.
When you arrive, there are speeches from a farmer, a local resident and
a tourist. They all want to put their point of view forward about what
the problems are and what could be done to solve them.
You are going to hold this public meeting in your class. Someone will
be the farmer, another the local resident and another the tour ist. You
must write a speech telling the others who you are and what problems
you get from tourists. Someone should be the chairman to introduce the
speakers and control the meeting. Once everyone has given their
speeches, open the meeting up to others and try to work out some ways
you could solve the problem.
Discuss who is going to represent which person. After you decide on
this, write out your speeches carefully and prepare these for the class.
When you have finished the public meeting, write down a few of the
points made by the different groups of people, and try to describe how
the problems could be solved.
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COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Section 3: Coastal landscapes
Coasts
As Britain is an island we are surrounded by water. We often do not
think of the coastline as important to us except when we go on holiday
to a beach. However, the coastline is very important and like all other
bits of the environment it is changing all of the time. The main ways it
changes are the same ways that glaciers change the land. It changes
through erosion, transportation and deposition.
Erosion
The force of water against a rock is very powerful. I am sure you have
seen a picture of a wave crashing against a cliff and coming over the
top of a wall beside the sea. You can imagine that this ca uses a lot of
damage.
When a wave hits a cliff it contains many stones and pebbles that it has
picked up. It throws these against the other rocks. This then breaks
these rocks up and the small pieces fall into the sea and are picked up
by the waves. They are then bashed against the rock and break it up
even more.
Moreover, sea water is salty. When this hits rocks it dissolves some of
the pieces of the rock and takes this away. Therefore, the land near the
coasts are worn away or eroded by the sea. Figure 11 shows some of
the most famous coastal areas of the British Isles, and shows if the
coast is made up mainly of cliffs and other shapes made by erosion or if
it is made up mostly of beaches.
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Figure 11: Coastal areas of The British Isles
Tasks
1.
Describe the two ways in which the sea wears away the rocks on
the coast.
2.
Take a blank map of the British Isles and copy the information on
the map above onto your map. Remember to give your map a title
and key.
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Features of coastal erosion
If the land is very steep and high where it reaches the sea, it makes a
cliff. When this happens it often makes beautiful scenery. However ,
cliffs can be very dangerous because they are being worn away all of
the time.
When a wave hits a cliff, most of the power of the wave will be at the
bottom. This means that this bit of the cliff will wear away faster than
the parts above. The bottom part of the cliff will be cut further back
than the top. This is called a wave cut notch. If this keeps on
happening, the dent or notch will get bigger. After a long time the top
part will have nothing under it to hold it up so it will collapse into the
sea. Then the whole thing will start again and so the cliff will move
back and the land on top of the cliff will fall into the s ea and be lost.
Figure 12 shows you how this happens.
Figure 12: Formation of a cliff
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Task
Copy and complete the following paragraph to show you how a cliff
forms. Use the information and the diagrams above to help you. The
missing words are given below the paragraph.
When high and steep land reaches the sea it is called a _ _ _ _ _.
Waves hit off of the rocks and _ _ _ _ _ the cliff. Most of this
happens at the _ _ _ _ _ _ of the rock face, as this is where the water
is most powerful. At this point the waves cut away a piece of the cliff
and make a wave _ _ _ _ _. This gets bigger and bigger and then the
top of the cliff has nothing to hold it up so it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ into
the sea. This makes the cliff higher and it moves further back, leaving
less land.
collapses
cliff
erode
bottom
notch
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Headlands and bays
The land is made up of different types of rock. Sometimes two different
types of rock reach the sea at the same place. Like other things, all
rocks are different. Some rocks such as clay are soft, but others such as
chalk are harder. (Other rocks such as granite are harder still and it is
these types of rock that we see sticking up as the hills and mountains.)
If two different rocks reach the sea side by side, the sea will wear away
the softer one faster than the harder one. This will mean that the rocks
will not make a straight line but will weave in and out. Figure 13 shows
how this can occur.
Figure 13: Formation of headlands and bays
Waves wear away the rocks
Waves
The soft rocks are worn away faster than the hard rocks
The hard rocks make a headland
Waves
The soft rocks make a bay
Soft rocks
Hard rocks
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Where the waves wear away the soft rock it makes an area we call a
bay. Where the harder rocks are not worn away as fast they stick out.
These areas are called headlands.
Tasks
1.
Take Worksheet 2 called ‘Formation of a headland and bays’.
