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Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A (1GA0) · Spec 1.1 and 1.2

UK rocks, landscapes and OS map skills

Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.

Key ideas

  • There are three rock families. Igneous rock cools from magma or lava (granite, basalt). Sedimentary rock builds up in layers (chalk, limestone, sandstone). Metamorphic rock is changed by heat or pressure (slate, marble).
  • Older, harder igneous and metamorphic rocks are found mainly in the north and west of the UK. Younger, softer sedimentary rocks are found mainly in the south and east.
  • Hard rock wears away slowly, so it is left standing as upland. Soft rock wears away faster, so it forms lowland. Always give the reason, not just the link.
  • Weathering breaks rock down where it sits (freeze-thaw, chemical, biological). Erosion needs a moving agent such as a river, the sea or ice.
  • On an OS map, read eastings first, then northings. Contour lines close together mean steep land. Contour lines far apart mean gentle land.

Key terms

Igneous
Rock formed when magma or lava cools, leaving hard interlocking crystals.
Sedimentary
Rock formed from layers of sediment that are squashed together over time.
Metamorphic
Rock changed by heat or pressure.
Weathering
The breakdown of rock where it is, with no movement by a river, the sea or ice.
Relief
The shape and height of the land.
Freeze-thaw
Water in a crack freezes and expands, widening the crack. Repeated cycles break the rock.

Common mistakes

  • Naming a rock from the wrong family. Slate and marble are metamorphic. Chalk and sandstone are sedimentary. A wrong-family name scores 0.
  • Saying 'igneous rock makes mountains' and then 'sedimentary rock makes flat land'. The second is the first one reversed, so it scores once. Give a reason such as 'hard rock erodes slowly'.
  • Mixing up weather and weathering. A storm or a heatwave is weather. Weathering is rock breaking down.

Exam tip

For a 2-mark 'explain one' item, give a point and then develop it with a reason, joined by 'because' or 'so'. For relief on an OS map, describe the shape of the land from the contours, such as 'steep valley sides', not just 'high' or 'flat'.

Free practice questions

6 questions, 8 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.

  1. Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]

    Which of these rocks is igneous?

  2. Question 2 · Multiple choice[1 mark]

    Which of these is a weathering process?

  3. Question 3 · Choose more than one[2 marks]

    Which TWO of these rocks are metamorphic?

    Choose 2.

  4. Question 4 · Put in order[1 mark]

    Put these events in order, from the oldest to the most recent.

    Use the arrows to put these in the right order, first at the top.

    1. 1White Peak limestone forms (340 million years ago)
    2. 2Whin Sill intruded (295 million years ago)
    3. 3Last ice age ends (11,700 years ago)
    4. 4Dinosaurs die out (66 million years ago)
    5. 5Chalk is laid down in a warm sea (about 90 million years ago)
  5. Question 5 · Multiple choice[1 mark]

    Which statement is a characteristic of igneous rock?

  6. Question 6 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]

    Contour lines close together show ___ land; contour lines far apart show ___ land.

    Word bank: wet · steep · gentle