Coasts Flashcards
(23 cards)
Littoral Zone
The wider coastal zone which includes the shallower parts of the sea and adjacent land areas. Backshore, foreshore, nearshore and offshore
Primary coasts
Coasts dominated by land based processes such as deposition from rivers/ lava flows, cliffs are usually curved with lower angled faces
Secondary coasts
Coasts dominated by marine erosion/deposition from the sea, cliffs usually have steep faces with active undercutting, limited debris
Emergent coasts
Where coasts are rising due to eg eustatic fall in sea level, isostatic rise in land level etc.
Submergent coasts
Where coasts are experiencing a drop, due to eustatic rise in sea level, isostatic fall in land level etc.
Strata
Different layers of rock, the geological structure of a coastline
Discordant coastlines
When rock strata run perpendicular to the coastline, bands of more/less resistant rock, producing headlands and bays at different levels of erosion
Concordant coastlines
Rock strata running parallel to the coastline, sea punches hole through the rocks to create cliff faces
Lithology
The characteristics of the rock e.g permeability
Halophytes
Plants that can tolerate very salty water, at roots, at high tide etc.
Xerophytes
Plants that can tolerate very dry conditions, sand dunes etc.
Halosere
A salt marsh ecosystem
Psammosere
A sand dune ecosystem
Constructive waves
Waves with a strong swash and weak backwash, creating shallow lower angled beaches
Destructive waves
Waves with a weak swash and strong backwash, creating steep angular beaches
Sediment cell
Sourcing, transfer and deposition of sediment along a stretch of coastline, there are 11 sediment cells in England and Wales.
Weathering
Breakdown of rock where it is situated by chemical, mechanical or biological agents, this process does not involve movement
Isostatic
Local rise or fall in land level
Eustatic
Global rise or fall in water level
Hard engineering
A structure that aims to stop physical processes altogether or alter them to protect the coast e.g groynes, rock armour etc.
Soft engineering
A structure that attempts to work with the physical processes to reduces coastal erosion/flood threat, less intrusive than hard engineering e.g beach nourishment, dune stabilisation etc.
Shoreline Management Plan (SMPs)
An approach to coastal management that involves all stakeholders, decisions made about how coastal erosion should be managed, there are 22 SMPs in England and Wales
