Yr12 - Cold Environments Introduction

Last Monday, we started to look at Cold Environments... After a discussion about what we mean by "cold environments" (particularly glacial and periglacial areas, and areas such as Snowdonia that were glaciated previously), and a think about why some places are colder than others, we talked about types of glacier. You should (unless you are Myles who has sent it already) have a piece of work ready for me with an example of each type of glacier, and a photo....

Glacial Landforms...

Some interesting mini-lessons this morning!

We took rather a long time to work our way through the glaciation "dominoes" - we'll have another go tomorrow and see if we can be a bit speedier!

We then had a look at various glacial erosional landforms (glacial troughs; truncated spurs; corries; aretes; pyramidal peaks; ribbon lakes; hanging valleys...) and glacial depositional landforms (moraines - terminal, lateral, medial, recessional; roches moutonnees; drumlins...) and how they are formed. We still need to have a look at fluvioglacial and periglacial landforms.

Some pictures for you.... what features can you spot? And where were the pictures taken?

Year 13 - Cold Environments

Wednesday's lesson began - after the technological difficulties - with a look at the first part of Iain Stewart's Power of the Planet:

We then talked about glaciers as systems, with inputs of precipitation, energy and sediment, processes of ice movement, erosion (abrasion and plucking) and deposition, and outputs in the form of sediment, meltwater and calving.

We looked at the structure of a glacier - zones of ablation and accumulation - and the stratigraphy of a glacier... how temperature and velocity vary throughout the glacier... mechanisms of glacial movement.

We then watched another section of the Power of the Planet where Iain Stewart and glaciologist Miriam Jackson investigated what was going on underneath a glacier. You can watch that clip again here.

We finished with a quick look at processes of glacial erosion.

For next Wednesday, you are findng out about five glacial landforms - with examples of each and pictures (photographs or sketches) of each where possible.

Introduction to Cold Environments

We started today to have a look at some Cold Environments work ready for the North Wales visit in September (speaking of which, most of you still owe me some money!!!).

We talked about what we meant by "cold environments" - past and present. We had a brief look at the geological timescale - the sheet I gave you came from the Keele University Earth Sciences Department and you can also check out the BGS's interactive version here.

We then talked about what a glacier is, how ice forms, and the different types of glacier.

An excellent website about glaciers and glaciation to have a look at is Dr. Peter G. Knight's website. The book that he mentions on the website is also excellent, and whilst there is no obligation for you to buy this (or any other) book, it certainly wouldn't be a waste of money!

You can link to the Amazon page for the book by clicking on the picture below, although it appears not to be available from there at the moment. You might be able to find a copy on that well-known auction site, or in a bookshop, or from the Geographical Association shop (worth bearing in mind that GA members get a discount... and I am a GA member...).

Don't forget please, that for Tuesday, you need to have found out a specific example (with location) of each of the types of glacier that we talked about today.