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Coastal systems and landscapes > coasts > Flashcards

coasts Flashcards

(60 cards)

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1
Q

What are the inputs of a coast

A

sediment
Energy inputs come from wind, waves, tides and currents

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2
Q

What are the outputs of a coast

A

sediment can be washed out to sea or deposited further along the coast

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3
Q

What are the flows/transfers of a coast

A

erosion, weathering, transportation and deposition

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4
Q

What are the stores in a coast

A

landforms such as beaches, dunes, spits

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5
Q

An example of negative feedback

A
  1. When the destructive waves from the storm lose their energy excess sediment is deposited as an offshore bar
  2. The bar dissipates the waves energy which protects the beach from further erosion
  3. Overtime the bar gets eroded instead of the beach
  4. Once the bar has gone normal conditions ensue and the system goes back to dynamic equilibrium
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6
Q

An example of positive feedback

A

1.People walking over sand dunes destroys vegetation growing there and causes erosion
2. As the roots from the vegetation have been holding the sand dunes together, damaging the vegetation makes the sand dunes more susceptible to erosion. This increases rate of erosion
3. Eventually the sand dunes will be completely eroded leaving more of the beach open to erosion taking the beach further away from its original state.

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7
Q

What are the characteristics of a constructive wave

A

low frequency
weak backwash
strong swash
elliptical cross profile
deposits material
low and long

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8
Q

What are the characteristics of a destructive wave

A

high frequency
strong backwash
weak swash
circular cross profile
removes material
high and steep

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9
Q

What are tides controlled by

A

the gravitational pull of the moon and sun

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10
Q

What are high energy coasts

A

receive high inputs of energy in the form of large, powerful waves.
Tend to have sandy coastlines and rocky landforms
The rate of erosion is higher than rate of deposition

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11
Q

What are low energy coastlines

A

receive low inputs of energy in the form of small, gentle waves
usually low energy due to reefs or islands offshore
often have saltmarshes and tidal mudflats
rate of deposition is often higher than rate of erosion

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12
Q

What is a sediment budget

A

the difference in amount of sediment that enters a system and the amount that leaves

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13
Q

What is a positive sediment budget

A

more sediment enters than leaves

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14
Q

What is a negative sediment budget

A

more sediment leaves than enters

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15
Q

What are the number of sediment cells in england and wales

A

11

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16
Q

What is a sediment cell

A

length of coastline that is entirely self contained for the movement of sediment.
closed coastal system
deposition and erosion is balanced

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17
Q

what is abrasion

A

bits of rock and sediment transported by the waves that smash and grind against rocks and cliffs, smoothing the surface

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18
Q

What is hydraulic action

A

air in cracks in cliffs is compressed when eaves crash.
The pressure exerted by the compressed air breaks off rock pieces

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19
Q

What is cavitation

A

As waves recede, the compressed air expands violently, again exerting pressure on the rock and causing pieces to break off

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20
Q

What is wave quarrying

A

The energy of a wave as it breaks against a cliff is enough to detach bits of rock

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21
Q

What is corrosion

A

soluble rock get gradually dissolved by the seawater

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22
Q

What is attrition

A

Bits of rock in the water smash against each other and break into smaller bits

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23
Q

What is solution

A

Substances that can dissolve are carried along in the water
e.g limestone

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24
Q

What is suspension

A

very fine material, such as clay and silt, is whipped up by the erratic swirling of water and carried along in the water

