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Impact of Weathering on Human Activity

The impact of Granite weathered landsapes on Human Activity:

Mining

• provides a supply of building material - e.g. Aberdeen "Granite City"
• Dartmoor - main mining industry - China Clay (Kaolin) - formed due to the hydrolysis of granite - changing feldspar into china clay - used in making porcelain / paper (Lee Moor - South Dartmoor is one of the largest china clay pits in the world) - this has been an important industry for the rural economy;

Water Supply

• the impermeable nature of granite means that it has a high drainage density and along with this the area tends to have high rainfall due to the usual upland nature of granite areas. This makes granite areas ideal for reservoirs - e.g. Burrator, Dartmoor;

Tourism and Recreation

• Tors and the surrounding "mor and tor" landscape provides a tourist attraction - millions of people visit Dartmoor area for walking and climbing - results in the multiplier effect, boosting the local economy through income from tourism and jobs;

Military Use

• due to the undulating upland nature of granite landscapes, their are usually few settlements. This and the mainly heather mooorland terrain makes it an ideal location for army training e.g. MoD Okehampton - used for firing training.

Poor Farming

• thin soils (due to resistant rock) and due to impermeability of bedrock, the soils often become easily waterlogged. Acid soils and peat formation are common - of little value for farming. On Dartmoor, there is mainly cattle / sheep breeding. The heather moorland is however good for Grouse Shooting.

The impact of Limestone weathered landscapes on human activity:

Building Damage

• limestone is commonly used in building construction, however solution and hydrolysis have resulted in building damage. This has been enhanced in urban areas, where pollutants have helped to increase the acidity of rainwater. St Paul's cathedral

Soil Formation

• land-use for farming is fundamentally affected by weathering of the bedrock, due to the importance of weathering in soil formation processes (see previous notes). Limestone soils tend to be poor, thin and dry. The rock does not readily weather into soil particles therefore farming in these areas tends to be poor.

Tourism

• Like granite landscapes, limestone scenery tends to attracts large numbers of toursits, walkers and school parties. As well as its attractive above ground scenery, the subterranean features of the limestone landscape, produced by weathering and fluvial processes (cave system) attracts cavers and potholers. This leads to the multiplier effect associated with tourism boosting the local economy through tourism income and job provision. In the Yorkshire Dales, tourism generates £89 million a year with almost 8.3 million visitors (Palmer and Yates, 2005). However tourism can also generate negative effects such as congestion, erosion, litter etc.

Economic Value

• Weathered limestone is a popular ornamental rock e.g. for garden rockeries. It is also a fundamental raw material used in the cement and steel industries. Limestone Quarrying (for example in the Peak District), whilst generates money for the local economy as well as jobs, does sometimes bring conflicts between the local environment and the local economy. Quarrying leaves a scar on the landscape and generates noise and dust.

Settlement

• Due to the lack of water and poor soils, there are few settlements to be found in limestone areas.

See the following site on land-use in an upland limestone area (Yorkshire Dales) from the BBC Scotland Education site.

Download this fact sheet on Dartmoor Geology and Landscape / Landuse - (from the Dartmoor National Park Authority) includes information on how farming etc.. has been affected by the Granite Geology of the area.

If you are stuck on any of these key concepts or want to develop your understanding further, try out some of the link from the Earth Systems Weblinks section.

For some more summary notes and some excellent weblinks see also the Weathering section on Geography Pages (with thanks to Alan Parkinson from King Edward VII School, Kings Lynn).