1. Granite Landscapes

2. Lesson Aims
ALL – to know the formation, distribution and characteristics of granite
MOST – to know granite landforms
SOME – to recognise granite features in a photograph

3. Today’s key terms
Batholith
Joints
Impermeable rock
Tor
Mass movement

4. Formation
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock formed deep underground.
Following uplift and the erosion of overlying rocks, granite has become exposed at the surface

5. Distribution
Describe the distribution of granite in the UK (3 marks)

6. South West
In the south-west the apparently isolated exposures of granite are actually part of the same enormous igneous rock mass called a batholith.
GCSE textbook page 40

7. Characteristics of granite
Tough and resistant rock to weathering and erosion
3 main mineral – quartz, mica and feldspar
Pink feldspar
Grey Quartz
Black Mica

8. Feldspar is a mineral which is vulnerable to chemical weathering and will decay to form while clay called China clay or Kaolin
Granite contains cracks or joints
Vertical joints formed when the granite cooled and contracted
Horizontal joints form as pressure is released from overlying rocks being removed through erosion
Joints in the granite allow for freeze-thaw weathering to occur
Granite is impermeable – does not allow water to pass through it therefore granite landscapes are often wet and marshy

9. Granite landforms The most distinctive granite landform is a tor
Tors are found on the tops of hills
As the granite became exposed on the surface tors are revealed which are weathered and eroded through time.
Eroded material is carried down slope through mass movement to form scree or a clitterfield

10. Annotated photograph
Neatly annotate the photograph of Haytor with information about how a tor is formed and granite.
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12. Uses of granite
Watch the video clip on granite
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13. Lesson Aims
ALL – to know the formation, distribution and characteristics of granite
MOST – to know granite landforms
SOME – to recognise granite features in a photograph