Coast Content

Question 1

define Littoral

Answer 1

This is the bay and the way each part is influenced by the sea

Question 2

Define Coastal plain

Answer 2

This is an area of low laying land which is adjacent to the coast

Question 3

define Estuarine coast

Answer 3

This is a partially enclosed coastal body of water with multiple rivers and streams leading into it and ultimately flows into the sea

Question 4

Define sea level change

Answer 4

This is the change in sea level which can be due to multiple processes e.g. isostatic, eustatic and tidal

Question 5

Define rocky cliffed coast

Answer 5

This is a coast which is fairly resistant to erosion and is often made up of sandstone, limestone or granite. Often in front of the cliff a wave cut platform or abrasion platform is formed.

Question 6

What is a primary coast

Answer 6

Primary coasts are created by non marine processes and usually happen due to changes in land such as river deltas or lava flow.

Question 7

What are secondary coasts

Answer 7

These are coasts which were formed by marine actions

Question 8

Name the four stages of the littoral zone

Answer 8

Back shore, nearshore, foreshore and offshore

Question 9

What happens at the back shore

Answer 9

It is above the influence of the waves

Question 10

What happens at the nearshore

Answer 10

It is within the intertidal zone (not effected at low tide, but completely effected at high tide)

Question 11

What happens at the foreshore

Answer 11

It is the breaker zone (where the waves collapse)

Question 12

What is the offshore

Answer 12

It is beyond the influence of waves

Question 13

What is the geological layout of the UK

Answer 13

Scotland is made up of mainly metamorphic and metamorphic rocks with some sedimentary along the north coast. England is predominately sedimentary. Ireland is also predominantly sedimentary with a few igneous and metamorphic dotted at the tip

Question 14

Define lithology

Answer 14

The study of rocks by looking at their characteristics and other factors p

Question 15

Define geological structure

Answer 15

This is looking at the geology of the rocks and the rock types contained within the coast

Question 16

Define macro, me so and micro scale

Answer 16

Macro- large scale

Meso- medium scale

Micro- on the smallest scale

Question 17

Define joints

Answer 17

This is where two separate rocks are adjoined and is a weakness on the coast

Question 18

Define bedding planes

Answer 18

The surface that separates each stratified layer of rocks

Question 19

What are faults and folding son rocks

Answer 19

The folding and faults on rocks are little cracks and crevices found along the rocks and are a weakness on the rocks

Question 20

What are concordant and discordant coasts.

Answer 20

Concordant coastal are perpandicular to the beach, when discordant are parallel to the beach

Question 21

Define mass movement

Answer 21

This is the movement of rocks due to gravity after being weakened and loosened by sub aerial processes

Question 22

What are the 4 main types of mass movement

Answer 22

Rock fall, block fall, rotational slumping and flow

Question 23

What is succession in a geographic context

Answer 23

This happens with dunes and sand marshes where they are formed due to the growth of vegetation and each dune secedes the one before hand

Question 24

Define xerophyte and halophyte

Answer 24

Xerophyte - this is a plant which need minimal amounts of water to survive and live in harsh and arid conditions

Halophytes - on the other hand are designed to survive off damp and marshy conditions with salty water

Question 25

What are the stages of dune succession

Answer 25

Embryo dune, fore dune, yellow dune, grey dune, dune stack and climax community (mature dunes)

Question 26

What are the stages of marsh succession with glasswort

Answer 26

Tidal flat, pioneer marsh, middle marsh, mature marsh and terrestrial vegetation

Question 27

Define percolation

Answer 27

Where liquids and gases filter through surfaces

Question 28

What are the 4 types of erosion

Answer 28

Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition and solution

Question 29

Define abrasion, attrition and solution

Answer 29

Abrasion-rocks rub against each other Attrition-rocks numb together Solution-rocks are dissolved

Question 30

Physical differences between shingle and sand beaches

Answer 30

Shingle have larger gradient (over 10°) due to easier percolation and sandy have flatter gradient (<5°)

Question 31

What is the progression of cliff erosion

Answer 31

Cave, arch, stack and stump

Question 32

What’s the difference between swash and drift aligned beaches

Answer 32

Drift - influenced majorly by lsd Swash - prevailing winds cause weird layout

Question 33

Name all necessary depositional landforms

Answer 33

Spit, double spit, Tombola (island and mainland), cuspate foreland (where two spits form triangle shape), offshore bar,bar and barrier island

Question 34

What is the sediment cell concept

Answer 34

This is areas along the coastline where the movement of materials is self contained and can be seen as a system with a dynamic equilibrium between the inputs and outputs.

Question 35

Name all types of weathering

Answer 35

Freeze thaw, salt crystallisation, wetting and drying, oxidation, carbonation, plant roots, seaweed acids

Question 36

Explain some forms of chemical weathering

Answer 36

Oxidation - occurs in metals, normally happens with water and iron. Turn reddish brown. Carbonation- co2 mixes with water to make carbonic acid. The acid dissolves rocks in caves

Question 37

Define isostatic

Answer 37

This is characterised by involving the equilibtium between the tectonic plates

Question 38

Define eustatic

Answer 38

Relates to the changes to sea level throughout the world, often to do with the melting of the glaciers causing them to rise