2.
Use the diagram and text above to help you do the following on
your diagram.
3.
Colour the hard rocks green and the soft rocks yellow.
4.
Write the words HEADLAND and BAY in the correct boxes on
your diagram to show which area is which.
5.
Copy and complete the following paragraph under your diagram to
tell you how each feature is made.
If hard and soft rocks meet at the coast, the soft rock is worn away
_ _ _ _ _ _ than the hard rock. This means that the coast is not
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. The hard rock sticks out to make a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and the soft rock makes a sheltered area called
a_ _ _.
bay
faster
straight
headland
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Formation of caves, arches and stacks
When a headland is made, the waves wears away the rocks on both
sides of the headland. If there are cracks in the rock the waves will get
into these cracks and make them bigger. This means that a cave could
form on the side of the headland. If another cave is made on t he other
side of the headland, they often meet and make a hole right through the
headland. This is called a natural arch. Figure 14 shows a very good
example of this.
Figure 14: An arch
Arch made by
caves eroding
from either side
of headland
Look at the roof of the arch. What do you think will happen if the arch
gets bigger? The roof will fall as there is nothing under it to hold it up.
This will leave a stump of rock which is not joined to the headland.
This is called a stack. Figure 15 is an example of this.
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Figure 15: An arch and stack.
Stack
with
another
arch in it
Roof of
old arch
collapsed
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COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Tasks
Take Worksheet 3 ‘Caves, arches and stacks’ and look at the boxes A,
B, C and D.
Below are four descriptions of what is happening at places A, B, C and
D.
Use the information and pictures above to write the correct description
into the correct box on the diagram.
Description 1
Caves are made bigger and these break through the headland to form
an arch.
Description 2
After many years the roof of the arch collapses and a pillar of rock
called a stack remains.
Description 3
Waves attack the weak points in the headland and make a cave.
Description 4
After a long period of time, the stack is worn away to leave a small
stump of rock.
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Beaches
When waves break up the rocks at the coast they carry them to other
places. This is called transportation. When the waves run out of energy
they dump this material. This dumped material is usually small and
round in shape. This is because it has been bashed and thrown against
other rocks and the sharp edges have been worn away. This material is
dumped and makes a beach.
Longshore drift
When waves hit a beach at an angle a special effect can be seen. This is
where the sand on the beach is slowly moved from one end of the beach
to the other. This takes hundreds of years. This is called longshore drift
and as the name suggests, it means that sand drifts along the shore.
Figure 16 helps to explain how this works.
When a wave breaks and goes up a beach it is called the swash. When
this water runs back down the beach to the sea it is called backwash.
Swash and backwash carry the material up and down the beach but in
different ways.
Follow each step in the diagram below to see how material moves fr om
the left-hand side to the right-hand side.
Figure 16: Longshore drift
2. The backwash
takes the sand
straight back down
the beach.
3. The swash of
the next wave
takes the sand
back up the beach
at an angle.
4. The next
backwash takes the
sand straight back
down the beach.
1. The swash
takes the sand
up the beach at
an angle.
Beach
Sea
Slowly the sand is moved along the beach. This is longshore drift.
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Tasks
1.
Copy the diagram above into your workbook. Remember to give it
a heading.
2.
What do we mean by ‘swash’?
3.
What is ‘backwash’?
*4. Describe how swash and backwash are different.
*5. Which one would be the most powerful the swash or the
backwash? Give a reason for your answer.
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*Formation of a spit
The coast is not always straight. If there is a sudden change of direction
in the coast then a spit can form. This happens when longshore drift
continues past the point where the coastline changes direction. The
swash keeps on picking up the material and dumps it in the water where
the coast changes direction. This will keep on building up until enough
material has been dumped so that it is above the level of the water. This
then sticks out into the water and is called a sandspit (or simply a spit).
Figure 17 shows how this might happen.
Figure 17: Formation of a spit
Land
Sea
*Task
Use the diagrams above to describe, in some detail, how a sandspit or
spit is made.
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Case study of the Dorset coast
One of the most popular areas of the British coast for tourists to visit is
the Dorset Coast. Figure 18 shows where this is found in Britain. The
shape of the coast and main towns are shown on the larger map.
Figure 18: Location of Dorset Coast
There are many reasons why tourists are attracted to this coast. These
can be split into two groups:
1.
2.
The physical or natural attractions of the area
The man-made or human attractions.
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Physical attractions
1.
