Coasts

Question 1

Erosion

Answer 1

The wearing away of the land and the transportation away of material

Question 2

Weathering

Answer 2

The physical, chemical or biological breakdown of solid rock by the action of the weather, animals or plants

Question 3

Headland

Answer 3

Piece of land jutting out into the sea

Question 4

Discordant

Answer 4

A variety of rocks that are at right angles to the sea

Question 5

Concordant

Answer 5

Rocks that are parallel to the sea

Question 6

Abrasion

Answer 6

wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves

Question 7

Attrition

Answer 7

Erosion caused when rocks and boulders transported by waves bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces.

Question 8

Hydraulic Action

Answer 8

Process where breaking waves compress pockets of air in cracks in a cliff. The pressure may cause the crack to widen, breaking off rock.

Question 9

Fetch

Answer 9

The distance over which wind has blown

Question 10

Swash

Answer 10

Waves going up the beach

Question 11

Backwash

Answer 11

Waves going back down the beach

Question 12

Destructive waves

Answer 12

Found on steep beaches, break downwards with great force and are mainly responsible for coastal erosion. Their backwash is much stronger than their swash. Common in winter months

Question 13

Constructive Waves

Answer 13

Found on low-angled beaches in the summer and mainly responsible for coastal deposition. They are gently breaking, with a much stronger swash than backwash. Build up the beach

Question 14

Permeable Rock

Answer 14

Allows water to percolate or pass through it e.g. limestone, sandstone and chalk.

Question 15

Impermeable Rock

Answer 15

A rock that doesn’t allow water to pass through it e.g. clay.

Question 16

Biological weathering

Answer 16

The breakdown of rock through the action of plants and animals.

Question 17

Chemical Weathering

Answer 17

The decomposition (or rotting) of rock caused by a chemical change within that rock e.g. sea water causes chemical weathering of cliffs.

Question 18

Freeze-thaw weathering

Answer 18

Occurs in cold climates when temperatures are around freezing point and where exposed rocks contain many cracks. Water enters the cracks during the warmer day and freezes during the colder night. As the water turns into ice it expands and exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, causing pieces to break off.

Question 19

Onion-skin weathering

Answer 19

This type of erosion is common in warm areas. As the sun shines on rocks during the day it causes them to expand. During the night the rock contracts due to the colder temperature. Over time this continued process causes small pieces of surface rock to flake off.

Question 20

Longshore Drift

Answer 20

Moves material along the coastline in direction of prevailing beach

Question 21

Prevailing wind

Answer 21

Main wind

Question 22

Deposition

Answer 22

The dropping of material

Question 23

Spit

Answer 23

A long, narrow accumulation of sand and shingle formed by longshore drift and deposited where the coastline abruptly changes direction. One end of the spit is connected to the land and the other end projects out to the sea, often with a curved (hooked) end.

Question 24

Stack

Answer 24

Rock left standing out at sea after wave erosion has separated it from the mainland. This is the next stage from an arch. Waves will continue to erode the foot of the arch until its roof becomes too heavy to be supported. When the roof collapses, it will leave part of the former cliff isolated.

Question 25

Stump

Answer 25

Formed by continuing wave action attacking a stack until it collapses

Question 26

Bay

Answer 26

Found between headlands where there are alternating outcrops of resistant (harder) rock and less resistant (softer) rock. Waves erode the areas of softer rock more rapidly to form bays. The more resistant, harder rock forms the headlands that protrude out to sea.

Question 27

Bar

Answer 27

Where a spit grows across a bay. A bar can eventually enclose the bay to create a lagoon.

Question 28

Glacial trough

Answer 28

A river valley widened and deepened by the erosive action of glaciers; it becomes ‘U’-shaped instead of the normal ‘V’-shape of a river valley.

Question 29

Arch

Answer 29

A wave-eroded passage through a small headland. This begins as a cave formed in the headland, which is gradually widened and deepened until it cuts through.

Question 30

Beach

Answer 30

The zone of deposited material that extends from the low water line to the limit of storm waves. The beach or shore can be divided in the foreshore and the backshore.

Question 31

Beach nourishment

Answer 31

The addition of new material to a beach artificially, through the dumping of large amounts of sand or shingle.

Question 32

Cave

Answer 32

A large hole in the cliff caused by waves forcing their way into cracks in the cliff face.

Question 33

Dune regeneration

Answer 33

Action taken to build up dunes and increase vegetation to strengthen the dunes and prevent excessive coastal retreat. This includes the re-planting of marram grass to stabilise the dunes, as well as planting trees and providing boardwalks.

Question 34

Gabion

Answer 34

Steel wire mesh filled with boulders used in coastal defences.

Question 35

Groyne

Answer 35

A wooden barrier built out into the sea to stop the longshore drift of sand and shingle, and so cause the beach to grow. It is used to build beaches to protect against cliff erosion and provide an important tourist amenity. However, by trapping sediment it deprives another area, down-drift, of new beach material.

Question 36

Hard engineering

Answer 36

The use of concrete and large artificial structures by civil engineers to defend land against natural erosion processes.

Question 37

Managed retreat

Answer 37

Allowing cliff erosion to occur as nature taking its course: erosion in some areas, deposition in others. Benefits include less money spent and the creation of natural environments. It may involve setting back or realigning the shoreline and allowing the sea to flood areas that were previously protected by embankments and seawalls.

Question 38

Mass movement

Answer 38

The downhill movement of weathered material under the force of gravity. The speed can vary considerably.

Question 39

Rock armour

Answer 39

Large boulders dumped on the beach as part of the coastal defences.

Question 40

Sea wall

Answer 40

A concrete wall which aims to prevent erosion of the coast by providing a barrier which reflects wave energy.

Question 41

Slumping

Answer 41

Rapid mass movement which involves a whole segment of the cliff moving down-slope along a saturated shear-plane or line of weakness.

Question 42

Soft engineering

Answer 42

Managing erosion by working with natural processes to help restore beaches and coastal ecosystems.

Question 43

Transportation

Answer 43

The movement of eroded material.

Question 44

Wave cut platform

Answer 44

A rocky, level shelf at or around sea level representing the base of old, retreated cliffs.

Question 45

Waves

Answer 45

Ripples in the sea caused by the transfer of energy from the wind blowing over the surface of the sea. The largest waves are formed when winds are very strong, blow for lengthy periods and cross large expanses of water.