Physical Landscapes in the UKTopic Summary
Topic Summary: UK Physical Landscapes Overview
Part of UK Physical Landscape Management — GCSE Geography
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: UK Physical Landscapes Overview within UK Physical Landscape Management for GCSE Geography. Revise UK Physical Landscape Management in Physical Landscapes in the UK for GCSE Geography with 0 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 15 of 15 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
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Section 15 of 15
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Topic Summary: UK Physical Landscapes Overview
UK Uplands and Lowlands
- Upland (>200 m): N and W — hard ancient igneous/metamorphic rock
- Lowland (<200 m): S and E — soft young sedimentary rock
- Scottish Highlands, Pennines, Lake District, Snowdonia = upland
- Thames Basin, East Anglia, Midlands = lowland
- Caledonian Orogeny (~400 Ma) created hard NW rocks
- Jurassic/Cretaceous seas deposited SE sedimentary rocks
Rock Types and Landscapes
- Granite: Dartmoor, Lake District, Cairngorms → tors, moorland
- Schist/gneiss: Scottish Highlands → rugged ancient upland
- Slate: Snowdonia, Cumbria → steep rugged hills
- Limestone: Pennines, Peak District → karst, caves, pavements
- Chalk: N/S Downs, Dover → rolling downland, white cliffs
- Clay: East Anglia, Holderness → flat lowlands, rapid erosion
Rivers
- Severn = 354 km (longest in UK); drains Welsh mountains
- Thames = 346 km; tidal from Teddington; Thames Barrier 1982
- Pennines = England's main watershed: rivers east (Tyne, Ouse) or west (Eden, Mersey)
- Upland rivers: steep gradient, high energy, V-valleys, waterfalls
- Lowland rivers: low gradient, low energy, meanders, floodplains, oxbow lakes
- High Force (Teesdale) = 21 m — largest waterfall in England by volume
Glaciation and Coast
- Last Ice Age peaked 20,000 ya; ended 12,000 ya
- Glacial landforms: U-valleys, corries, arêtes, ribbon lakes, drumlins, erratics
- Windermere = 17 km (longest lake in England)
- Loch Ness = 227 m deep (deepest ribbon lake in UK)
- Holderness = 1.7 m/yr erosion; boulder clay; 30+ villages lost
- Spurn Point = 5.5 km spit; longshore drift from N
- Chesil Beach = 29 km shingle bar; lagoon (The Fleet) behind
- 17,820 km UK coastline total