The coast line itself
In this area there are different types of rock reaching the sea. This
means that cliffs, headlands and bays are found. The headlands have
been worn away to make caves, arches and stacks. These all make the
area very beautiful and people come here just to see these things.
Therefore, sightseeing is very important. This is what we call a passive
type of tourist activity. It means that you do not have to spend a lot of
energy to take part in it.
Also in this area are the features made by the sea depositing material.
There are beaches and these are found in the bays. This makes them
very sheltered and ideal for enjoying a day on the beach. Longshore
drift also takes place here and moves the sand along the beach to make
other things such as sandspits.
The bays are a great place to go swimming, windsurfing, sailing and
other sports using the water. These are what we call active tourist
activities. Near the coast sand dunes are also found. Here, there are a
large number of birds and other wildlife which all make it a very
interesting place to visit.
2.
The climate of the area
One of the most important things that attract people to visit an area is
the weather. The climate of this area is very good for those people who
prefer to stay in Britain for their holidays. Figures 19 and 20 show what
the climate of Poole is like compared with Glasgow.
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COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Figure 19: Climatic graph for Poole
Figure 20: Climatic graph for Glasgow.
Key
Rainfall
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Temperature
COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Tasks
1.
Name four things made by erosion that would attract tourists to
this area.
2.
Name two things made by deposition that would attract tourists to
this coast.
3.
What does passive tourist mean?
*4. Give two other examples of passive recreation.
5.
What does active recreation mean?
*6. Give two other examples of active types of recreation.
The following questions are about the climate of the area:
1.
The tables below give you the actual figures for temperature and
rainfall for Glasgow and Poole. The figures for the months of
October, November and December have been missed out.
Figures for Poole
Rainfall (mm)
Total –
760mm
Temperature
(C)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
85
60
75
40
45
45
40
50
70
5
5
8
10
14
17
19
20
15
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
200
190
140
100
80
70
60
80
120
4
3
6
8
11
14
17
17
12
Oct
Nov
Dec
Oct
Nov
Dec
Figures for Glasgow
Rainfall (mm)
Total –
1570mm
Temperature
(C)
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COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Copy these two tables into your workbook.
2.
Use the temperature information from the two graphs (Figures 19
and 20) to fill in the actual temperatures for the months of
October, November and December.
3.
Use the graphs to help you copy and complete the following
paragraph about the climates of Glasgow and Poole. The missing
words or figures are given below the paragraph.
‘Poole in Dorset has _ _ _mm of rain each year and Glasgow has
_ _ _ _mm. This means that Poole is much _ _ _ _ _ than
Glasgow. This is especially so in the winter months, but there is
still less rain in Poole than in Glasgow in May, June, July and
August. The temperature is also _ _ _ _ _ _ in Poole. The
lowest temperature in Poole is _ C in January, which is the same
as Glasgow. However in the summer the highest temperature in
Glasgow is _ _C, but in Poole this is _ _C. These climatic
conditions make Poole a better place than Glasgow for tourists.’
drier
770
higher
20
17
1500
4
*4. Describe in what way you think the climate of Poole is better for
tourists than the climate of Glasgow. Think of how the weather
would affect what you could do in each place at different times of
the year.
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Human attractions
There are many human reasons why people visit the Dorset coast. There
are many large towns and cities close to the Dorset coast. The list
below shows how far it is from Poole to some other places.
Poole
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
London is 2 hours 10 minutes
Portsmouth is 1 hour
Plymouth is 3 hours
Bristol is 2 hours 20 minutes
Cardiff is 2 hours and 45 minutes
Oxford is 1 hour 45 minutes
Birmingham is 3 hours and 15 minutes
Norwich is 4 hours and 20 minutes
Manchester is 4 hours and 40 minutes
Swansea is 3 hours and 30 minutes
All along the coast there are many towns and villages where tourists
can find things to do. There is a great variety of activities to do and
things to see. Some of these are:













A coastal path for walking
Many golf courses
A zoo and an aquarium
Large shopping centres
Artificial ski slopes
Summer fetes and fairs
Music festivals
Roman remains
Castles
Old smuggling caves
Theatres and cinemas
Traditional English villages
Many youth hostels, caravan sites, camp sites, hotels and guest
houses.
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Tasks
1.
Look at the list above which tells you how far it is from Poole to
the other places.
Write these places down in order of how far they are away from
Poole. Start with the place which is nearest and finish with the one
that is furthest away.