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25
What saltation
Larger particles, such as pebbles or gravel, are too heavy to be carried in suspension Instead the force of the water causes them to bounce along the sea bed
26
What is traction
Very large particles are pushed along the sea bed by the force of the water
27
Describe the process of littoral drift
Swash carries sediment up the beach, parallel to the prevailing wind. Backwash carries sediment back down the beach at the right angles to the shoreline When there's an angle between the prevailing wind and the shoreline, a few rounds of swash and backwash move the sediment along the shoreline
28
What are the types of deposition
Marine and aeolian
29
What is aeolian deposition
When sediment is carried by the wind and deposited
30
steps to salt weathering
Caused y saline water Saline water enters pores or cracks in rocks at high tide As the tide goes out the rocks dry and water evaporates, forming salt crystals. As the salt crystals from they expand, exerting pressure on the rock-this causes pieces to fall out
31
steps to freeze-thaw weathering
It occurs in areas where temperatures fluctuate above and below freezing Water enters the joints and crevices in the rocks If the temperature drops below 0, the water in the cracks freezes and expands Over time, repeated freeze-thaw actions weaken the rocks and causes pieces to fall off
32
steps to chemical weathering
chemical weathering is the breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition FOR EXAMPLE, co2 in the atmosphere dissolves in rainwater, forming a weak carbonic acid. This acid reacts with rocks that contain calcium carbonate(limestone)
33
What is mass movement
the shifting of material downhill due to gravity. Most likely to occur when cliffs are undercut by wave action-causing an unsupported overhang
34
description of sliding
material shifts in a straight line
35
description of slumping
material shifts with rotation
36
description of rockfall
material breaks up and falls
37
description of mudflows
material is saturated and flows downslope
38
How are cliffs and wave-cut platforms created
cliffs form as the sea erodes the land. Overtime, cliffs retreat due to the action of waves and weathering weathering and hydraulic action and abrasion causes a notch to form at the high water mark. This eventually creates a cave Rock above the cave becomes unstable with nothing to support its weight, and it collapses Wave-cut platforms are flat surfaces left behind at the low water mark
39
How are headlands and bays created
They form where there are bands of alternating hard rock
40
How does terrestrial factors affect coasts
soft/hard deltas rock layer composition tectonics-earthquakes move rock mangroves reduce wave energy
41
How does marine and atmospheric factors affect coasts
Marine: coral slow waves waves/tides Atmospheric: high winds moon changes tide temperatures
42
How does human activity affect coasts
ports/dock construction destroys coral increasing erosion increased foot traffic from tourism alter shape substantially global warming results in rising sea levels and increased erosion
43
What short term factors affect the costal zones
tides and storm surges
44
What are long term factors affecting the coastal zone
sea level changes and climate change
45
What are the parts of a coastal zone
backshore foreshore inshore offshore nearshore swash zone surf zone breaker zone
46
What is backshore
area between the high water mark and the landward limit for marine activity
47
What is foreshore
area between high water mark and low water mark. area where most wave processes take place
48
What are tidal bores
they occur in narrow estuaries like the river Severn where the tide rises rapidly and a wave is formed going upstream
49
What are tidal surges
occur when there is a combination of high tides and intense low pressure
50
What is an example of a low energy coast
the baltic sea
51
What are rip currents
A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore by cutting through the lines of breaking waves, like a river flowing out to sea.
52
Describe and explain the pattern of ocean currents
currents flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern the sea is often warmer in the equator meaning that all warm currents travel away from the equator The cooler currents go from areas with cooler water to the equator
53
What are the features of wind as an input into the coastal system
1) spatial variation in energy result from variations in the strength and duration of the wind 2)prevailing wind is the wind direction that blows most frequently in a location. UK is SW 3) Fetch is the distance the wind blows 4) Wind acts as an agent of erosion as it can firstly pick up and remove sediment from the coast and use it to then erode other features
54
What are the steps of wave refraction
1) the waves reach shallow water(near the headland) and the orbital movement is distributed by the drag effect of the sea bed 2) The crest of the wave in the shallow water slows while the crest in deeper water continues at the same speed 3) Therefore the waves bend 4)The energy is concentrated on the sides of the headland therefore increasing erosion 5)Longshore drift then carries the sediment away from the headland and into the bay
55
What influences coastal erosion
breaking point of wave wave steepness depth of sea fetch configuration of coastline-headlands cause refraction supply of beach material beach width rock type
56
What is igneous rock
formed by magma from the molten interior of the earth. When magma erupts it cools to form volcanic landforms
57
WHat is halophyte
a plant that grows in waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray
58
What are the key features of saltmarshes
form in areas of flat, silty sediment accumulate around lagoons and estuaries covered by high tide develop in sheltered areas
59
How does a saltmarsh form
1) mud is deposited close to the high tide, dropping out of the water by flocculation 2)pioneer plants start to colonise he transition zone between high tide and low tide. These plants tolerate inundation by salty water and they can also help to trap further deposits of mud 3)gradually the mud level rises above high tide and a lower saltmarsh develops with a wider range of plants that no longer need to be so well adapted to salty conditions 4) soil conditions improve and the vegetation succession continues to form a meadow. The surface becomes drier so more plants colonise 5)Eventually, shrubs and trees will colonise the area as the succession reaches its climatic climax. Creeks, created by flowing water, divide the saltmarsh
60
What is a landform of submergence
These occur where river valleys were parallel to the coast. As sea levels rise, the valley floors were flooded and the higher land left as islands parallel to the coast. E.G dalmatian coastline

Coastal systems and landscapes (3 decks)

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