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coasts Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 7 properties of constructive waves

A

1.smaller in height-low wave height, long wavelength
2.less energy
3.weak backwash
4.little erosion, depositional
5.strong swash which pushes material up the beach
6.light moderate winds
7.low frequency

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2
Q

8 properties of destructive waves

A

1.strong backwash, undertow
2.weak swash
3.high wave height, short wavelength, larger in height
4.more energy
5.scours the beach, pulling sand and shingle down beach
6.little beach building, erosional
7.strong winds
8.high frequency

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3
Q

What is erosion

A

Wearing of rock away along the coastline-moving force causes this, destructive waves are responsible for this as they have more power,

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4
Q

4 types of coastal erosion

A

Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, solution

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5
Q

What is hydraulic action

A

hydraulic action=sheer power of the waves as smash against the cliff, air is trapped in cracks of rock and cause it to break apart due to compressed air creating pressure, rock is disintegrated

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6
Q

What is abrasion

A

When pebbles/sediment grind along a rock platform, over time rock becomes smooth

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7
Q

What is attrition

A

Rocks carried by sea knock against each other, become smaller and rounded

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8
Q

What is solution

A

Sea water dissolves certain types of rock eg chalk and limestone

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9
Q

What is the odd one out between the four types of coastal erosion

A

Attrition is the odd one out as it does not erode the cliff, it just erodes sediment compared to the others

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10
Q

What is the top of the cliff called and it’s role

A

Cliff face=where most of the weathering takes place

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11
Q

What is the bottom of the cliff called and it’s role

A

Almost all coastal erosion takes place at the cliff foot

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12
Q

What are the two types of winds that hit the uk

A

1.prevailing wind-south westerly, from the Caribbean, 5km fetch- creates strong winds as it blows over ocean, meaning it experiences less friction

2.arctic winds-northerly, also won’t experience as much friction

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13
Q

why are high energy coastlines and 5 features of them

A

powerful waves for much of the year, rates of erosion exceeds rate of deposition (earosional features), strongest towards the west coast of ireland, fetch is long, cliffs form, stack, stump, arches, strongest in cornwall, devon (southwest england), across atlantic ocean, lack of friction, large amount of energy built up, winds from north west

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14
Q

5 features of a low energy coastline

A

less powerful waves, coast is sheltered from large waves, rates of deposition exceeds rate of erosion (depositional features), examples include west wales coast as ireland shelters it, spits, bars (depositional)

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15
Q

examples of high energy coastlines

A

northern scotland (from arctic winds), north west scotland-the hebrides

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16
Q

examples of low energy coastlines

A

southern kent and sussex

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17
Q

what are discordant coastlines

A

bands of hard /resistant rock and soft/less resistant rock forming headlanfs and vays, layers of geology perpendicular to coastline

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18
Q

process of discordant coastline

A

1.wave cut notch forms in cliff foot
2.then erodes into a cave
3.cliff face unable to support itself therefore it moves back after rock fall
4.new cliff face forms
5.continues into wave cut platform
6.headland erodes from cave to arch to stack to stump

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19
Q

why are waves hitting headlands the most

A

as waves get closer to headland, it begins to refracr as forces of waves focused in headland due to wave refraction due to frictional drag as the waves refract around the headland

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20
Q

what are concordant coastlines

A

bands of soft/less resistant and hard/resistant rock run parallel to the coast, breaches in hard rock occur in fault lines, or weakenesses of the rock, creaves a cove from wave direction, an example is dorset coast and lulworth cove

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21
Q

holderness coast case study

A

-flamborough head made of sedimentary, hard chalk
-prevailing winds from north sea
-made of boulder clay (unconsolidated glacial deposits, not been crushed, into layers, very weak rock creates a problem)
-5 towns-birdington, hornsea, mappleton, great cowden, witherses, easington
-spurn head/point
-has the river humber estuary
-fluvial deposits-river
-holocine
-in east yorkshire, uk
-to the south there is hull
adjacent to river humber

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22
Q

birdington-holderness coast case study

A

sea wall-reflects wave energy
groynes-limits longshore drift, maintains beach
-main economy is tourism for its beach
-pier
-0 metres per year of erosion

