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PAPER ONE GEOGRAPHY FULL STUDY GUIDE
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A full study guide on geography edexcel A specification for paper 1
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TOPIC 1: the changing landscapes of the UKThere are geological variations within the UK.
Types of Rock
Sedimentary
o For example: chalk, sandstone and limestone.
o Formed of small particles that have been eroded, transported and deposited in layers called
beds.
o Chalk is made up of calcium carbonate and is susceptible to chemical weathering.
o Sandstone is made of sand-sized grains cemented together. It can be hard and resistant to
weathering but is permeable.
Igneous
o For example, basalt and granite.
o Created by volcanic activity when lava or magma cools, forming rock made of crystals which is
usually hard.
o There are two kinds- extrusive and intrusive:
EXTRUSIVE:
Form on the surface very quickly from lava.
Form really small or no crystals
Can have air bubbles.
For example, Basalt.
o A grey rock made from very small crystals. Lava flows cool to form
basalt.
INTRUSIVE:
Forms inside the earth from magma slowly
Forms larger crystals (bigger than 1mm)
For example, Granite
o Affected by chemical weathering. Granite landscapes drain badly, so
tend to be boggy.
Metamorphic
o For example schists, slate and marble.
o Formed from other rocks changed by extreme pressure or heat. They are usually formed from
layers or bands of crystals and are very hard.
o There are two kinds- contact & regional.
CONTACT:
Caused by heat from lava or magma
Existing rocks are heated.
For example marble:
o Forms when limestone is subjected to extreme heat and pressure.
REGIONAL:
Caused by extreme pressure.
Existing rocks are put under pressure at plate boundaries.
For example, slate & schist
o Formed from mudstone at convergent plate boundaries
o Schist is formed at higher pressure at the same plate boundary.
,Distribution of UK rock types:
Most of England and Wales is sedimentary. Northern Scotland and Ireland are mainly
metamorphic with patches of igneous rock. Most igneous rock is found in the south
west.
Upland and Lowland Landscapes
GEOLOGY:
The UK is split into two halves geologically:
The imaginary line that divides the UK is called the Tees-Exe line.
The north-western UK is mainly harder igneous and metamorphic rocks, forming upland landscapes.
The South-eastern UK is mainly softer sedimentary rocks, forming lowland landscapes.
PLATE TECTONICS
Millions of years ago the UK was close to plate boundaries. Plate movements caused mountains (huge folds)
and faults in the rocks.
520 million years ago, two plates converged to form upland mountain landscapes- northern Scotland, the
Lake District and North Wales.
50-60 Million years ago diverging plate boundaries caused the Atlantic Ocean to open. Rising lava produced
the distinctive basalt geology of the Giant’s Causeway.
DISTINCT LANDSCAPES
North-west of the Tees-Exe line the UK’s geology is largely igneous: rocks formed from magma and lava,
associated with tectonic events. Long-extinct volcanoes from hills and mountains.
Basalt can form a very distinct landscape as the lava cools into polygon shapes: for example, the Giant’s
Causeway in Northern Ireland and Fingal’s Cave in Scotland.
PHYSICAL PROCESSES:
Glacial Erosion:
Weathering
Climate
Post-Glacial river
River erosion
River deposition
HUMAN ACTIVITY:
Agriculture
Forestry
Building of settlements
BATHOLITHS e.g. DARTMOOR
Dartmoor formed when a dome of magma (batholith) developed underground 290 million years ago. The
magma cooled and contracted to form granite, with cooling joints. Chemical weathering caused joints to
widen. Granite was exposed on the surface. Freeze-thaw weathering, erosion and mass movement removed
the broken granite. Outcrops of rock less affected by weathering and erosion are left behind, forming tors.
,A variety of physical processes interact to shape coastal landscapes:
1. WEATHERING
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks in situ.
