Landscape Systems: Glaciation 3 days

Transcription

1 AS Level Geography Edexcel Landscape Systems: Glaciation 3 days Deliver two days of fieldwork within an inspiring physical environment covering all the recommended themes in depth. Prepare AS level students for Section B in paper 1, worth 10% of their total marks. Cover a choice of physical specification content for AS fieldwork in Topic 2A: Glaciated Landscapes and Change. For those going on to A level, this course will contribute two of the four days of fieldwork requirements and provide contextualised learning in inspiring real world environments to develop their geographical understanding for the A level examinations.

2 Example Course Timetable DAY MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING 1 Arrive Midday Students will be greeted by FSC staff, with a welcome talk followed by a brief tour of the Centre and the local area. Glacial Processes and Systems - Erosion Outline of the Course Allocation of wellies/waterproofs. Students will develop a sense of place in an inspiring local environment, gaining an understanding of glacial processes and systems and their role in shaping the present landscape. They will explore the impact of ice on the landscape, observing landforms such as corries, roche moutonnees, glacial troughs, hanging valleys and truncated spurs, which have resulted from erosional processes. Integrated Geographical Skills: Landscape Interpretation: Erosion Students will explore the link between the impact of former glaciers and ice sheets on the UK landscape and the consequences of ongoing deglaciation in other global settings. 2 Glacial Processes and Systems - Deposition Students will explore an awe inspiring post-glacial environment, piecing together the processes and chronology that has created the landscape they see today. Students will explore the impact of ice on the landscape, observing landforms such as moraines, erratic, drumlins, kame and eskers, which have resulted from depositional processes. Through direct observation and use of maps or aerial photos, students will gain knowledge of a number of glacial depositional landforms, including the processes that led to their creation. Integrated Geographical Skills: Landscape Interpretation - Glacial Processes: Depositional Students will explore the link between the impact of former glaciers and ice sheets on the UK landscape and the consequences of ongoing deglaciation in other global settings. An example of one of the skills covered is till fabric analysis using rose diagrams. 3 Glacial Upland Landscapes: Uses and Management Approaches Students will examine the economic significance of the glacial landscape, investigate the impact humans have on the fragile ecology of glacial landscapes and evaluate ways in which different stakeholders work together to manage glacial landscapes particularly given the contextual risk climate warming has for these unique and fragile landscapes. Depart at Midday A final farewell from FSC staff as the students depart at midday. Please note: to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for students, the timetable may alter depending on weather conditions and local factors at Centres.

3 Glacial Processes and Systems - Erosion Out of all the cold darkness and glacial crushing and grinding comes this warm, abounding beauty and life to teach us that what we in our faithless ignorance and fear call destruction is creation finer and finer John Muir The post-glacial landscapes of the UK are stimulating environments in which we are offered a glimpse into both the past and the future. Through immersion in this awe-inspiring scenery, learners will begin to explore the chronology and causes of change, both spatial and temporal, in these environments. Fieldwork, asking geographical questions and observation will develop learners understanding of the evolution of these landscapes. These explorations will forge links between the UK landscape and the consequences of ongoing deglaciation in other parts of the world, giving meaning to learners fieldwork on both a local and global scale. In engaging with a glaciated landscape, we look back in time. Unpicking the palimpsest layers of the past involves looking at what is not there as well as what is; interpreting subsequent modification as well as initial formation. The imprint of glaciation can be seen through glacial landforms of different scales and morphologies for developing an understanding of landscape there is no substitute for direct observations. Through immersion in an inspiring post-glacial environment, learners will use a systems approach to piece together the processes and systems which formed this landscape. Learners will begin to make links between the present and the past by collecting primary data to examine the characteristics of glacial erosional features. To enable students to investigate questions relating to changing valley cross-profiles and glacial landform morphology and orientation, first hand observations of erosional landforms will be contextualised through the use of maps, aerial imagery and GIS. Fieldwork surveying distribution and characteristic features of a glaciated upland environment may involve: Identification of glacial erosional features through field sketching. Interpretation of glacial erosional features through geomorphological mapping. Valley surveys: long and cross-profiles, slope angle, distribution of features. Corrie surveys: size, shape, orientation, altitude. Striation surveys: orientation, cross-cutting.