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23
Q

mappleton-holderness coast case study

A

-stone groyne that limits longshore drift, expensive, made beach wider, the bigger the beach, the more wave energy it can absorb
-rock armour to south which prevenets cliff erosion, rip rap absorbs wave energy and reduces cliff foot erosion movement, only extends 100m south of groyne which is precise to the area protected
-sloped cliffs/regraded, less vertical, limits mass movement

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24
Q

easington- holderness coast case study

A

-gas terminal to receive north sea gas, highly protected
-riprap/rock armour absorbs wave energy and cliff foot protects
-regraded cliff

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25
What is longshore drift
Movement of sediment along coastline
26
5 features of long shore drift
Direction of movement is to the right, swash and backwash, backwash is at a right angle to the beach due to gravity as there is no kinetic energy left,
27
What type of coastal defence can stop longshore drift
Groynes, slow and limit ld
28
5 coastal features formed from deposition
1.spit 2.baymouth bar 3.double spits 4.tombolo 5.cuspate foreland
29
What is a spit and what is its features
Extended stretch of beach material, stretching out to sea, joined to main land at one end Salt marsh is formed, has a proximal end and distal end which is near the estuary, has longshore drift, two winds- prevailing wind, and second most dominant wind and fetch, Hooked spit due to second most dominant wind amd fetch, estuary is where the river flows into the sea, the flow of the river/current prevents the spit extending across the estuary, Used as a defensive site, light houses, golf course, caravan parks, very prone to flooding and coastal erosion
30
What is a baymouth bar and how does it form
Similar to spit, but extends to both ends, can be caused by a storm wave which picks and deposits an offshore bar on the coastline
31
What is a double spit and how is it formed
Two spots growing at different or opposite directions at the mouth of a harbour, a result of two dominant wind directions, do not meet due to rivers current, for Weymouth , the Isle of Wight funnels winds
32
What is a tombolo and how is it formed
Where an island is linked to the mainland by a beach, forms by longshore drift, overtime beach is extended, eg Burgh island in south Devon use sea tractors
33
What is a cuspate foreland and how is it formed
Triangular depositional feature, Can build nuclear power stations, formed due to longshore drift, dungeness in Kent eg
34
what is littoral zone
wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and the shallow parts of the sea just offshore-exposed to air at low tide and underwater high tide
35
4 parts of the littoral zone
1. backshore= usually above influence of waves, above tide line, not covered on an average day tide 2.foreshore= intertidal surf zone, where backwash and swash take place 3.nearshore=breaker zone, breaking waves occur (when waves spill over) 4.offshore=beyond the influence of waves, open sea
36
what is the breakpoint par
zone of breaking waves between nearshore and offshore
37
3 types of tides
max spring tide/rare, high tide and low tide
38
what is tides
cuased by gravitational pull of moon or sun, long period waves that appear to move through ocean, water bulging into ocean,
39
high tide
sea surface reaches highest point
40
low tide
sea surface at lowest point
41
tidal range
difference between high and low tide
42
how many tides occur in a day
2 hgih and 2 low a day based on lunar day, at different times everyday-need tide map and timetable
43
what are spring tides
highest high tides-due to moon and sun alignment, two a month
44
what are neap tides
lowest low tides, two a month
45
problems with spring tide
when spring tides occur simultaenously as major storm systems, lead to severe problems, storm tide is pushing in land faster, 1953 storms of east anglia and holland- worst flooding since records began, 2 metres higher than predicted, storm surge, arctic winds push water southwards, funneled narrower and narrower so water height and keeps risiing, very low line/low land, therefore flooding cannot be intercepted
46
4 types of marine transport
1.suspension=lighter sediment suspended in water, clay particles (light) 2.traction=rolling or dragging of large grains along a river bed, pebbles 3.saltation=smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed pushed by currents 4=when weak carbonic acid in seawater dissolves and breaks down, limestone is most susceptible
47
What are the three types of rock and examples of them
1.sedimentary=strata-limestone, chalk, limestone, consolidated 2. igneous=cooled lava-granite, basalt-95% of earths crust 3.metamorphic=changed by pressure and or heat- shale into slate, sandstone into quartzite, limestone into marble
48
What is the rock cycle
49
What is the relation between geology and location
Location of igneous and metamorphic is in upland areas/topography as it is more resistant to erosion
