Coasts

Question 1

Coastline

Answer 1

Where the land meets the sea

Question 2

Factors affecting the coastline

Answer 2

• Power of the waves breaking on the coast
• Coast geology
• Human activity at the coast

Question 3

Factors impacting the power of waves

Answer 3

• Strength of wind (wind speed)
• Time wind has been blowing
• Distance of water over which the wind blows (fetch)

Question 4

Types of waves

Answer 4

• Constructive: swash > backwash
• Destructive: swash < backwash

Question 5

Erosion

Answer 5

the wearing away of rock, stones and soil by waves

Question 6

Deposition

Answer 6

the dropping of sediment that was being carried by waves

Question 7

Transportation

Answer 7

the movement of sediment along a coastline, done by the process of longshore drift

Question 8

Weathering

Answer 8

the decomposition of Earth’s rocks, soils, and minerals in situ through direct contact with the planet’s atmosphere or natural organisms

Question 9

Mass movement

Answer 9

the movement of material down a slope or cliff due to gravity

Question 10

Types of weathering

Answer 10

Chemical - carbonates in limestone are dissolved by weak acids in rainwater

Physical/mechanical - Freeze-thaw: water that gets into cracks in rocks turns into ice and expands as temperatures drop, which puts pressure on the rock

Biological - 1. Seeds fall into cracks in rocks and the roots young plants put out can force their way into cracks and break them up. 2. Burrowing animals

Question 11

Types of mass movement

Answer 11

Rockfall - bits of rock fall off the cliff face due to freeze-thaw

Mudflow - saturated soil flows down a slope

Landslide - large blocks of rock slide downhill

Rotational slip - saturated soil slumps down a curved surface

Question 12

Landform

Answer 12

a natural feature of the earth’s surface

Question 13

Headland

Answer 13

an area of more resistant rock that sticks out into the sea

Question 14

Bay

Answer 14

an area of softer rock that is eroded quickly by wave action

Question 15

Concordant and discordant coastlines

Answer 15

concordant: strata parallel to the sea
made up of the same type of rock

discordant: strata at right angle to sea
made up of alternating bands of hard and soft rock

Question 16

Cliff

Answer 16

A steep rock face where the land meets the sea

Question 17

Sedimentary rock

Answer 17

made up of small particles of sand and rock, which have been transported by the wind, rivers and ice and are usually deposited on lake or seabed

Question 18

Spit

Answer 18

a long narrow stretch of pebbles and sand which is attached to the land at one end, with the other end extending into the sea

Question 19

Coral reef

Answer 19

large calcium carbonate deposits created by colonies of small animals called polyps which take up to 10,000 years to form

Question 20

Coastal management

Answer 20

resolving conflicts at the coast while also protecting areas at risk of flooding and erosion

Question 21

Types of engineering

Answer 21

soft engineering: works with natural processes
hard engineering: involves the using of artificial structures and major construction

Question 22

Types of erosion

Answer 22

1. Hydraulic action - crashing waves along a cliff’s base force air and water into the cracks
2. Abrasion - when material hurled at the base of a cliff wear the surface away
3. Attrition - when materials collide, fragments break off, becoming smaller, rounder, and smoother
4. Corrosion - chemical reaction between seawater and some types of rock