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Geography > Coasts > Flashcards

Coasts Flashcards

1
Q

Erosion

A

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

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2
Q

Weathering

A

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

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3
Q

Headland

A

Piece of land jutting out into the sea

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4
Q

Discordant

A

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

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5
Q

Concordant

A

Rocks that are parallel to the sea

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6
Q

Abrasion

A

wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves

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7
Q

Attrition

A

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

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8
Q

Hydraulic Action

A

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

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9
Q

Fetch

A

The distance over which wind has blown

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10
Q

Swash

A

Waves going up the beach

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11
Q

Backwash

A

Waves going back down the beach

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12
Q

Destructive waves

A

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

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13
Q

Constructive Waves

A

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

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14
Q

Permeable Rock

A

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

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15
Q

Impermeable Rock

A

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

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16
Q

Biological weathering

A

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

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17
Q

Chemical Weathering

A

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

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18
Q

Freeze-thaw weathering

A

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.

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19
Q

Onion-skin weathering

A

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.

20
Q

Longshore Drift

A

Moves material along the coastline in direction of prevailing beach

21
Q

Prevailing wind

A

Main wind

22
Q

Deposition

A

The dropping of material

23
Q

Spit

A

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.

24
Q

Stack

A

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.

25
Q

Stump

A

Formed by continuing wave action attacking a stack until it collapses

26
Q

Bay

A

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.

27
Q

Bar

A

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

28
Q

Glacial trough

A

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.

29
Q

Arch

A

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.

30
Q

Beach

A

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.

31
Q

Beach nourishment

A

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

32
Q

Cave

A

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

33
Q

Dune regeneration

A

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.

34
Q

Gabion

A

Steel wire mesh filled with boulders used in coastal defences.

35
Q

Groyne

A

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.

36
Q

Hard engineering

A

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

37
Q

Managed retreat

A

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.

38
Q

Mass movement

A

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

39
Q

Rock armour

A

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

40
Q

Sea wall

A

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

41
Q

Slumping

A

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

42
Q

Soft engineering

A

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

43
Q

Transportation

A

The movement of eroded material.

44
Q

Wave cut platform

A

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

45
Q

Waves

A

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.

Geography (5 decks)

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