Scientists believe that the earth

is 4,600 million years old. For

much of that time the earth was
cooling and forming a basic
atmosphere.
Life on earth only became
abundant 542 million years ago. It
is from that time that geologists
have divided time into eras and
periods to form the geological
timescale.
The boundaries between the
different periods represent
critical stages in the earths
history, such as periods of
mountain building or widespread
sea level change.
If the whole of the
geological timescale
were to be
represented by a
single calendar year,
humans started to
walk in the earth at 1
minute to midnight on
31
st
December.
ordinarily
carefully,
perhaps their creak though
?
Cambrian Ordovician Silurian Carboniferous Devonian
Tertiary Cretaceous Jurassic Triassic Permian Quaternary
The distribution of rocks
reflects the geological
history of the UK.
The west of
Britain is
dominated by
old hard rocks,
mainly igneous
and
metamorphic.
Hard rocks
have resisted
erosion and
therefore form
the highland
parts of the UK.
In the east of
Britain the
geology is
dominated
by younger
sedimentary
rock.
These rocks
erode more
easily
leading to
much low
lying and flat
land.
metamorphic rock
- rocks formed from
cooling magma
e.g. granite
- rocks formed from sediments
and shells on the sea bed
e.g. limestone and chalk
- rocks which are
changed by heat and
pressure e.g. limestone
becomes marble
Intrusive =
below ground
Extrusive =
above ground
The rock cycle is
the process by
which rocks are
made and
destroyed.
Rocks are constantly being recycled
The rocks are broken down in situ,
which means that no movement is
involved, unlike erosion which is caused
by the movement of water, wind and ice.

( Frost shattering )
Freeze-thaw is most
common in cold climates.
The more the temperature
fluctuates above and
below freezing point, the
more effective freeze-
thaw is at breaking off
pieces of rock.
Scree
Some rocks such as deposits of rock
salt will dissolve in pure water, just as
sugar dissolves in tea. This dissolving
process is known as SOLUTION.
Chemical weathering happens when the minerals of which the
rock is composed are changed, leading to the disintegration of the
rock.

Rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
to form a weak acid carbonic acid.
The weak acid reacts with rocks which
contain calcium carbonate such as
limestone and chalk.
The limestone is slowly dissolved
and is removed in solution by
running water.
. in the garden
Tree roots are
cracking the wall
Granite
Granite
Sedimentary rocks
Metamorphic
rocks
Sedimentary rocks
eroded away over
time
Granite cracks as
pressure of overlying
rocks is released
Granite now
exposed & open
to attack by
weathering
Hard resistant granite tors
stand out on hilltops
Joints and cracks
in granite attacked
by freeze-thaw
weathering
Surrounding area covered in
scree
Army training
Quarrying
Sheep farming
Prison
Tourism
DARTMOOR - a case study
of the opportunities and
limitations
for farming
Most farmers keep sheep
and cows to produce lambs
and calves to sell for meat.

Dartmoor is famous for the
wild ponies which live
there.
Farming is the main land use on Dartmoor, with over 90% of the land within the
National Park farmed. Half of it is open moorland used for grazing livestock. The soils
here are too acidic to grow crops.
The fringes of Dartmoor
are mostly improved
grassland, again for
grazing livestock.
Dartmoor is an Environmentally
Sensitive Area and farmers enter into
management agreements in order to
conserve the upland landscape and
wildlife habitats. Farmers are paid to
maintain dry stone walls and
hedgerows. They must reduce the
number of livestock grazing in sensitive
areas, and must restrict the use of
fertilizers and pesticides.
New granite seating along
Weston seafront
Higher Tier 2006
Describe the physical features of Sheeps Tor shown in grid square 5668
(3 marks)
Explain why the land uses shown in Figure 7 are typical of an area of
granite. (4 marks)
Limestone deposits
Name one surface and one underground feature of limestone scenery (2 marks)

Surface feature
Underground feature

Describe the characteristics of one of these features and explain how it was formed

.
( 6 marks)

1. Water drops hang from the roof of a cave.
2. A tiny amount of water is evaporated.
3. As the water evaporates it leaves behind
a minute amount of calcium carbonate.
4. The calcium carbonate deposits build up
very slowly to form a stalactite.
5. The water drips to the floor and builds up
a stalagmite in the same way.
Stalactite
Stalagmite
A pillar
1
Joints impermeable rock (x2) resurgence
stalagmite cavern swallow hole bedding planes
limestone pavement stalactite

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Impermeable
rock
Swallow hole
Bedding plane
Joints
Resurgence
Stalactite
Stalagmite Cavern
Impermeable
rock
Limestone pavement
10.
Farming sheep
Quarrying
Tourism
walking..
and caving
Stone for building
less popular nowadays due
to acid rain
Lime to
neutralise
acidic soils
Used to make cement
CHEDDAR GORGE - a
case study of a rock
type providing unique
scenery for tourism
Opportunities for tourism The benefits of tourism for
the Cheddar Gorge area
The problems caused by
tourists at Cheddar Gorge
Possible solutions
walking
visiting the limestone caves
gorge bus tour
outdoor pursuits e.g. rock climbing
and caving

Tourism brings money into the area
which is spent in shops, the caves, cafes
and gift shops.
Many local people benefit
from job opportunities e.g.
acting as guides.
Local craft industries and
farms also benefit from
tourists e.g. cheese making
Additional traffic leads to overcrowding,
traffic congestion and pollution.