2.
The following are different groups of tourists who visit this area:
A – A family with two young children
B – A group of young people aged between 18 and 23
C – A couple whose children are not with them on this holiday
D – A retired couple aged 68 and 69.
Decide which of the activities above would interest each of these
groups. Put each group as a heading and write the activities
underneath this heading. Remember that some activities could be
included in more than one group.
*3. Why do you think it is important to have different types of places
where people can stay in an area? For example, hotels, youth
hostels, campsites.
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Effects of tourism
Like the Lake District, tourism has many advantages for the towns and
villages of the Dorset coast. It provides jobs for nearly 50,000 people.
It also means that the local people have more money to spend in the
local shops, cafés and cinemas. This makes the whole area quite
wealthy. However, just as in the Lake District, tourism also causes
problems.
One of the biggest problems is that most people visit the area in
summer. This means that in winter, many of the caf és, restaurants,
hotels and guest houses will not have enough business to stay open.
They will not need their staff during this time and so people become
unemployed for 4–6 months of the year. This can cause problems for
these people who still have to pay their rent, and get money for food. In
a year where the weather was poorer than average the number of
tourists might fall. This could mean that some businesses will not make
enough money during the busy times and might need to close down for
good.
How can this problem be solved? The perfect solution is to try to attract
people to stay in the hotels all year round. This makes sure that these
businesses have a constant income from the visitors. One way to do this
is to attract big businesses to the area to use the hotels for meetings and
conferences.
For example, if British Airways was introducing a new type of aircraft,
they might want to take all of their pilots away for a few days to talk to
them about the new aircraft. The hotels in this area would then offer
British Airways a good deal to get them to use their hotel. This would
make sure that the hotel was booked up.
Another thing they could do is encourage students to stay in the area to
take part in field trips and excursions by giving them cheaper deals at
the times of the year when there are fewer tourists. Offering short
winter breaks to pensioners groups is another way of keeping business
going during the winter months.
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Tasks
1.
Look back at the section on the climate of this area. Why is this
area still suitable for attracting people in winter?
2.
If a hotel attracts companies like British Airways during the winter
months, how does this help the owner of a small café or the local
cinema?
3.
Look at the figures below. It shows the number of visitors to a
small hotel in Weymouth for each month of the year.
Months
No. of
visitors
Jan
120
Feb
95
Mar
68
Apr
120
May
200
June
260
July
280
Aug
280
Sept
160
Oct
100
Nov
83
Use these figures to draw a line graph to show the numbers of visitors
for each month of the year. (The outline graph is available on page 80.)
4.
Describe what the graph shows.
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Traffic problems
Many of the places people like to visit are small villages. It is in these
places that the biggest problems with traffic congestion take place. The
roads are too narrow for all of the cars that use them, especially in t he
busy periods of the summer months and holiday weekends. The larger
towns also suffer these problems as more people go there for the many
different activities. In many towns traffic can come to a total standstill
on these busy days.
The council has tried to help solve these problems in different ways. It
has built more car parks on the edge of towns to stop the cars from
going into the town centre. It then provides buses, which are either free
or charge very cheap fares, to take the people into the town centre. To
help this, the council creates special bus-only lanes during the busy
periods.
Tasks
1.
What times of the year will traffic problems be at their worst?
2.
Describe three ways in which a council can try to solve traffic
problems in the towns.
*3. Why do you think it is important that the buses run by the council
are either free or only charge cheap fares?
*4. What are the advantages of making bus-only lanes in these towns?
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Water sports
Like the Lake District, this area attracts many people who take part in
water sports. The bay around Poole harbour is the main area where
people go to do water sports. However, the many people who use this
area can cause problems for each other. People who want to swim do
not want to be disturbed by jets skiers. Windsurfers do not want those
on power boats making big waves which could cause them to capsize.
To try to solve these problems the council has divided the bay into
certain areas or zones. In each zone only certain types of water
activities is allowed. Figure 21 shows some of the zones in Poole
harbour.
Figure 21: Recreation zones in Poole harbour
Land
Land
Bay
Land
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Poole Bay
COASTAL LANDSCAPES
Task
Do you think that only allowing certain water sports in certain areas is a
good or bad idea?
Give a few reasons for your answer. You might want to think about the
advantages and disadvantages of dividing up the bay in this way.