50
Resistant rock coastlines-6 characteristics
1.south west England-Cornwall 2.igneous-basalt and granite 3.sedimentary-sandstone (old red) 4.metamorphic-slate and schists 5.can withstand prevailing wing and long fetch 6.heavily consolidated sedimentary-heavily resistant
51
Coastal plain landscape 5 characteristics
1.eastern and southern uk 2.weaker and younger geology 3.chalk, clay, sandstone 4.deposition> erosion as it is a low energy coastline 5.coastal plain-area if low and flat relief-low lying sandy beaches
52
4 properties of low energy coastlines
Less powerful waves, deposition is stronger than erosion, stretches of uk coast which are chefs and spits and cuspate foreland
53
4 properties of high energy coastlines
Powerful waves, high erosion, erosion is stronger than deposition, Atlantic coastline, headland, cliff, wave cut platforms
54
55
what is dipping
angle at which the rocks strata lies which can be horizontal vertical, dipping to or away from the sea
56
what are the four types of dipping
horizontal,landward, seaward but at a low angle and seaward at a high angle
57
what is horizontal dipping
vertical or near vertical with notches showing weathering and small scale mass movement of jointed strata and steep slope
58
what is landward dipping
dipping away from sea, most stable, steep profile, 70-80*, downward slope gravitational force pulls loosened back into place
59
what is low angle seaward dipping
steep profile, less than 45 degrees, creates areas of overhanging rock which are vulnerable to rock fall, frequent small scale mass movement of weathered material, overhand is unsustainable
60
what is high seaward dipping
more than 45*, vertical cracks or joints are opened by weathering and pressure release, significant erosion, usually granite which is common in cornwall and erosive due to vertical joints and seaward dip, subaerial process, bedding planes between are weakly bonded and readily loosened
61
What affects the rate of erosion
1.coastal recession= how much the coast is being warn away 2-lithology or rock type, measures now resistant rocks and minerals are, igneous is high and metamorphic is also
62
How is rock resistance measured
Mohs hardness scale, 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest eg diamonds
63
Features of igneous rock which makes it resistant
Granite and basalt, erosion is very slow, crystalline (individual crystals which interlock when cooled), incredibly hard, few joint and bedding planes eg few lines of weakness
64
Features of metamorphic rock which makes it resistant
Slate, schist, slow to erode, crystalline, folded and fractured due to pressure, therefore some limes of weakness occur
65
Features of sedimentary rock which makes it resistant
Sandstone, limestone, chalk,shale, moderate to erode or fast, has bedding planes and joints, slightly weaker, younger is weaker than leer and the lower the more resistant
66
Exceptions to coastal recession
1. Oldest sandstone (sedimentary), very resistant to erosion, recently erupted colonic lava- volcaniclastic rocks 2. Unsoldiated sediment= Sand, gravel, clay, slit which hasn’t been compacted to sedimentary- loose and easily eroded, boulder clay from glacial deposits- last ice age from 10 years ago 3. Geological structure= land ward dipping, horizontal strata, seawar dripping, 4. Other factors such as prevailing winds and it’s proximity for the fetch, coastal vegetation and human factors
67
How does coastal vegetation affect rate of erosion
- reduce coastal erosion -protects from erosion - sand dunes and salt marshes -Vegetation stabilises sediment as the roots bind sediment together which reduces wind speed -Xerophytes are in dry condition, Adam grass, retains small water on sand dunes -Halophytes tolerate saltwater, submerge as high tide and spray waves stop coastal succession
68
What is the role of coastal vegetation
-stabilises depositional landforms by holding them together, most depositional landforms are made of sand or shingle , loose, unconsolidated material that can be easily eroded or transported, roots bind to sediment so it is harder to erode, plants protect sediment from wind erosion, reduce wind speed due to friction
69
Are coastlines a good habitat for plants
No it is a hostile environment meaning it needs to be wind resistant due to strong winds from fetch, salt in water will kill plants, drought tolerant as it is dry
70
What are sand dunes and how are they formed
FormEd by aeolian action/winds, sand is transported through saltation (bounces along), larger material is moved by creep (rounding sand surface), finest material by suspension (carried by silt), eg saltmarshes, xerophytes and hydrophytes
71
Sand dunes from smallest to largest and their trends
Embryo dunes, fore dune, yellow dune, grey dune, dune slack and mature dune The younger the more hostile, the less stable, the less plants less biodiversity and vice versa
72
Features of embryo dunes
