Waseley Hills High School

Year 11 Fieldwork Question Booklet2017-2018

Name: _____________________________________Teachers Name: Mr Baker / Mrs Harris

_____________________________________

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION: How does the Ashes Hollow stream change from its source to

mouth?

TICK 1. Suitable question for geographical enquiry

The factors that need to be considered when selecting suitable questions/hypotheses for geographical enquiry

1

PHYSICAL

The geographical theory/concept underpinning the enquiry.

Appropriate sources of primary and secondary evidence, including locations for fieldwork.

The potential risks of both human and physical fieldwork and how these risks might be reduced.

2. Selecting, measuring and recording data appropriate to the chosen enquiry

Difference between primary and secondary data.

Identification and selection of appropriate physical and human data.

Measuring and recording data using different sampling methods.

Description and justification of data collection methods.

3. Selecting appropriate ways of processing and presenting fieldwork data

Appreciation that a range of visual, graphical and cartographic methods is available.

Selection and accurate use of appropriate presentation methods.

Description, explanation and adaptation of presentation methods

4. Describing, analysing and explaining fieldwork data

Description, analysis and explanation of the results of fieldwork data.

Establish links between data sets.

Use appropriate statistical techniques.

Identification of anomalies in fieldwork data.

5. Reaching conclusions

Draw evidenced conclusions in relation to original aims of the enquiry.

6. Evaluation of geographical Enquiry

Identification of problems of data collection methods.

Identification of limitations of data collected.

Suggestions for other data that might be useful.

Extent to which conclusions were reliable.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY INVESTIGATION:Title of fieldwork enquiry:

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How does the Ashes Hollow stream change from its source to mouth?

TITLE OF FIELDWORK ENQUIRY

How does the Ashes Hollow stream change from its source to mouth?

Hypothesis 1: Channel width and velocity increase with distance downstream

Method: Measure width / Timing orange over 10m (x3)

Presentation:

Width – bar chart

Velocity – Proportional Diagram

Hypothesis 2 Sediment size decreases with distance downstream

Method: Measure ten pebble b axis size (3 sites downstream)

Presentation: Scatter graph

Hypothesis: River landforms match those predicted in the longitudinal model

Method: Photo survey at each site (3 sites downstream)

Presentation:

Annotated photographs

1. Suitable question for geographical enquiry

The factors that need to be considered when selecting suitable questions/hypotheses for geographical enquiry.

The geographical theory/concept underpinning the enquiry.

3

Model / Theory

Theory

Channel WidthMeasure in Cm

Increases with distance downstreamVertical erosion changes to lateral erosion downstreamLower gradient with distance downstreamWider channel due to lateral erosion

VelocityMeasured in M/S

Velocity increases downstream as channel becomes more efficientLarger obstacles and turbulence cause more ‘bed load friction’ in upper course.Smaller sediment and smoother channel means less bedload friction so velocity increases downstream.

Sediment SizeMeasured in mm

Large sediment is found near the source in the upper course.Smaller sediment is carried further so finer sediment is found further downstream (hydraulic sorting).Abrasion also wears down material so sediment becomes smaller further downstream.

Landforms change downstream to match the longitudinal model

The river can be split into three sections/stagesUPPER/MIDDLE/LOWERDifferent landforms are associated with each stage.Upper course – V shaped Valley / waterfalls / narrow channel / steeper sidesMiddle course – Meanders / wider channelLower course – Floodplain, wide channel

Appropriate sources of primary and secondary evidence, including locations for fieldwork.

Site selection criteria

Must be within 1hour of the school Must be a river that can be easily accessed along its length

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Site selection criteria

Must have permission granted to collect data (land owners etc) Must be a safe environment to work in.

The potential risks of both human and physical fieldwork and how these risks might be reduced.

Risk assessment is the fundamental tool to ensure safety is effectively managed. The purpose of the Risk Assessment process is to identify hazards, assess who may be harmed and how; and manage the hazards through safe systems of work.