4 Integrated Geographical Skills: Landscape Interpretation - Glacial Processes: Erosion Learners will explore the link between the impact of receding glaciers on the UK landscape and the consequences of ongoing deglaciation in other parts of the world. The analysis of local data through graphical interpretation and global data through GIS, will give meaning to the fieldwork on both a local and global scale. For instance, this session may involve: Cirque orientation analysis at a regional scale using OS maps and Chi-squared. A comparison of past and present distribution of glaciated landscapes using regional maps. A comparison of gathered primary landform evidence for past glacial/interglacial periods, versus graphical analysis of reconstructed climate history.

5 Glacial Processes and Systems - Deposition Glaciers, grinding West, gouged out these valleys, rasping the brown sandstone, and left, on the hard rock below the ruffled foreland Norman MacCaig To really start to understand the UK s post-glacial landscapes requires following the path of the ice into the lowlands, tracking the journey of the material eroded from the gaping hollows of the uplands. Exploring the ruffled foreland with its varied features of glacial deposition and fluvioglacial action offers the opportunity to develop further landscape knowledge and think geographically. Through unearthing sediments which were last moved by glacial ice over 10,000 years ago, learners will extend their thinking around sharing the present with the past and into the future. Utilising an inspiring post-glacial environment, learners explore the impact of ice on the landscape, observing features and landforms from millimetre to kilometre scale and interpreting the chronology of interactions between ice and geology over hundreds of thousands of years. In addition to qualitative techniques, primary data from glacial and/or fluvio-glacial sediments will be used to examine the characteristics of depositional features. Fieldwork surveying depositional features of a glaciated environment may involve: Identification of glacial depositional features through field sketching. Interpretation of glacial depositional features through geomorphological mapping. Survey of distribution and formation of sediments within depositional features (size, shape, stratification, orientation). Chronological interpretation.

6 Integrated Geographical Skills: Landscape Interpretation - Glacial Processes: Depositional Learners will explore the link between the impact of receding glaciers on the UK landscape and the consequences of ongoing deglaciation in other parts of the world. The analysis of local data through graphical interpretation and global data through GIS will give meaning to the fieldwork on both a local and global scale. For instance, this session may involve: Till fabric analysis using rose diagrams. Use of British Geological Society (BGS) glacial drift maps, Ordnance Survey (OS) maps and GIS to reconstruct past ice extent and ice flow direction. Numerical analysis of mean rates of glacial recession in different global regions, using secondary sources such as the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network.

7 Glacial Upland Landscapes: Uses and Management Approaches Future generations are not going to ask us what political party were you in. They are going to ask what did you do about it, when you knew the glaciers were melting. Martin Sheen Relict and active glaciated landscapes have great cultural, social and environmental significance. Given the increasing pressure put on these fragile environments by human impacts on the landscape (e.g. agriculture, forestry and energy production) as well as the added pressure of climate warming these landscapes need to be carefully managed to mitigate the potential for catastrophic change. Learners will have the opportunity to examine the cultural, economic and environmental value of a relict glacial landscape. This may involve examining the economic significance of the glacial landscape, investigating the impact humans have on the fragile ecology of glacial landscapes and evaluating ways in which different stakeholders work together to manage glacial landscapes particularly given the contextual risk climate warming has for these unique and fragile landscapes. Fieldwork may include: Land use mapping and bi-polar EQI assessments. Soil erosion / trampling surveying. Interviewing landscape management stakeholders.

8 FSC Centres Centres that offer this course BL CH MA MT PM RC Blencathra Castle Head Margam Malham Tarn Preston Montford Rhyd-y-creuau To book this course, simply: Choose the time of the year you would like to attend 1. Pick the Centre(s) of interest 2. Check availability online, contact head office to check availability across multiple Centres or contact the Centre(s) of your choice directly To book this course the minimum size of your group must be 12 students and one member of staff. Head Office contact details: Tel: