Word Banks
Coasts
Word Meaning
tide movement of the sea
fetch the distance travelled by a wave
joint a vertical crack in the rock
stack a pillar of rock which stands in the sea
stump pile of rock after a stack has collapsed
hydraulic action erosion by the power of the water
attrition erosion where pebbles crash into each other
abrasion erosion where pebbles smash into the cliff
corrosion where some rocks are slowly dissolved by water
fault a weakness in the rock
bedding plane horizontal layers in the rock
cliff a wall of rock facing the sea
longshore drift movement of sand and pebbles along a beach
spit an extended beach which grows by deposition
sand dune hills of sand
rock armour large boulders dumped to protect the cliff
groyne barriers built to collect sand to form a beach
marram grass grass that grows on sand dunes
Earthquakes
Word Meaning
active volcano that erupts frequently
collision boundary two continental plates collide, e.g. the Himalayas
conservative boundary two plates slip past each other.
constructive boundary plates move apart, magma comes through the gap
continent large land mass
core centre of the earth
crust outer layer of the earth
destructive boundary oceanic plate and continental plate collide
dormant volcano that erupts frequently
epicentre point at the surface above the focus
extinct volcano that hasn't erupted for some time
focus exact centre of the earthquake
foreshock small tremor before the earthquake
geothermal energy power produced by the warmth from volcanic activity
lava molten rock on the surface
magma molten rock below the surface
mantle middle layer of the rock
plate tectonics movement of tectonic plates
pyroclastic flow avalanche of gas, ash and pulverised rock
Richter scale how the strength of an earthquake is measured
seismometer instrument used to measure the strength of an earthquake
tectonic plate the earth is split up into different plates
volcanic bomb lava exploded into the air which turns solid as it falls
Economic Activities
Word Meaning
agriculture farming
arable farming farming crops
business park a development of offices and industrial units
central business district (CBD) city centre containing shops and offices
exports goods sold abroad
fertile soil rich with nutrients
greenfield site land which is protected and not built on before
hill farming farming in highland areas
horticulture farming flowers etc
imports goods bought from abroad
industrial inertia industry still located in a place because its always been there
irrigation artificial watering of crops
manufacturing industry making products used by people
market where goods are sold
market gardening growing vegetables
mining extracting primary resources
mixed farming farming crops and animals
newly industrialised country country which has recently become industrialised
pastoral farming farming animals
primary extracting raw materials from nature
relief height and slope of the land
science park the development of high–tech industries close to a university
secondary making (manufacturing) things
tertiary providing a service
tourism a type of service industry
transnational company companies with branches in more than one country
raw materials Natural product taken from the earth
natural resources
Environmental Issues
Word Meaning
afforestation planting of trees
AONB area of outstanding natural beauty
appropriate technology low technology aid based on local situation
deforestation cutting down of trees
desertification spread of desert–like conditions
eco–tourism holidays which have little impact on the environment
energy power needed to provide heat and light and to run machines
environment the air, land, water, plants, and wildlife.
fossil fuels energy produced from coal, oil and gas
greenhouse effect warming of the earth due to increasing CO2 emissions
Heritage Coastline area of protected coastline
national park areas which have been allocated for protection
non renewable energy fossil fuels, energy resources which cannot be renewed
quarry an open cast mine for digging out stone
recycling reusing waste
renewable energy energy which can be used forever
savannah area of tropical grassland
SSSI site of special scientific interest
sustainable development using resources in a way which means they will not run out
waste items which no longer have a use
Rivers and Flooding
Word Meaning
abrasion river erosion where the load hits the side of the channel
attrition river erosion where the load collides & gets smaller
biological weathering weathering caused by plants and animals
channel the part of a river with the water in
chemical weathering weathering caused by water reacting with the rock
confluence where two rivers meet
corrosion the river dissolves the rock
Dam wall built to hold back water
delta feature at the end of a river caused by deposition
distributaries small rivers on a delta
dredging making a river deeper by digging out the sediment
Dyke an embankment next to a river channel
erosion wearing away of material and its removal
estuary the wide part of a river before the mouth
floodplain flat area either side of the channel which floods regularly
freeze/thaw weathering weathering caused by water freezing and thawing
gorge a deep steep–sided valley
hydraulic action erosion caused by the action of the water
hydro–electric power electricity produced when water is forced through dam turbines
impermeable rock does not allow water to flow through it
levees walls either side of a river channel
meanders a bend in a river
mouth where the river meets the sea
onion skin weathering where a rock splinters due to expansion & contraction
permeable a rock which stores water
plunge pool a deep pool which is eroded at the base of a waterfall
porous rock which allows water to flow through it
reservoir a man made lake
river basin an area drained by a river and its tributaries
river cliff steep, undercut area on the outside of a meander
slip–off slope gently sloping area formed on the inside of a meander
solution a river transporting dissolved material
source the start of a river
spillways where water is diverted away from the channel
suspension materials carried supported in the river
transportation where the river carries material
tributaries smaller rivers running into a larger one
waterfall a point on a river where water falls vertically
watershed the edge of a river basin
Wing dyke designed to control the course of a river
Settlement
Word Meaning
brownfield site redevelopment of an old industrial site
conurbation where urban areas merge into one large area
counterurbanisation movement of people away from urban areas
dispersed spread out
favela name given to squatter settlements in Brazil
function the activities of a settlement
greenfield site land which has not been built on – protected
hamlet a small settlement with a couple of buildings
hierarchy rank order (of settlements)
industrial revolution rapid growth manufacturing industry
land use what land is used for
linear settlement developed in a line
megacity a very large city
megalopolis conurbations joined together
metropolis capital or main city
migration movement of people
nucleated settlement centred around somewhere
population explosion rapid increase in world population
pull factor the reason why people leave a place
push factor reason why people move to a place
range of a good how far people are prepared to travel to buy something
regeneration redevelopment of a place
retail shopping industry
rural countryside
squatter settlement/shanty town an are of very low quality housing
suburb edge of and urban area
terraced houses houses which are joined together
threshold number of people required to keep a business going
urban built up area, e.g. a city
urbanisation people moving to urban areas making them grow
village a small settlement with 200–2000 people
Weather and Climate
Word Meaning
air mass a very large body of air
air pressure the weight of the air
anticyclone are of high pressure
arctic very cold climate
atmosphere a layer of air around the Earth
climate the average conditions of a place over a long period
condensation gas cools and becomes liquid
convectional rainfall rain caused by hot air rising, cooling and condensing
evaporation liquid warms up and turns to gas
fog cloud at ground level
front boundary between warm and cold air masses
humid moisture in the air
infiltration water soaks into the soil
interception where rain is caught by vegetation
isobar lines on a weather map showing air pressure
isotherm lines on a weather map showing temperature
maritime climate influenced by the sea
microclimate climate of a small area
monsoon rain bearing winds
precipitation any form of water that falls from the sky
relief height and slope of the land
surface run off water flowing over the surface
temperate climate which is not too hot, not too cold, not too wet, not too dry
throughflow water flowing through the soil above the water table
transpiration water evaporating from vegetation
tropical warm and wet weather, between the tropics
weather conditions of a place over a short period, e.g., months
water table level of water below the surface