Coastal Environments Flashcards
What is the coast?
The transition zone between land and sea.
What is the coastline?
The frontier that separates land and sea.
What is offshore?
The sea part of a coastal environment
What is onshore?
The land part of a coastal environment
How far in the sea can offshore stretch to?
370km into the sea
How far inland can onshore stretch to?
Up to 60km
What four factors affect the coast?
Land, Sea, Weather/Climate, Human activity
How does land affect the coast?
Geology-type of rock, relief
How does sea affect the coast?
Waves, sea level, ecosystems
How does weather/climate affect the coast?
Wind strength/direction, rainfall, temperature
How does human activity affect the coast?
Settlement, development, coastal management
What factor most affects the white cliffs of Dover?
Land
What factor most affects Portsmouth harbour?
Human activity
What factor most affects the Great Barrier Reef?
Sea
What factor most affects Cape Cornwall?
Weather/Climate
What role do waves play in shaping the coastline?
They erode, transport and deposit materials
How are waves created?
Wind blows over the surface of the sea, and the friction between the two sets the waves in motion
What 3 things does the strength of a wave depend on?
The strength of the wind
The time it has been going for
The distance over which the wind has been blowing for (fetch)
What causes a wave to break?
As waves enter shallower water, friction with the sea bed causes the wave to tip over and eventually break
What is the difference between swash and backwash?
Swash is the forward movement, until it runs out of energy, and the backwash is when water runs back down the beach under gravity.
What impact does a constructive wave have on the beach?
Builds the beach up by deposition
What impact does a destructive wave have on the beach?
Wears the beach down by erosion.
What are the properties of a constructive wave?
Strong swash
Weak backwash
Long wave length
Small wave height
What are the properties of a destructive wave?
Weak swash
Strong backwash
Short wave length
Tall wave height