Revision document – Distinctive Landscapes
Task 1 – Quizlet for key terms and their definitions
[Link]
Exam technique needed for parts of the specification
Describing the characteristics of a built and human landscape.
Compare, referring to the images below, some of the characteristics of a natural and
human landscape (3 marks)
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Describing the distribution of
upland, lowland and glaciated
landscapes in the UK.
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Describing the characteristics of these landscapes which make them
distinctive including their geology, climate and human activity.
Upland Lowland Glaciated
The geomorphic processes that are involved in shaping landscapes, including
weathering, mass movement, erosion, transport and deposition.
Here you could be asked any question (could be multiple choice or a shorter answer 2-mark
question) on the definition of any of these processes.
Define the following terms:
Weathering:
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Erosion:
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Explain how slumping can occur (SUST):
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Explaining the formation of coastal landforms including headlands, bays, cave,
arch, stack, beach and spit.
The key here is differentiating between erosional and depositional landforms:
Erosional Depositional
Explain the stages in the formation of an arch (3 marks)
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What key words would be needed in a question where you are required to explain the
formation of a spit?
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Explaining the formation of river landforms including waterfall, gorge, v-
shaped valley, floodplain, levee, meander, ox-bow lake.
Upper course Middle course Lower course
Explain the stages in the formation of a meander (3 marks)
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What are the stages involved in the formation of a gorge?
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CASE STUDY of two landscapes in the UK – one coastal landscape and one river
basin
Jurassic Coast River Tees
You will need to prepare answers to the following bullet points:
Explaining the formation of its distinctive landforms.
Explaining how geology and climate affect geomorphic processes.
Explaining how human activity impacts the landscape.
Explain how human activity has influenced the geomorphic processes in a river basin
you have studied (6 marks)
Management strategies could include:
Flood barriers/dams – silting up, restriction of sediment replenishment.
River realigning/straightening – restriction of meanders/horizontal/lateral erosion.
Channelisation – impact of erosion, decreased bedload, deposition, throughflow.
Building on flood plains – increased surface runoff.
Afforestation/deforestation.
Artificial levees/embankments.
The Tees barrage was officially opened in 1995 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The
barrage (Figure 5) stops the tidal flows upstream and has opened up 25 km of clean
navigable waterway for leisure. It has led to the regeneration of derelict land along the
riverside and attracted new jobs and businesses to Teesside.
The barrage cost £54 million and links the north and south banks of the Tees at Stockton. It
includes a lock that allows boats to pass through as well as a fish pass, a road bridge and
Britain’s finest white-water course. Salmon have now returned to the River Tees. The
barrage is 70 metres wide and 32 metres long. Between the barrage supports are four
gates, each weighing 50 tonnes and measuring 13.5 metres long and 8 metres high.
Explain how this scheme would affect the geomorphic processes operating in the
River Tees:
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Discuss the influence of geology in the formation of river landforms within your
chosen river basin (6 marks)
The question clearly asks for a
case study to be stated and the
use of place specific detail is
needed to ensure that the
answer is not generic. Place
specific data could be the name
of a specific landform, the
correct rock types for the area in
question or the accurate naming
of human features. It needed to
be more than the name of the
river. The question asked for the
role of geology to be discussed
which could usually be linked to
erosion rates but that link had to
be explicit. It was also not enough to link to erosion but then needed to be linked to the
correct landform.
In the example it is clear that the candidate is aware of the location of their chosen river and
where different landforms are along it course. This satisfies the case study element of the
question and allows more than three marks to be credited. There is a clear link to the
geology referring to harder and softer bands of rock in the upper course and soft clay in the
middle course. The geology is then linked to specific landforms with different rocks eroding
at different rates to form rapids or softer rock being easily eroded to form meanders. This
answer was credited 5 marks (Level 3); as it shows thorough knowledge and understanding
although further development of these ideas would be needed to gain all 6 marks.
Explain how human activity is influencing the landscape of a coastal environment you
have studied (6 marks)
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Using your notes, textbooks and CGP revision guides, you are to choose which
questions you would like to attempt from the Distinctive Landscapes course (base
this on what you need to focus your revision on and where you would like my help
specifically):
1. Contrast the terms ‘built landscape’ and ‘natural landscape’ (3)
2. Describe the physical characteristics of an upland landscape (3)
3. Name and briefly describe one example of mass movement (3)
4. Name and briefly describe one example of weathering (3)
5. Where does the most lateral erosion occur; a) upper course b) middle course c) lower
course (1)
6. Where is the channel deepest; a) upper course b) middle course c) lower course (1)
7. Explain how geomorphological processes result in the formation of a wave cute
platform (6)
8. Contrast the terms ‘abrasion’ and ‘attrition’ (3)
9. Explain two examples of how human activity can affect river processes (4)
10. Describe how sediment is transported in a coastal environment (5)
11. Examine the role of geology in the formation of a waterfall (5)
12. With the aid of diagrams, explain how depositional spits form (5)
13. Draw an annotated diagram(s) to fully explain the formation of an oxbow lake (6)
14. Explain how human activity has influenced the geomorphic processes in a coastal
environment that you have studied (6 marks)
15. Explain how geology has affected the geomorphic processes operating in a river
basin you have studied (6 marks)