In line with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines, centres should follow five steps to risk assessment:

1. Identify the hazards

2. Decide who might be harmed and how

3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

4. Record your findings and implement them

5. Review your assessment and update if necessary.

Potential Risk Who might be involved Level of risk (10 = take immediate action, 9-7 consider actions, below 6 = monitor)

Precautions

Injury during transport to field location

Self, group, other pupils.

3 Travel by coach to location. Plan parking and road crossing in advance.

Injury during data collection. Drowning.

Self, group, other vehicle users.

7 Monitor weather conditions. Do not enter the water if considered unsafe. Emergency contact number. One member of group to observe.

Injury to person accessing river location (mountain environment).

Self, group, other pupils.

3 Use main pathways. Pay attention to surroundings especially when in the process of data collection.

Complete pilot investigation – previsit.

2. Selecting, measuring and recording data appropriate to the chosen enquiry

Difference between primary and secondary data.

Primary Data Secondary Data

5

Risk Assessm

ent

Definition Data collected that are original and collected for the first time, eg fieldwork data.

Data collected by using already available sources, eg published materials.

Examples of this type of data

Closed questioning / questionnairesTraffic and pedestrian countsLitter countsRating / grading scoresDepth / widthSpeed / velocity

Census data (last one 2011 – completed every ten years).Photographs from the internetWebsite contentLibrary books and sourcesNewspaper archives

Difference between quantitative and qualitative data

Quantitative QualitativeDefinition Numerical data that you get by

counting or measuring.Descriptive data that can’t be measured

Examples of this type of data

Closed questioning / questionnairesTraffic and pedestrian countsLitter countsRating / grading scoresDepth / widthSpeed / velocity

OpinionsPhotographs/sketchesInterviewsWebsite contentOpen questioning

Measuring and recording data using different sampling methods.

There are three main types of sampling:

Random sampling This is the most accurate method as there is no bias involved as every person or place has an equal chance of being sampled.

Systematic sampling This is a quick and easy method to use where a regular sample is taken, eg river depth readings may be taken every 50cm across the channel. This type of sampling does not always work well with questionnaires as it may not be possible to ask every 10th person, for example, who enters a shopping area.

Stratified sampling This is where people or places are deliberately chosen according to the topic being investigated; for example, a questionnaire about a regeneration project might be asked to an equal number of males and females within pre-determined age groups; eg five males and five females aged 20-39, five of each gender aged 40-59 and so on. This can also be used alongside random or systematic sampling.

Description and justification of data collection methods.

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Methods

Description of data collection method

Method

Justification of data methodsHow this method was made more reliable

Less biased Fairer Reduce anomalies

Photograph Survey 3 sites one in Upper, Middle and Lower course (to represent changes downstream). Selected systematically to remove bias.

One photograph of the channel and valley in each location facing upstream and downstream to ensure the whole channel and valley is included (reduces bias and the opportunity to exclude any specific features).

Could use secondary photographs from websites – may be biased.

Velocity 3 sites one in Upper, Middle and Lower course (to represent changes downstream). Selected systematically to remove bias.

Measure out ten metre distance down channel and mark with ranging poles.

Team member drops orange in above 10 metre start line.

Time orange to travel 10 metres.

Repeat 3 times (take average to reduce the impact of anomalies and increase accuracy).

Completed three times and average taken to increase accuracy / reduce the impact of anomalies (orange being trapped etc).

Same distance to make it a fair test (10m)

Ensure person dropping orange in stands to one side so as not to obstruct the flow.

Sediment size 3 sites one in Upper, Middle and Lower course (to represent changes downstream). Selected systematically to remove bias.

Randomly select 10 pebbles from under your toes (reduces bias as not looking which is chosen).

Measure B axis length using callipers (B axis speeds up measuring but gives a representative measurement). A,B and C would be more accurate but take too much time.

Calculate average B axis sediment size from 10 measurements,

Systematic site selection ensures full length of river is covered.

Random selection of pebble from under sampler’s toes ensures no bias is created. You do not deliberately choose a pebble that will influence your findings.

Average of ten pebbles at each site increases accuracy and ensures sample is reflective of sediment at each site,

3. Selecting appropriate ways of processing and presenting fieldwork data

Appreciation that a range of visual, graphical and cartographic methods is available.

Selection and accurate use of appropriate presentation methods.

