The document describes salt marshes located in Cumbria, England. It notes that the area is very flat with identifiable pans and creeks draining salt water. The relief is low and the marshes are extensive, covering a large area. Different colors in the marshes represent varying environments and abiotic factors that influence the types of plants that can grow there. Higher areas support bushes and trees while lower flats are mostly bare mud and silt.

1. Salt marshes in CUMBRIA Eskmeals Millom

2. East of Millom but very close to the terraced housing in Millom Road

3. The area is very flat with easily identifiable pans [sticking up] and creeks [draining the salt water]. Notice the stepped cross- Section of the creek profile.

4. The other beck is called Crook Pool – what does this suggest about the gradient and shape? This is located near Delph Bridge

5. What is the relief like? How extensive is the area? Any clues of other processes at work?

6. SD1854 Look at the area from satellite Notice how small the Delph Bridge triangle is compared to the rest of the Duddon Estuary

8. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/643520 Copyright Andrew Hill Creative Commons Can you identify the main channel? Are any distributaries obvious? Notise how the pan is very square as the drainage has become trellised Why do we think it runs like this?

9. Esk Meals SD 0994 What clues do we have that the area is very flat? Can you identify an area of salt marsh?

10. Look carefully at the different colours How do these represent different environments? Therefore how do the abotic factors influence plant types?

11. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1059464 Nigel Chadwick Creative commons Look at this image by Nigel Chadwick can you identify different ecological niches?

12. View up the Esk Valley towards Hard Knott and Scafell The creek is far better defined here with no stepping, why do you think this is? Can you identify different species habitats? How does the area compare with Millom?

13. Don’t forget the mud and silt This view southwards shows how quickly the stepped profile moves away up from the flood plain

14. The ripples indicate how the tide migrates, notice how odd clumps coagulate initially at the water edge. See also in the distance how eventually bushes and trees establish themselves

15. A nice shot bringing together: creek pan, drainage and main channel

16. Remember also that fluvial [river] water drains across the salt marsh moving load and depositing this in its channel

17. Finally – can you identify different species?