GCSE GEO 2: UK Geographical Issues

UK's Evolving Physical Landscape

Factors affecting landscapes:

● Geology (dead fish skeletons formed horizontal layers. As more fell and crushed that
underneath, water eventually squeezed out compacting them into solid rock. Calcium carbonate
also crystallized around fragments cementing them together)
● Past tectonic activity (plate collisions caused rocks to be folded and uplifted forming mountain
ranges/upland with igneous granite resistant to erosion. Intense heat from these formed hard
metamorphic rocks.)
● Glacial processes (As of the uplift, rivers eroded creating V-valleys. The ice age made valleys
deeper and widened them to U-troughs; the melting glaciers left waterfall features)

Case study Malham cove – The Yorkshire Pennines

It consists of limestone (sedimentary rock of calcium carbonate) which dissolves in carbonic acid (CO2 +
water) creating distinctive landforms.
It was once an 80m high waterfall.
The malham cove rocks were created 250+ million years ago (in the carboniferous period)

Rocks
● Igneous: Formed when magma (molten rock from the earth’s heat) cools and solidifies; Extrusive
rocks form from erupted magma where lava cools quickly on the surface creating small crystals -
intrusive igneous rocks form from underground magma that has cooled slowly resulting in large
crystals. Found in upland. E.g Extrusive(obsidian, basalt); Intrusive (granite)
● Sedimentary: forms gradually over time as dead organic matter and eroded rocks are
transported out to sea. These sediments are deposited on the seafloor, which over time
accumulate and compress under pressure, building up in layers as sediment. Distributed near
coastlines, examples include chalk at the white cliffs; Low land areas..
E.g Chalk (from plankton), limestone(from CaCO₃ vulnerable to weathering), clay
● Metamorphic: Igneous or sedimentary rocks chemically change due to heat and pressure and
are found near tectonic activity; they have layers and do not erode fast. E.g Schists, slate
-Rocks with round grains are porous as they can absorb water through the gaps, while rocks with
interlocking grains are more likely to be hard and non-porous.

Erosion: weathered materials is carried by rivers, seas, wing, or deposited

Weathering: rocks are worn away into smaller particles by wind, water, wave actions, chemicals
Deposition: weathered rock particles are dumbled on the sea bed forming layers
Compaction and cementation: layers of deposited material is squashed forming layers

Glaciation: Erosional landscapes are often higher with distinctive features and are harder to settle or farm
on whereas lowland glaciated land is dominated by boulder clay which masks variations from before
which provides good farmland and have more population/

Highland + Lowland landscapes

Upland landscapes: North+West of England, Wales and Scotland (higher above sea level). Igneous and
metamorphic rocks are found like granite in the Scottish highlands which are older and more erosion and
weathering resistant. Uplifts and faults are caused by past tectonic processes.
Lowland landscapes: South+East of England. Sedimentary rocks like clays and sands are found -
younger, erode faster creating landscapes formed through erosion and weathering processes.

The Lake District (upland) The Weald (lowland)

North west England Low weald, Sussex

-Highest point: Scafell pike 978m
-High mountains and low valleys due to glacial
and tectonic processes
-Once covered in glaciers, carving the landscape
into deep U-shaped valleys which fill up with water
forming lakes (misfit rivers).
-Many slopes are covered in angular rocks like
scree, created by freeze-thaw weathering
-Steep relief area, rocks fall into depressions
making a rocky terrain
-Highest point: High weald ridge 225m
-Gentle rolling hills, used to be an anticline (large
mound of layered rocks) caused by tectonic uplift
which has eroded to a scarp and vale topography
-Chalk is mainly only affected by slow chemical
weathering from acid rain causing steep
escarpments.
-Softer, more erodible clays lay below the chalk
forming low, flat vales
-In colder climates, the ground over the weald was
 -Very wet = frequent landslides on high slopes frozen, rivers flowed creating valleys over the
landscape
-16 million + visitors, provides 16k+jobs -the warmer climate period after melted the water
-Tourism is worth £1.1 billion, better infrastructure which seeped through very permeable chalk and
and roads disappeared to leave dry valleys
-Footpath eroded
-Increase in non-native species, greater risk of
extreme weather events, peat dries out releasing
lots of stored carbon

Human activities affecting the uk’s physical landscape