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RIVER LANDSCAPES
Section 4: River landscapes
Rivers
Nearly everyone in Britain lives close to a river. Some rivers are very
small, and are called streams or burns in different parts of the country.
Each stream flows into a larger stream, and this then flows in to join a
river. Some of the larger rivers in Britain are shown below:
Figure 22: Main rivers of the British Isles
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The place where a river starts is called its source. This is usually high
up in the hills. These rivers flow down towards the sea and as they flow
along they are joined by other rivers. A small river which joins another
larger river is called a tributary.
Eventually all rivers will flow into the sea. This is called the mouth of
the river. As a river flows from its source to its mouth, it changes the
shape of the land around it. It is these changes that will be studied in
this unit of work.
Tasks
1
2.
Here is a list of some famous rivers in Britain. Their letters have
been jumbled up. Rearrange the letters to spell out the name of the
river. All of the names can be found on the map in Figure 22.
Tmeash
rothf
lcdey
eex
hannsno
ytne
rateg soue
entrt
eset
revens
iblebr
rsmyee
ayt
yfilfe
The following is a list of heads and tails, but the tails are in the
wrong order.
Rewrite each head and put the correct tail beside it.
Heads
Tails
Source
Tributary
Mouth
Where the river goes into the sea.
Where the river starts.
A small river that joins a larger river.
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RIVER LANDSCAPES
How rivers erode the land
Rivers erode or wear away the land. This happens because running
water is very powerful. Near the start of the river the land will usually
be quite steep. This means that the water will flow fast. This gives it
more energy to erode the land. The force of the water flowing over the
rock will wear it away. The material which is worn away will be picked
up by the water and moved or transported down the hillside.
These stones and pieces of rock will bang into each other and to the
sides of the river. This will then wear away more land, and more stones
will be added to the river. All of these stones will hit off each other and
they will become rounded in shape.
As the river flows down the hill it will become less steep. This means
that the water will not be able to carry all of the material and it will
need to dump or deposit some of it. This helps to change the shape of
the land. When the river gets near the sea, it is flowing slowly and this
is where it dumps most of the material. This usually forms sandbanks
and mudbanks.
Stages of a river
A river can be split into three stages. These are:
1.
The upper course.
2.
The middle course
3.
The lower course.
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Tasks
1.
Take Worksheet 4, ‘How rivers change the landscape’
2.
In the boxes below the sketch, write in the main thing that happ ens
at each stage. Choose from: Erosion, Transportation and
Deposition. Each dash stands for one letter.
3.
Read the three descriptions below. Each one describes a diffe rent
section of the river. Copy each description into the correct box on
the worksheet.
Description 1
In the lower course, the river flows slowly over a wide area of low
land. This is called a flood plain. The river has large bends and it
deposits a lot of material.
Description 2
Rivers transport rocks from the upper course to the middle course.
The land is lower than before, and the valley is getting wider.
Large bends begin to be made.
Description 3
In the uplands the river is flowing fast so it wears away the land. It
makes a steep sided ‘V’-shaped valley. The valley is narrow and
has steep sides.
4.
Below you will find a list of words or phrases. Each of these
describes the river, and the shape of its valley in either th e upper,
middle or lower course.
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
river flows very slowly
river carries large stones
valley is wider
river flows slower
river carries small stones
The valley has steep slopes
The river flows fast
The river is mostly eroding
The valley sides are gentle
The river is mostly depositing
material
valley is very wide
The river carries only sand and
mud
valley has very gentle sides The valley is narrow
river is shallow
The river is deeper
river is deepest
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(a)
Draw three columns in your jotter and put the heading ‘The river
in the upper course’ in the first column. Look at the list of phrases
above. Decide which ones describe the river in the upper course,
and write these under your heading
(b)
Put the heading ‘The river in the middle course’ in the second
column. Decide which phrases describe the river in this stage and
write these under this heading
(c)
Finally put the heading ‘The river in the lower course’ in the third
column and put the phrases that describe the river in this section
under that heading.
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Rivers in the upper course
This is the part of the river in the mountains close to where it starts.
The river is usually small, and flows fast. The sides of the valley are
steep and the valley is narrow here. As it flows fast, the river is able to
carry large and small stones. These help to erode or wear away the land.
The shape of the valley is best described as a ‘V’ shape. Figure 23
shows a typical river in its upper course.
