GEOGRAPHY DEFINITIONS

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most geog definitions add from second folder
Aoibhe Casey
Flashcards by Aoibhe Casey, updated more than 1 year ago
Aoibhe Casey
Created by Aoibhe Casey over 7 years ago
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Resource summary

Question Answer
Source of a river where the river rises
Tributary a small stream that joins the main river
Confluence the point where the tributary joins the main river
River basin the total area drained by the river and its tributaries
Watershed high piece of ground that separates two river basins
river mouth where the river reaches the sea
river estuary the part of the river that is tidal
Hydraulic action force of the water
abrasion force of the rivers load
attrition the rivers load itself is worn down, rounded and smoothened
Solution chemical erosion of soluble rocks like limestone
Eddying swirling action within the water ( whirlpool effect )
Differential erosion different rock types are eroded at different rates
Waterfall a sudden sharp drop in the river bed causing the river to cascade over the edge
Levee Wide, low ridges of sediment deposited on river banks that prevent flooding
River's competence ability to carry its load
Alluvium fine sand and silt
Floodplain land flooded by river
Dams barriers built across streams and rivers that control and monitor the flow of water
Reservoir artificial lake that forms behind dams
Channelisation shape, slope,width and depth of river has been altered ( Flood control )
Dredging river bed is dug up to allow greater volume of water
Beach Nourishment taking sand from elsewhere and putting it onto the beach
Groynes Man made structures on beaches that prevent longshore drift
Population distribution spread of a population across a region or country ( usually unevenly distributed )
Population density the average number of people per square kilometre in a region ( pop/no. of km sq. )
Natural increase birth rates are higher than death rates
Natural decrease death rates are higher than birth rates
Fertility rate te average number of children per mother in a country
Life expectancy the average age a person is expected to live to in a country
Population pyramids show population structure, allowing us to see the characterisation of the population, proportion of males to females etc. used for planning
The dependancy ratio under 16 + over 65 / productive population
mortality rate number of deaths per 1000 of the population
Overpopulation when the number of people in a region is too much to be supported by the available natural resources
underpopulation when very few people live in a region to exploit its resources
Optimal population number of people who can have a high standard of living in a region using the resources available there
Harris and Ullman's Multiple Nuclei Theory describes and explains the pattern of urban land use in cities by identifying areas of different land use zones and social stratification
Social Stratification division of people into classes based on death and status
gentrification making an area attractive again / Dublin docklands a vibrant centre
CBD Central Business District
DDDA Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Urban Renewal solution to urban decay / making an area more attractive influx of affluent people and businesses to deteriorating area
Urban Decay when an area of a city is in decline ( usually happens in centre )
Urban Sprawl uncontrolled growth of the city outwards caused by rapid population growth eg. into countryside /hinterland
greenbelts areas around cities where development is limited to reduce urban sprawl
Site (Settlement patterns) the site of a settlement refers to the land on which te settlement is built
Situation (settlement patterns) its location in relate to the landscape around it
Migration movement of people from one place to another
nucleated settlement houses clustered together
Linear / Ribbon settlement housing along roadways
Counter-Urbanisation large numbers of people move from urban areas to rural areas
Middens rubbish piles from the stone/neolithic age 6000BC
central place theory explains size and distribution of urban areas in a region. Large number of villages/small towns and small number of cities/ large towns
Central place urban centre that provides services from people living there and hinterland
Hinterland area surrounding a city/ town i.e central place that avails of its resources ( ideally hexagonal )
range ( central place theory ) the distance a person is willing to travel to get a good/service ( low/medium/high )
religion a belief system and set of practices that recognise the existence of a power higher than humans
Culture the language, religious beliefs and way of life of a group of people at a particular time customs, traditions, music,art,festivals,technology,inventions
Language principal means of communication
Acculturation culture of a dominant group is adopted by the lesser cultural group eg. English is used worldwide
Minority languages at risk of dying out
Race physical characteristics of a person skin colour, height, hair type, physique
Multi - Racial Societies formed due to migration and colonisation
Lithosphere crust and upper part of mantle
Asthenosphere region below lithosphere, plates can float and slide on it as it is partially melted rock
Plate tectonics the movement of plates on the earths surface
Theory of Continental Drift suggests plates have not always been in their present position, suggests movement and drifting of plates
Pangaea supercontinent made up of all the continents
