1. PAPER 3: Geographical Applications
SECTION B: Fieldwork 1

2. Suitable Questions for Geographical Enquiry
Your Geographical Enquiries
Enquiry 1 (Physical) How and why does the river cross profile change with distance downstream at Carding Mill Valley? Enquiry 2 (Human) Have flood defences been successful in alleviating the pressure of flooding in Shrewsbury?

3. Suitable Questions for Geographical Enquiry
Enquiry 1: What is our hypothesis?
Project title: How and why does the cross profile change with distance downstream at the Carding Mill Valley?
Hypothesis
1. How does the width of the channel change with distance downstream?
2. How does the depth of the channel change with distance downstream?
3. How does velocity change with distance downstream?

4. Suitable Questions for Geographical Enquiry
Enquiry 1: Geographical Theory
Width: Increase downstream: more lateral erosion
Depth: Increase downstream: more vertical erosion
Velocity: increase speed: more discharge: more energy: smoother channel: less friction

5. Identifying and reducing risks associated with fieldwork
Enquiry 1: Risk Assessment
Hazard
Risk Control
Steep slopes
Paths
Slipping
Walking shoes
Weather
Appropriate clothing
Steep slope/ narrow path/ large boulders/ weather/ river/ slippery surfaces

6. Locations of Fieldwork
Enquiry 1- Study Area- Location
Carding Mill Valley
Long Myndd Hills
Shropshire
West England
(Close to border of Wales)
Suitable: Paths next to river/ changes over 4km/ parking close by/ open access land.
Street View- Follow the road in the direction of the two busses.
Valley- 4km long/ landforms observed/ closest village is Church Stretton

7. Description and justification of data collection methods
Sampling Strategy
Systematic
8 Sites
Every 200 Metres
Not biased to selected features
4 km total
How did you choose your study sites? ( X sites personally/ 8 sites in total/ 4km stretch/ Carding Mill River/ full stretch/ upper/ middle/ lower channel/ contrasting/ changes/ shape/ discharge/ upper of River Severn)
What was the site sampling technique? (systematic?? / every X metres/ GIS walking computer)
Why was this sampling technique appropriate? (appropriate / not biased/ shows change)

8. Description and justification of data collection methods
Methods/ Limitations
Width: Measuring tape Bank to Bank Taut Limitation: Drooping/ false width (human error)
Depth:
50cm Ruler
Stream line
Every 20 cm channel
Limitation:
Not stream line/ false depth/ place on rock
What equipment? (measuring tapes)
Describe what you did exactly (width/ stretching/ top/ right hand back/ top/ left hand bank/ two people/ taut/ measurement)
Why was this sampling technique appropriate? (enough data/ accurate diagram/ cross section/ remove)
How does this data help to prove or disprove the hypothesis? (prove/change/ shape/ increase/ wider/ deeper/ capability/ more water/ width/ depth/ calculate/ discharge/ prove further change)
Velocity:
Hydro prop
Near/ middle/ far of channel (average)
Time how long prop took to travel
Limitation: Stop watch timer wrong/ prop got stuck

9. Selecting appropriate ways to present fieldwork data
Scatter Graphs Results
Could see if correlation between data and distance downstream.
Width/ Depth and Velocity all had positive correlation.
All increased downstream and matched bradshaw theory.

10. Selecting appropriate ways to present fieldwork data
Proportional Symbols- GIS Results
Data placed onto map of area so could see spatial pattern if data increased downstream.
Discharge increased over all from site 1 – 8.
Changes in between due to confluence where tributaries joined.

11. Selecting appropriate ways to present fieldwork data
Cross Section Results
Width and depth data used to draw shape of river cross section.
Cross sections increased which shows width and depth increased downstream.

12. Describe, Analyse and Explain fieldwork data
Project title: How and why does the cross-profile change with distance downstream at the Carding Mill Valley?
Depth
The smallest mean depth was at site 2 and site 7 where the depth was 0.08m.
The scatter graph shows there is a very weak relationship to show depth increases with distance downstream, this is due to increased erosion. The relationship is weak due to only a small section of the river being sampled.
The changes observed weakly fit Bradshaw’s model as Bradshaw says depth should increase with distance downstream and this is what I found.
Channel depth increases due to increased vertical erosion.

13. Describe, Analyse and Explain fieldwork data
Project title: How and why does the cross-profile change with distance downstream at the Carding Mill Valley?
Width
The smallest channel width was at site 6 where the channel was 1.43m wide. This is narrower than expected because at this point the channel has been engineered to prevent it from getting wider to protect roads and houses. If we exclude site 6 as an anomaly, the narrowest site was site 3 with a width of 1.55m. The widest site was 7 which was 2.04m wide.
The changes observed fit Bradshaw’s model as Bradshaw says channel width should increase with distance downstream and this is what I found.
Channel width increases due to increased lateral erosion this is due to the river having more energy to erode, demonstrated by the velocity being higher.

14. Describe, Analyse and Explain fieldwork data
Project title: How and why does the cross-profile change with distance downstream at the Carding Mill Valley?
Velocity
The slowest velocity was at site 1 with a speed of 0.17m/s2, and the fastest velocity was at site 6 with a speed of 0.4 m/s2.
The changes in velocity observed fits Bradshaw’s theory, as Bradshaw states that velocity should increase with distance downstream and that is what my data shows.
Velocity increases with distance downstream because as distance downstream increases the channel gets smoother and the bed load gets smaller, this is due to erosion. This causes velocity to increase as there is less resistance to flow due there being less friction. In addition, velocity increases due to discharge of the level increasing.

15. Reach conclusions and evaluate geographical Enquiry
Conclusion: How and why does the cross profile change with distance downstream at the Carding Mill Valley?
Width: Increase downstream: more lateral erosion (YES increased)
Depth: Increase downstream: more vertical erosion (YES increased)
Velocity: increase speed: more discharge: more energy: smoother channel: less friction (YES increased)

16. Reach conclusions and evaluate geographical Enquiry
Evaluation
Fieldwork Data Only 8 sites on 4km stretch. Only small scale river to prove changes so changes only small. Could have studied bigger river with more sites and averaged out more data to make more accurate. Primary Collection Methods Human error possible in all methods. Could use digital recording methods to make more accurate. Validity: Small errors and small scale of title shows we have valid conclusion for how Carding Mill river changed but no data for why.

17. Primary Data Collection (Physical)
Limitation of Data collection methods:
Width
Depth
Velocity
Limitation of Data:
Selection of sites
Scale of project
Why is it appropriate for the enquiry?
Other useful data:
Where is it?
Evaluation
Answer initial research question
Study Area
Geographical Theory Underpinning Enquiry
How and why does the river cross profile change with distance downstream at Carding Mill Valley?
How valid are your conclusions?
Validity of fieldwork sites
Reliability of data
Conclusions
Potential Hazards
Risk Assessment
Data Analysis
River Cross Sections
Describe Data
Reasons for data
Link to theory
Scatter Graphs
Describe Data
Reasons for data
Link to theory
How to reduce risk
Velocity
Description
Justification
Primary Data Collection (Physical)
Channel Width
Description
Justification
Sampling Method-
- River sites
- Depth Measurements
Channel Depth
Description
Justification
Proportional Symbols
Describe Data
Reasons for data
Link to theory