Description, explanation and adaptation of presentation methods

Line Graph - Velocity

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Data Present

ation

Speed at Site A

Speed at Site B

Speed at Site C

02468

3

6 7

Average Velocity at each site

Average Speed (m/s)

Site

Velo

city

in m

/s

Advantages Additional detailsShows pattern of change downstream. Can clearly see the increase as line goes up.

Visual way of presenting data rather than it appearing in a simple table (would not be as easy to see pattern of change).

Clear title indicates what results are shown (the axis is also labelled to show units – m/s).

Adding figures on allows for quick interpretation and backs up visual image of graph.

Suggested improvementCould show range of velocity measured at each site to show min/max. This would help see deviation from the mean.

Proportional Diagram

Advantages Additional detailsShows spatial variations on a map. Allows analysis of pattern downstream and shows location where measurement was taken.

Proportional arrows show visual of value measured. Larger arrow shows higher velocity

Visual way of presenting data which allows for quick interpretation.

Width of arrow shows velocity in m/s

Suggested improvement

Could include figures/data besides arrows to help interpretation

Scatter Graph with line of best fit – B AXIS SIZE

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Data Present

ation

Data Present

ation

1 2 30

102030405060

53

2816

Average B Axis Sediment Size Downstream

AVERAGELinear (AVERAGE)

Site

B Ax

is se

dim

ent s

ize (m

m)

Proportional Diagram – Velocity

Advantages Additional detailsShows spatial variations on a map. Allows analysis of pattern downstream and shows location where measurement was taken.

Proportional circle shows visual of value measured. Larger circle shows larger b axis (mm).

Visual way of presenting data which allows for quick interpretation.

Width circle shows b axis average in mm

Suggested improvement

Could include figures/data besides arrows to help interpretation

Tables – Calculating the INTERQUARTILE RANGE

SITE A SITE B SITE C

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Lower QuartileMid point between median and lowest number

Advantages Additional details

Shows pattern of average sediment size change downstream.

Line of best fit indicates of there is a positive or negative correlation between sediment size and distance downstream.

Data added besides points to show specific values and assist interpretation.

Axis labelled to show values and sites clearly.

Suggested improvementCould include min/max range variables.

1 8 8 122 19 9 123 22 21 134 28 22 135 45 28 146 67 33 147 73 34 158 76 35 189 84 43 22

10 103 49 31Average 53 28 16

SITE A SITE B SITE CAverage B axis 53 28 16Median 56 31 14Lower quartile 22 21 13Upper quartile 76 35 18Interquartile range 54 14 5Range 95 41 19

Examples: Calculating the lower quartile, middle quartile, and upper quartile.

Calculating the INTERQUARTILE RANGE

Annotated Photographs – landforms match the longitudinal model

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Have go at this…

Data Presentation

Advantages Additional detailsVery visual way of comparing landforms to those predicted in longitudinal model.

Very visual and allows for easy interpretation. Quicker than field sketches and these would be difficult if weather conditions are poor.

Annotations indicate the landforms seen in image to allow for quicker interpretation.

Clear title indicates where photograph was taken.

Suggested improvement

Could change colour of annotations to red or green to show if landform or feature was expected in this stage or not.

Could use more photographs e.g. North, East, South, West to increase accuracy.

4. Describing, analysing and explaining fieldwork data11

Analysis

Data Set Main findings Links to other data

Velocity

Velocity increases with distance downstream as predicted by the Bradshaw model.

TRUE

The Bradshaw model predicts that velocity will increase with distance downstream

This was seen in the investigation. Average velocity increased from 3 m/s in the upper stage to 6 m/s in the middle stage and 7m/s in the lower stage.

This shows that there was a greater increase from the upper to middle course than the middle to lower course.

I think this increase is due to the channel getting much wider and deeper the further you go downstream. This makes the channel more efficient at moving water.

Can be linked to wider channel downstream and finer sediment (less bedload friction)

B Axis Sediment Size

B axis reduces with distance downstream as predicted by the Bradshaw model.

TRUE

The Bradshaw model predicts that B axis sediment size will decrease downstream.

B axis was largest in the upper stage with an average size (ten pebbles measured) of 53mm.