continental fit coasts of continents can fit like a jigsaw
Sea-floor Spreading ocean floors widening, new rock being formed at plate boundaries
Convection currents molten magma rises, cools and sinks and is reheated in a continuous pattern which causes friction with the plates causing them to move
Rift Valley plates separating on continent crust
Plate boundaries (name) Divergent Transform Convergent
Subduction the heavier plate (oceanic) slides under the other and is destroyed
Intrusive landforms underground volcanic features, plutons
Foreshock small tremor and shocks before a major earthquake
aftershocks smaller earthquakes and shocks that follow after the main one can last weeks
Focus place beneath earths surface where energy is released
epicentre directly above the focus where tremors first reach the surface
tsunami submarine earthquakes that create tidal waves
seismology study of earthquakes
earthquake a sudden movement or shaking of the earths crust that releases energy in the form of seismic waves
seismic waves built up energy is released from rocks under enormous pressure that slip, races through crust giving off a series of shocks called tremors
seismologist scientist that studies earthquakes
seismograph instrument used to detect, measure and record seismic waves
Richter scale a scientific scale that determines the magnitude of an earthquake 0-10
mercalli scale non scientific, eye witness based scale of earthquake
USGS monitoring earthquakes in USA and Worldwide
Dendrochronology in terms of earthquakes warped tree rings show patterns of earthquakes
Socio-economic factors human factors
Geothermal energy renewable, clean, affordable energy in areas with volcanic activity
soil liquefaction clays and sand mix with groundwater turning the ground to a quicksand like material
Rocks hard naturally occurring material that makes up the earths crust vary in colour, texture, hardness, age and mineral content
Igneous formed when molten rock cools and hardens either deep within the crust or on the earths surface
Sedimentary formed from sediments which were compressed and compacted into layers
Metamorphic sedimentary or igneous rock that was changes due to great heat or pressure created by compression or collision process: METAMORPHISM
Lithification process that converts layers into solid rock over millions of years through compactor and cementation
Joints in limestone vertical fractures
bedding planes horizontal fractures
permeable rock allows water to pass through
carbonation chemical weathering weak carbonic acid reacts with calcium carbonate and dissolves it
limestone pavement surface feature clints and grikes
karren hollows in the clints
swallow hole point at which a stream disappears underground
stalactite form of roofs of caves, specks of calcite
stalagmite form of floors of caves from drops of water which evaporate leaving a speck of calcite (usually bigger)
pillars stalactite and stalagmite join
spring when a stream reemerges from underground
Karst landscape limestone Burren, Co.Clare
Physical weathering physical breakdown of rock freeze-thaw action exfoliation
Onion Weathering strips off outer layer of rock, rapid heating and cooling of rock
chemical weathering decomposition of rock due to the way its minerals react to water and the atmosphere Carbonation Hydrolysis
Region an area of the earths surface that has one or more characteristics that distinguish it from other areas. Physical Socio-Economic
GDA Greater Dublin Area
BMW Border Midlands West
Conurbations caused by urban sprawl towns and cities join together in large urban regions
nodal points centre of a transport system
C.A.P Common Agricultural Policy
Hedge payments money given per head of livestock
Pastoral Farming animals
Arable / Tillage Farming plants / crops
Extensive farming not using the land to the best of its ability
intensive farming using the land to the best of its ability
Marginal land little or of no use
subsistent producing enough to live off
commercial farming growing / producing crops to sell
Mixed farming arable and pastoral
monoculture growing one particular crop over and over
draft animals animals working on a farm
cash crops poorer farmers grow to sell and make money
Horticulture market gardening
''Pays" a key characteristic of the paris basin region is that different areas known as 'pays' specialise in different forms of intensive farming due to climate/soil type/landscape
Viticulture wine making
E.R.D.F European regional development fund
Cassa plan development plan in Italy replaced by ERDF in 1984
Terra Rossa Soils red/ weathered limestone vines and olives
Flemish language spoken in Flanders
Wallonia region of Belgium that speaks French
Monsoon climate very wet in June - September very dry October - May
caste system social stratification in India lower caste - Dhalits upper caste - Brahmins
Double cropping distinct wet and dry season allows 2 crops to be grown rice - wet wheat/barley/peas - dry
Deccan Plateau region in India Black soils - known for cotton production
Kashmir region of religious conflict and a disputed border
Hinduism main religion of India - Hindu / Ganges river
shanty towns Bastis urban sprawl leads to the development of these slum dwellings with makeshift houses/ no access to clean water
Geomorphological region a region that is defined by its landscape and the forces and processes that have shaped it
Oblique Photos horizon can be seen low oblique- taken at low angle horizon cannot be seen
Ecclesiastical function religious function
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