Monday 26 December 2011

What landforms result from weathering and erosion?

What land shapes, or landforms, can you see created as a result of:

a) weathering of rock in situ;
b) rivers, large or small;
c) marine processes.

For a) look at the mountains that surround us.
What is affecting their rate of erosion? In Hong Kong the mountains are mostly made of granite. How different do you expect the landforms to erode from say, limestone?

You might need to think about the mineral composition of the rock, and how that reacts to chemicals in the environment; what the grain size of the rock contributes to its weathering; whether the presence of fault lines or strata affects the rock's weakness.

Also consider the weather. Here it can be hot and humid for much of the year. How would you expect sandstone, for example, to weather in this climate, as opposed to a hot, dry desert, or a cold and wet climate?

For b) think about the action of the many rivers you have seen.
You have paddled in creeks, streams and rivers large and small. You have conducted river surveys, listened to talks about estuaries and walked with rangers describing ox-bow lakes and boggy clay pits.

Draw an imaginary river from youth to old age. Write captions to mark as many different landscape features that a visitor might see. Try to include, in your diagram,

For c) look at where the land meets the water. What's going on?
You might find geospeak useful: wave, corrasion, hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, corrosion.

Remember the many coastlines you have visited. Longshore drift on the east coast of England? Caves, stacks and Chesil beach on the south coast of England? Sand dunes at Worimi conservation land, New South Wales? Reefs and sea cliffs in Hong Kong?

For general research, try wikianswers. Youtube provides background videos. Slideshare may help if you poke about the options.

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