In the middle stage sediment size was on average 28mm which is significantly smaller than that in the upper stage.

In the lower stage of the river sediment was the smallest which was predicted. The average B axis size was 16mm

RANGE - gets smaller showing more sorting of sediment downstream.

INTERQUARTILE RANGE - shows similar smaller range between lower and upper quartile.

SITE A SITE B SITE CAverage B axis 53 28 16Medium 56 31 14Lower quartile 22 21 13Upper quartile 76 35 18Interquartile range 54 14 5Range 95 41 19

The IQR is often seen as a better measure of spread than the range as it is not affected by outliers.

Less bedload friction appear to cause velocity to increase as B axis sediment size is reduced.

Photograph Survey

Do landforms reflect those predicted in the longitudinal model?

TRUE

The photograph survey was used to see if the rivers natural features matched those seen on the Longitudinal Profile Model.

In the upper stage the channel was narrow and there is clearly a V shaped valley created by vertical erosion. This has created interlocking spurs.

In the middle stage the river channel appears wider and the valley sides are less steep. Looking up stream there is evidence

Photographs also show channel width increasing (as measured) and more efficient channel (velocity increase).

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of a meander in the photograph with lateral erosion on the outside of the bend and deposition on the inside where energy is lower.

In the lower stage of the river the river channel is widest and as predicted in the longitudinal profile model there is evidence of a wide flat floodplain.

To conclude the river does appear to demonstrate the same characteristics and features of those predicted in the Longitudinal Profile Model.

Description, analysis and explanation of the results of fieldwork data.

Establish links between data sets.

Use appropriate statistical techniques.

Identification of anomalies in fieldwork data.

5. Reaching conclusions

Draw evidenced conclusions in relation to original aims of the enquiry.

1) Velocity

Hypothesis 1: Channel width and velocity increase with distance downstream

2) B axis sediment size

Hypothesis 2 Sediment size decreases with distance downstream

3) Landforms downstream / longitudinal model

Hypothesis: River landforms match those predicted in the longitudinal model

Overall findings

How does the Ashes Hollow stream change from its source to mouth?Ashes Hollow stream does change as predicted with distance downstream. The velocity of the river increases, the B axis average size decreases and so does the range and interquartile range (showing more sediment sorting) with distance downstream. The photograph survey also showed that the landforms resemble those shown in the longitudinal model with a V shaped valley and waterfall in the upper course, meander in the middle course and floodplain in the lower course.

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Conclusions

6. Evaluation of geographical Enquiry

Identification of problems of data collection methods. Identification of limitations of data collected.

Velocity – limited accuracy with orange. Did get stuck and create anomalies. Could use flow meter instead.

B axis survey – only completed at three locations so harder to predict pattern of change. Could repeat at nine sites along the river (three in each stage) to get a more accurate set of results – trend line would then be more accurate.

Photograph survey - Only two photographs used. Could collect larger sample by taking photographs N,E,S,W or using secondary sources.

Small river and only three sites sampled due to time constraints.

The river was smaller and therefore variations may be more obvious in larger stream or river but this may present a health and safety risk due to depth and speed of flow.

Photograph surveyOnly two photographs used. Could take more N/E/S/W or use secondary data from the internet.

Velocity readings were made with an orange which is basic. An electronic flow meter would increase accuracy and make conclusions more valid.

Suggestions for other data that might be useful. Extent to which conclusions were reliable.

Data from different days of the week or seasons may influence velocity and sediment size (collect at different times and take average).

Comparison with another river – a larger river or one with more human influences (to compare their impact on natural processes).

Secondary data e.g. photographs on the internet, river flow data from the Environment Agency.

Reliable because:Three sites surveyed –selected systematically to cover each stage of river (upper/middle/lower course).

Velocity measurements taken three times and average calculated. This removes the impact of anomalies.

10 pebbles at each site selected randomly (looking away) to ensure no bias in selection.Photographs taken up and down stream to ensure fairness and remove opportunity for bias.

Used statistical testing – Interquartile range to reduce the impact of outlying results (range).

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Problems

Limitations

Suggestions

Reliability

Evaluation