-grows sea rocket and sea couch grass which are early colonisers and pioneer species -tolerant so they can grow very close to sea -can survive regular immersion in salt water for example in king tides, spring tides and storms -can deal with a lack of nutrients and alkaline conditions -can also tolerate sand movement
73
Features of fore dune
-grows marram grass -long , fibrous, matted roots -deep rooted,2m -roots grow fast and deep to find water, Concave shape to trap water and help to survive -marram grass outcompetes sea rocket due to longer roots
74
What is the relation between the age of the dunes and its survival in hostile environmentsx
As the dunes age, the more soul builds up, making less hostile, which encourages coastal accreditation, the further away from sea, more likely to occur on low energy coastline
75
What is passmore succession and how does it occur
-begins with halophytic plants growing in salty bare sand -trap more sand which leads to embryo dunes -embryo dunes alter the environment conditions allowing xerophytic plants to flourish -success continues and dunes gradually become fixed and a wider range of plant species can become established = sequential development
76
What is the land use of sand dunes
-sights of special scientific interest -golf specifically golf link courses
77
How is a salt marsh succession formed
Common behind a spit, as mud and silt are deposited along a sheltered or protected part of the coastline, rates of deposition is higher than transportation due to lack of energy in waves
78
What is accretion
Grotwth by deposition of suspended particles during flooding or accumulation of plant material (roots and decomposed material)
79
Increased sedimentation v decreased sedimentation
-increased= less biomass or plants, faster flow, more turbulence, lower effective settling velocity -decreased=high biomass or plants, slower flow, less turbulence, higher effective settling velocity
80
5 types of plants found in saltmarshes
1.seacord grass= withstand sedimentation as a pioneer species 2.eel grass=submerged for 11 hrs at once, before established, roots reduce removal of sediment as tide goes out as a halophyte 3.sea Asher=overtime as saltmarshes develops establishment stage, other plants are able to colonise, attracts pollinating insects 4.red fescue grass=climax vegetation 5.sea thrift = when it is more stable, it grows as a flowering plant
81
4 parts of zonation
1. Tidal inlet 2.low marsh-cordgrass 3.high marsh-sea lavender and sea asher 4. Marsh upland-oaks and shrubs -increased soil fertility. Reduced salinity and reduced seawater flooding
82
What are mangroves and their adaptations
Adapated to survive in salty environment, pneumatophore roots grown above sea level, actors as snorkels, for oxygen uptake, specialised aerial roots allow oxygen to be absorbed from air, for respiration, vital for root health in oxygen deprived soil
83
coastal conflicts-winners or losers
winners are people who benefit economically socially and environmentally while losers are likely to lose homes, jobs, forced to move, sea concreted over-environmentally negative , both stakeholders involved
84
natural migration v squeeze beach
natural-no sea wall so when eroding landward, the sand dunes migrate landward squeeze-with sea wall, erodes landward, area is squeezed therefore it prevents migration
85
what affect does sea walls have on saltmarshes
can destroy salt marsh eg essex’s have been eroded by 60% in the last 30 years
86
solution to black water estuary salt marsh conflict
-in 2000 the essex wildlife trust bought a farm on the estuary which was threatened by flooding and erosion and did realignment=4000 hectare with 5 breaches in the sea wall to allow new salt marshes to form
87
successes of coastal realignment of the black water estuary
lead to succession and accretion, farmer got market price, reduced flood risk still, water quality improved-need beds to filter out sediment, new pathway and walkways for leisure, income stream in ecotourism, and birdwatching eg dumlin, redshank, geese, and fish nurseries eg sea bass and herring, vulnerable animals which had left had now returned eg bitterns
88
what is beach morphology
the shape of a beach and its width and slope and reassures such as the birms,ridges
89
two types of beach morphology
summer profile and winter profile
90
what are the features of summer profiles
steeper, birms or ridges built up, backwash is weaker so sediment builds up due to constructive waves and lighter winds high pressure=anti cyclone= lighter winds
91
what are the features of winter profiles
high frequency waves, berms eroded quickly, strong backwash so it transports sediment offshore due to destructive waves
92
4 methods of erosion
winds, waves, rivers and glaciers
93
what is erosion
breaking down of rock by a moving force
94
what is weathering
gradual break down of rock in situ, without a moving force, or close to the ground surface-mechanical chemical and biological
95
what is mass movement
movement of weathered material downslope due to gravity
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geography (4 decks)

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