Geo Summaries - Term 2- Chapter 1
Geo Summaries - Term 2- Chapter 1
- Hills are formed when the top layer of rock is more resistant to
weathering/erosion than the layers beneath it
- The flat tops are due to the rocks laying horizontally to the horizon
- 3 Ways in which flat-top hills can be formed:
1. Horizontally laid sedimentary rock
- Sedimentary rocks are made up of layers which may erose/weather at different
rates
2. Igneous intrusions – sills
- Igneous form when hot magma squeezes between 2
layers of sedimentary rock and
cools/solidifies
- In SA = most sills are made of dolerite
- Igneous doesn’t erode as quickly as sedimentary rock and form a flat-top hill when
exposed on
Earth’s surface
3. Lava flows – Basaltic plateaus
- Lower ridges are composed of sandstone and the high cliffs are made of basalt from
an ancient lava flow
1.2 Basaltic plateaus and canyon landscapes
- Basaltic lava is very runny = able to flow across Earth’s surface and spread very far
- When it cools/solidifies = large flat area forms (basaltic plateau)
- Very few rivers can carve valleys into the basaltic plateau because the rock is very
resistant to weathering/erosion
- The rivers that can carve valleys = canyons
- Graph A: Canyons
- Referring to Graph A
- Rivers that erode canyons flow areas with high rainfall into dry areas
- Canyons are made of many layers of sedimentary rocks (each with different
resistance)
- More resistant layers wear back slowly = steep slopes
- Softer rock wears faster = more gentle slopes
- Referring to Graph C:
- Karoo landscapes usually have a concave shape (the slopes on the side go from big
to small)
- Over time (because of scarp retreat/back wasting) plateaus are reduced to mesas
and then buttes