People leave litter which spoils the area
and can be harmful to wildlife.
Possible vandalism in the caves
Damage to rock face by rock climbers
and people abseiling .
Thoughtful and sustainable
management ideas e.g.
free shuttle bus from car park to reduce
traffic in the gorge.
notice boards to educate tourists
about the unique and fragile
landscape..
(6 marks)
Higher Tier 2006
In many places in England, chalk and clay outcrop next to each other.
Together they form a distinctive but contrasting landscape of chalk
escarpment and clay vale.
Chalk escarpment
Clay vale
Chalk deposits
Chalk and clay are both
sedimentary rocks, and
only outcrop in lowland
Britain. They have little
else in common.
Example area The
South Downs
Dip slope
Scarp slope
Spring line settlement
Cement works close to
Westbury in Wiltshire.
Quarry
located on
the chalk
escarpment
Cement
works
located on
flat land on
clay
The London
aquifer -a case
study of an aquifer
used for water
supply
For hundreds of years this aquifer has supplied London with its water. The aquifer is
carefully managed by the Environment Agency to ensure that its use is sustainable. In the
1960s, industrial use caused the water table to drop to 88m below seal level, which
resulted in some seawater contamination. Following careful management and reduced
demand from industry since the 1990s, the water table has risen by as much as 3m per
year.
..... is an underground
store of water in
permeable rock.
How an aquifer works
1. Rain falls on permeable
chalk hills.
2. Water soaks down
through the porous
chalk and build up an
underground reservoir.
3. The water table marks
the top of the saturated
chalk.
4. The impermeable clay
below the chalk prevents the
water seeping downwards.
5. Settlements such as London
tap into the underground water
supplies by sinking down pipes.
Land uses -
farming sheep (scarp slope)
crops (dip slope)
quarrying
Economic uses -
lime for soils
cement
Land uses -
dairy farming
quarrying
Economic uses -
clay is used in
making pottery,
bricks and roof
tiles.
flint for building
Aquifers water storage
cement works
What two rock types are found in this area?
What is the evidence for your choices?
(ii) Suggest reasons for the location of the village shown in Figure 6
(4 marks)
2005
Noise from blasting
and machines
Lorries and dirt
on roads
Danger
Visual pollution
Embankment with
trees
Transport rock
by train
Danger signs
Wash wheels before
leaving quarry
Explosions only once a day at a
fixed time e.g. 3pm
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
ECONOMIC
SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
creates 104 jobs for local people e.g.
explosives experts, truck drivers,
office staff.
it creates the multiplier effect &
brings more money into the area.
less unemployment
possibly more services in local area
due to multiplier effect.

new habitats created e.g. based on
rock faces.
potential for new environments once
the quarrying is completed.
valued of property in the area
falls
cost of double glazing (if not
provided by quarry company)
people disturbed by noise,
especially blasting at 3.30pm each
day.
may be stressful e.g. worry about
the danger of children in the area.
visual, air and noise pollution
extra lorries on roads
dirt on roads
loss of habitats
The Eden Project
Shopping centres e.g.
Blue Water in Kent.
Theme Parks e.g.
Thorpe Park in Surrey
Water park e.g.
Cotswolds Water
Park
Council rubbish
tip
A case study of a quarry
attempting to reduce its
impact
Located on the
Gloucestershire /
Wiltshire border
The Cotswold Water Park covers an area of 40
square miles. It includes 150 lakes all of which
are old quarries.
There are still 8 working
quarries with 50 years
worth of gravel still to be
extracted.
The first lakes were created in the
early 20
th
century, when small fields
were sold for sand and gravel
extraction. Any holes deeper than
1metre quickly fill up with water
forming lakes.
Many of the lakes, or old
quarries, have been
restored and are now used
for different purposes
including:
fishing
nature reserves
an inland beach
sailing, windsurfing and
water skiing
Cotswold Water Park is easily accessible for tourists, between M4
and M5
Lakes formed in old gravel pits
WATERMARK is an example of one use of the old quarries to create
luxury lakeside holiday homes.
The layout of holiday homes around one lake
Opportunities
within the
Cotswold Water
Park
The eight working quarries are operated by several different companies,
including Hanson ( who own Whatley Quarry). They extract just under 2
million tonnes of sand and gravel each year. Most of it is used in
construction locally in places such as Gloucester and Swindon.
2005
Using Figure 7, suggest what the economic and environmental impacts of
a quarry such as this will be. (6 marks)