There are three types:
1. CHEMICAL:
Acid Rain:
o “Rocks reacting with slightly acidic water”
o All rain is slightly acidic.
o If the air is polluted by factories or vehicles, it can become more acidic.
o When rain falls on rock, the acid in it can react with weak minerals, causing them to dissolve and
the rock to decay
Carbonation:
o “Carbonation is the mixing of water with carbon dioxide to make carbonic acid, which reacts
with minerals in rocks”
o This type of weathering is important in the formation of caves.
o Dissolved carbon dioxide in rainwater or moist air forms carbonic acid and this acid reacts with
minerals in the rock
o It is the most common on rocks made of calcium carbonate for example chalk and limestone.
Oxidation:
o “Oxidation is the reaction of a substance with oxygen.”
o When iron reacts with oxygen, it forms iron oxide, which is not very strong.
o So when a rock gets oxidised, it is weakened and crumbles easily, allowing the rock to break
down
o Most rocks are subject to the process of oxidation.
2. MECHANICAL:
Freeze Thaw:
o This happens when rainwater enters cracks and gaps in the rock and then freezes if the
temperature drops below zero.
o The water expands as it turns into ice and then exerts pressure on the rock, causing it to break
into smaller pieces.
o It is more common in upland areas due to the diurnal temperature changes.
Onion Skin:
o A geological process that occurs when a rock’s outer layer peels off due to extreme variations
in temperatures.
o This type of rock weathering typically occurs in desert areas where rocks are subjected to
extreme heat during the day, which causes rocks to expand.
o When temperatures drop during the night, the rocks contact.
o The outer layers of rocks will begin to flake off over a period of time due to these temperature
extremes. Another name for this type of weathering is “exfoliation weathering.”
3. BIOLOGICAL:
o The action of plants and animals.
o For example, the roots of trees can grow into cracks in a rocks and splits the rocks apart.
o Root action is more common where there is vegetation so less likely at the peaks of upland
areas.
o Another example is burrowing animals such as rabbits can burrow into a crack in the rock,
making it bigger and splitting the rock.
, 2. MASS MOVEMENT
Mass movement is the downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity.
Landslides and rock falls are examples of very sudden movements of this type.
1. ROCK FALLS
o These happen suddenly when pieces of rock from a weathered cliff fall.
o This often occurs as the rock at the base of the cliff has been undercut by the action of waves
o This leaves the rock above unsupported, causing it to collapse.
2. SLUMPING
o This often occurs after long periods of rainfall.
o The rain seeps through permeable rocks such as sandstone.
o At the junction where the permeable rock meets an impermeable rock, such as clay, the saturated soil and
weaker rock slumps and slides in a rotational manner along a curved surface, due to gravity.
3. SLIDING
o This is similar to slumping but the movement of material occurs along a flat surface, usually a bedding plane.
o Large amounts of soil and rock move downslope rapidly and can cause a lot of damage.
4. SOIL CREEP
o The slowest downhill movement of soil.
o Gravity pulls water that is contained in soil down a slope, moving the soil with it.
o This movement happens very slowly so it is not possible to see it happening but it leaves a ripple effect on
the slope.
o These ripples are known as terracettes.
3. EROSION
The taking away and removal of material by breaking it down.
1. HYDRAULIC ACTION:
o When waves crash against the cliff, the impact force and weight of the water against the
rocks wears away the rock.
o It also compresses air in joints and faults in the rock, causing pressure to build and loose
rocks to be dislodged.
o As the waves retreat, the compressed air is released, often explosively causing the rock to
weaken further.
2. ABRASION
o This happens when fragments of rocks, pebbles and sand are picked up by waves and thrown
against the cliff face, causing pieces of the rock to break off.
3. ATTRITION
o Rocks fragments and pebbles carried by the waves are reduced in size as they collide
against each other and the cliff face.
4. SOLUTION:
o This is a chemical action on rocks by seawater, dissolving rocks.
o It is the most effective on limestone rocks, in which calcium is dissolved and carried away in
solution.
4. TRANSPORT
The picking up and movement of material
1. TRACTION
o Large boulders are rolled along the seabed by waves.
2. SALTATION
o Smaller boulders are bounced along the seabed.
3. SUSPENSION
o Sand and small particles are carried within the flow of the water.
4. SOLUTION
o Some minerals will dissolve in the water and be carried in solution (e.g. lime from limestone)
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