Glaciated Upland Landscapes: the Interaction Between Human & Physical Processes (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Case Study: Glaciated Upland in the UK

Lake District

• The Lake District, Cumbria, was covered in ice over 20,000 years ago

• It is an area with many glaciated landforms 

Map of the Lake District

• The geology of the Lake District includes:

  • Volcanic igneous rocks such as the Borrowdale Volcanics

    • Scafell, Helvellyn and the Langdale Pikes are formed from these rocks

• Sedimentary rocks such as limestone and sandstone in the Skiddaw Group and the Windemere Group 

• These were then shaped by glaciation to produce the scenery which today attracts millions of tourists

• The Lake District covers 2,362km2 

• Almost 41,000 people live in the Lake District 

  • The population density is 18 people per km2

Influential factors in the changes of the Lake District landscape

• Both human and physical factors have been influential in changing the landscape of the Lake District

• These factors often interact to impact the glaciated landscape and its processes

Physical factors

• Over two million years ago, the Lake District was a mountainous area 

• During the ice age, glaciers formed in the mountains, following the path of the existing river valleys

• Glaciers eroded the valleys

• As the glaciers retreated, they revealed a range of landforms and features, including:

  • U-shaped valleys such as Langdale

  • Recessional and ground moraines in the Easedale Valley

  • Drumlins in the Vale of Eden

  • Ribbon lakes such as Windermere

  • Erratics in Ennerdale

• The Lake District has a wet climate with an average annual rainfall of over 2000mm

  • In some places, this may reach 5000mm

• Temperatures vary from average highs in winter of 5° C to average highs of 17° C in summer

• Temperatures decrease with altitude and rainfall increases 

  • This means that conditions on the mountains may be very different from those in the valleys

Human factors

• Most settlements are located in the valleys

• The Lake District attracts over 18 million visitors a year

  • Tourist activities bring over £2.1 billion to the economy

  • Tourist activities affect the landscape in a range of ways

    • Soil erosion

    • Air, land and water pollution

    • Ecosystems are impacted by pollution

    • Erosion of the lake banks

    • Building of tourist facilities 

• The Lake District is used to supply water

  • Reservoirs in the Lake District include Thirlmere and Haweswater

  • Haweswater supplies 25% of northwest England’s water

  • The flooding of Mardale Valley to create Haweswater impacted the ecosystem 

• Quarrying and mining for a range of minerals have occurred in the Lake District, including lead, copper, slate and limestone

  • These activities have reduced over time, particularly since the granting of UNESCO World Heritage Status

  • Downsizing of quarrying was a condition of being granted the status 

• Cumbria has over 15 wind turbine sites 

  • These are restricted to areas outside the National Park

  • There are concerns regarding the visual impact of these on the landscape