Coastal processes

Question 1

what is wave pounding?

Answer 1

the mass of water in a wave is very powerful. break against cliff and create shock waves

Question 2

what is wave quarrying?

Answer 2

the action of waves breaking against unconsolidated material

Question 3

what is hydraulic action?

Answer 3

weight of water forced into a joint traps air, causes pressure on rocks causing them to crack

Question 4

what is abrasion/corrosion?

Answer 4

pebbles and stones are moved by waves and hurled against the cliffs.

Question 5

what is attrition

Answer 5

the breaking down of already eroded rocks

Question 6

solution/corrosion

Answer 6

the chemical reaction of seawater can corrode several rock types

Question 7

what is frost shattering?

Answer 7

promoted by presence of large amounts of water
the salt water freezes
coastal rocks get severely cracked by the process

Question 8

what is salt crystallisation?

Answer 8

evaporation of sea water leads to formation of salt crystals

as they grow they exert pressures within the rock causing it to gradually break apart

Question 9

what is wetting and drying?

Answer 9

clays and shales are present they are prone to the expansion and contraction associated with wetting and drying
this results in cracks forming which weakens the rock and encourages rock falls

Question 10

what is solution?

Answer 10

the effect of solution is to enlarge joints in the rocks creating pitted and jagged rock surfaces

Question 11

what is biological action?

Answer 11

shellfish- adapted shell which means they can drill into rocks
seaweed- attaches itself to rocks and the force of the water can mean loose rocks can be prised from the floor
blue/green algae- secrete chemicals which promote processes such as solution

Question 12

what are the types of mass movement?

Answer 12

soil creep
mudflow
runoff
landslide/slump/slip
rockfall

Question 13

what is oxidation?

Answer 13

causes rocks to disintegrate when the oxygen dissolved in water reacts with some rock minerals
-evident as it stains rock surfaces yellow

Question 14

what is hydration?

Answer 14

involves physical addition of water to minerals in the rock
causes rocks to expand
which causes cracks to be formed and chemical weathering to take place

Question 15

`what is hydrolysis?

Answer 15

mildly acidic water reacts with minerals in rocks to create clays and dissolved salts.
this disintergrates the rocks

Question 16

what is carbonation?

Answer 16

co2 dissolved in rainwater creates weak carbonic acid

reacts with limestone to create calcium bicarbonate

Question 17

landslides

Answer 17

• triggered by earthquakes
• slip surface becomes lubricated and friction is reduced
• mass amount of material moves

Question 18

rockfall

Answer 18

sudden collapse or breaking away of rock fragments

triggered by mechanical weathering

Question 19

mudflows

Answer 19

involves earth and mud flowing downhill

Question 20

slump

Answer 20

slide surface is curved rather than flat

commonly occur in weak unconsolidated land

Question 21

soil creep

Answer 21

slow form of movement of individual particles downhill
particles rise towards the grounds surface due to wetting and freezing and then return vertically to the surface in response to gravity

Question 22

runnoff

Answer 22

transfers both water and sediment from one form to another

small particles are moved downslope

Question 23

solifluction

Answer 23

in summer the surface layer of soil thaws out groud becomes extremely saturated
slowly moves downhill by combination of heave and flow

Question 24

traction

Answer 24

large stones/ boulders rolled/slide along beach

Question 25

saltation

Answer 25

small pebbles and stones bounced along the sea bed

Question 26

suspension

Answer 26

fine light material carried along by water flow

Question 27

solution

Answer 27

dissolved materials transported within the mass of moving water