Peat landscapes

• Aardrijkskunde
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Peatlandscape

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The sea transports sediments to the coast

Sand is deposited by the sea

Beach walls grow

Marine clay is deposited

Where do we find which sediment?

clay

sand

marine clay deposited by the sea

Marine clay

Sand; sand deposited by seawater (strandwallen)

Behind the strandwallen:

brown (light): transported by the sea

From marine clay to peat

Strandwallen form one line/defense

The water behind this line is fresh water/becomes undeep fresh water from rivers er

Peat, an organic fuel consisting of spongy material 

formed by the partial decomposition 

of organic matter, 

primarily plant material, in wetlands.Dode planten die daarin komen vergaan niet

--> new soil : peat

rise of sea level and as a 

consequence the groundwater too

--> meters of peat layers

Peatlandscape What did people make of it?

Lots of water ik the fen

So people made ditches to get the water 

out of the fen

Look at the pattern (photo)

But because of the dryer soil the soil fell deeper!

The peat gets oxygen and starts to rot away and the soil falls deeper and deeper!

By the end of the middle ages people start to use the peat as a fuel

Which danger arises when the soil shrinks?

How can you solve the problem?

The peat landscape and the people

Full of water

So people dug ditches to get the water out

But because of that the soil shrank, was rotting away and fell further!

Solution: Diykes and  building

of pumping stations

resulted in: Polders.

Specific kind of polder:

droogmakerij 

At first the farmers were arable farmers.
Where did they switch to?

peat landscape

By the end of the middle ages :fuel--> Turf

GET TO WORK-->Aan de slag!

Prepare for the big test