Figure 23: A river in its upper course
Steep valley sides
Valley is quite narrow
River is narrow, shallow and flowing fast
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Landforms found in the upper course
One of the most common things found in this part of the river is a
waterfall. A waterfall is made in the following way. Sometimes two
different rocks meet at the surface. If one type of rock is hard er than the
other then a waterfall can be made. Figure 24 helps to explain this.
Figure 24: Formation of a waterfall
Formation of a waterfall
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When water flows over a hard rock and a soft rock it wears away the
two rocks at different speeds. The soft rock will wear away faster. This
means that the hard rock will stick out and the water will flow over it
making a waterfall. The soft rock under the hard rock will get worn
away as the water splashes against it. This will make a plunge pool.
After a long time the hard rock will not have anything under it so it will
collapse. This will make the waterfall higher. Another plunge pool will
be made in the same way and all of the steps shown in the diagram will
be repeated. This will make the waterfall even hi gher. Figure 25 shows
a small waterfall on the River Calder in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.
Figure 25: A waterfall in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.
Water flows over hard rock forming a waterfall
Steep sides of valley after waterfall moves
upstream. This makes a gorge
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RIVER LANDSCAPES
Tasks
1.
Copy and complete the following paragraph about a river and its
valley in the upper course. The missing words are given below the
paragraph.
In the upper course, the river is _ _ _ _ _ _ , _ _ _ _ _ _ _
and it flows _ _ _ _. Here the river is able to carry _ _ _ _ _
boulders and stones. The valley sides are _ _ _ _ _ and the
valley is not wide.
fast
narrow
steep
large
shallow
2.
Explain how a waterfall is made in the upper course of a river.
You should use the diagrams in this section to help you and try to
draw your own set of diagrams to explain your answer.
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A river in the middle course
In the middle course large changes in the shape of the land can be seen.
The land is not as steep here so the water flows slower. This means that
it cannot carry all of the stones it has in its load, so it starts to drop
some of the larger ones. The smaller ones are still carried by the river
and these bump against each other and get more rounded in shape.
The river begins to twist and turn in a bend. This is called a meander. In
a meander the water cannot flow round the corner easily, but it tries to
keep going straight. (You can feel this if you are in a car a nd the car
turns to the right: you get thrown towards the left of the car.) This
means that different things happen on different sides of the bend.
Figure 26 shows a close-up view of the outside bend of a meander;
Figure 27 shows how these differences are made.
Figure 26: A close up of the top of a river meander
Steep bank on outside of meander due to erosion.
Gentle slope on inside of meander due to deposition.
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RIVER LANDSCAPES
Figure 27: Differences across a meander
There is less water on the
inside of the bend. This
means the water flows
slower and has less power
to erode.
The water flows towards the outside of
the bend. This means that there is more
water here and it is flowing faster. This
will cause more erosion on this side of
the bend, and it will cut into the bank on
this side.
Deposition
happens on the
inside of the
bend and this
makes a gentle
slope.
Erosion happens
on the outside of
the bend and the
bank is undercut
by the river.
This makes it
steep.
This gives us a
gentle slope
where stones and
pebbles are
dumped. This is
called a river
beach.
The bank is
always being
undercut by the
river and is
steep. This
gives us a river
cliff.
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Tasks
1.
What is meant by a meander?
2.
On which side – the outside or inside – of a meander does the river
flow fastest?
3.
On which side of the meander will most erosion occur? Give a
reason for your choice.
*4. Explain how a river cliff and a river beach are made. You can use
diagrams to explain your answer.
*5. Look back at the description of the shape of the river and its valley
in the upper section. Describe the differences between the shape of
the river and its valley between the upper and middle section.
Rivers in the lower course
When the river gets near to the sea, there are more changes in the shape
of the land around it. The land is now quite flat, as it is low down. The
valley is now wide and the sides are usually gentle. Because the river is
flowing slowly it has very little energy left to carry material. It
therefore dumps the material as sandbanks and mudbanks.
*Where there are large bends or meanders in the river, a special feature
called an ox bow lake might be made. This is a large lake that is made
when the meander in a river has been cut off. Ox bow lakes are usually
like a horseshoe in shape. In some rivers these can be very large. The
diagrams below show how this feature is made.
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RIVER LANDSCAPES
Figure 28: Formation of an ox bow lake
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Tasks
1.
Write a short paragraph to describe what the river and its valley
look like in the lower course. Use the information above to help
you.
*2. Describe and explain how an ox bow lake is made. Use some
diagrams to help you.
*3. What do you think will eventually happen to the ox bow lake?
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LIMESTONE LANDSCAPES
Section 5: Limestone landscapes
Limestone
Limestone is a very special type of rock found in parts of the British
Isles. It is a rock which was made 300 million years ago when the
climate was much wetter and warmer than it is today.
At that time, many parts of Britain were covered in shallow but warm
seas. Many different types of shells and animals lived in these seas.
When these animals died, their shells were crushed and eventually they
were made into a rock that we now call limestone.
These rocks are known as carboniferous limestone. They are much
softer than some other rocks found in Britain, but they are still hard
enough to make up some quite high ground. Most of the limestone is
found in England and parts of Wales and Ireland. These areas are shown
on the map below.
Figure 29: Limestone areas of The British Isles
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Tasks
1.
How old is limestone?
2.
What was Britain like at this time?
3.
What is limestone made from?
4.
Name three areas of Britain where you will find limestone
5.
Copy the information on the map above on to a blank map of
Britain. Remember to give your map a title.
*6. Why do you think limestone is a soft rock compared with other
rocks?
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LIMESTONE LANDSCAPES
Erosion of limestone
As mentioned above, limestone is made up of the remains of shells and
animals, which make a chemical called calcium carbonate. This is quite
soft and it dissolves when rain falls on it. This is because rain is a very
weak acid. This means that limestone is easily eroded by chemi cal
weathering. Moreover, the limestone is split into blocks by cracks in
the rock. These cracks run across the rock and are called bedding
plains. There are also cracks running up and down the rock and these
are called joints.
These bedding plains and joints allow the rainwater to flow along them
naturally. Therefore, the greatest amount of erosion takes place along
these cracks. This means that the rock forms a blocky type of
landscape. This is like an old cobbled street and is called a limestone
pavement. Figure 30 shows how this is formed.
Figure 30: Chemical weathering
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Water runs through the cracks in the limestone, it does not lie on the
surface. A rock that lets water pass through it is called a permeable
rock. When the water runs through the limestone it flows along the
joints and bedding plains, and these cracks or spaces become wider.
This helps to make some of the best known features of a limestone area.
The wearing away of the rock continues underground, and in some
cases, a large hollow will be made. This is called a cave. Some of these
caves are very large.
In these caves we find other very important features of limestone. As
the water passes through the limestone is takes with it all the minerals it
has dissolved by the chemical weathering. When it drips from the roof
of the cave some of this material is left behind, and hangs from the roof
like giant icicles. These are called stalactites. Some water will drip on
to the floor of the cave and here again large lumps of material will g row
up the way. These are called stalagmites.
Figure 31 shows where these features are found, and how they are
made.
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LIMESTONE LANDSCAPES
Figure 31: Underground features in limestone areas
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Task – in a group or on your own
This task involves you doing research to find out information on
limestone areas of the British Isles. You must choose one of the areas
named in Figure 29 and base your research on this. You should use as
many sources as you can and present the information in any way you
want (for example on paper or as a PowerPoint presentation), using any
other facilities that you have in the department or school.
Your investigation should contain information on:






where the area you are studying is located
the main physical features of the area – rivers, mountains, heights
the main human features of the area – the main towns and other
places of interest
a description of how the land is used, and some reas ons why it is
used in this way
any land use problems that are in the area, and
any ways that have been tried to solve these problems, and say if
these have worked or not.
Remember to try to use a variety of sources to collect your information :
books, computers internet, magazines, tourist agencies and any other
useful sources. These should be included in your sources list at the end
of your work.
Your investigation should contain a variety of ways to show or
illustrate your information: for example, maps, diagrams, pictures,
sketches, tables.
The most important thing is that you work in an organised fashion, an d
keep all of your evidence so that your teacher can see that you have
thought through your task and can review each stage of your work.
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WORKSHEETS
Worksheet 1: Features of glacial erosion
Look at the diagram above, showing some features of glaciation.
Name features A, B and C in the diagram above. Write your answers in
the spaces below
Choose from:
corrie
arête
pyramidal peak
Feature A is ___________________________
Feature B is ___________________________
Feature C is ___________________________
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Worksheet 2: Formation of a headland and bays
Copy the paragraph here
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WORKSHEETS
Worksheet 3: Caves, arches and stacks
A
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B
C
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D
WORKSHEETS
Worksheet 4: How rivers change the landscape
_______
______________
__________
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WORKSHEETS
Outline graph for Task 3 (page 52): Effects of
tourism
Number of visitors
Months
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