AS/A-Level Geography > COASTS: Coastal Landforms > Flashcards

COASTS: Coastal Landforms Flashcards

(65 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

List coastal landforms caused by erosion:

A

Cliffs and wave cut platforms

Headlands and bays

Caves, arches and stacks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How do cliffs form?

A
  • Sea erodes the land.
  • Overtime, cliffs retreat due to wave action and weathering.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How do wave-cut platforms form?

A
  • Waves attack base of cliff, via abrasio and hydraulic action.
  • Creates a wave-cut notch which is undercut.
  • This becomes unstable and collapses.
  • Notch migrates inland and cliff retreats.
  • Wave cut platform is smoothed via abrasion and solution.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How are headlands and bays formed?

A
  • Formed on discordant coastlines.
  • Soft rock is eroded quickly, forming a bay.
  • Hard rock is eroded less and forms a headland.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How are caves, arches and stacks formed?

A
  • Weak areas in rock / joints are eroded to form caves.
  • Caves on opposite sides of the narrow headland join to form an arch.
  • When an arch collapses, it forms a stack.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What coastal landforms are caused by deposition?

A

Beaches

Spits

Offshore bars and tombolos

Barrier islands

Sand dunes

Estuarine mudflats and salt marshes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How are beaches formed?

A

Constructive waves deposit sediment on the shore.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the differences between shingle and sand beaches?

A
  • Shingle beaches are steep, narrow and made of larger particles.
  • Sand beaches are wide, flat and made of smaller particles.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are 3 distinctive features of a beach?

A

Berms

Runnels

Cusps

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Berms

A

Ridges of sand and pebbles found at high tide marks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Runnels

A

Grooves in the sand running parallel to the shore, formed by backwash draining to the sea.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Cusps

A

Crescent-shaped indentations that form on beaches of mixed sand and shingle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Where do spits tend to form?

A

When the coastline changes direction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How are spits formed?

A
  • LSD continues to dpeosit material across the river mouth, leaving a bank of sand and shingle sticking out.
  • Occasional changes to dominant wind direction may lead to spit having a recurved end.
  • Recurved ends can be abandoned as the waves return to their original direction - compound spit.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Compound spit

A

A spit that has multiple recurved ends resulting from several periods of growth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Simple spit

A

A straight spit that grows out roughly parallel to the coast.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What often forms in the area behind a spit?

Why?

A

Mudflats and saltmarshes.

Because the area is sheltered.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Bars

A

Formed when a spit joins two headlands together, eg. across a bay or the mouth of a river.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What can form behind a bar?

A

A lagoon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Offshore bars

A

Bars that form off the coast when material moves towards the coast - these are partly submerged.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Tombolo

A

A bar that connects the shore to an island.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Barrier island

A

Long, narrow islands of sand or gravel that run parallel to the shore and are detached from it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Where do barrier islands tend to form?

A
  • Good supply of sediment.
  • Gentle slope offshore
  • Fairly powerful waves
  • Small tidal range
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the two theories behind the formation of barrier islands?

A
  • Rapid ice melting from last ice age flooded the land behind beaches and transported sand offshore, where it was deposited in shallow water.
  • Islands were orignally bars, attached to the coast, which were eroded in sections causing breaches in the bar.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What often forms behind a barrier island?
Lagoon or marsh
26
How are sand dunes formed?
* Sand deposited by LSD is moved up the beach by the wind. * Sand is trapped by driftwood or berms and is colonised by plants and grasses. * Vegetation stabilises the sand and encourages more sand to accumulate. * Embryo dunes form. * Oldest dunes migrate inland - mature dunes.
27
Where do mudflats and saltmarshes form?
In sheltered, low-energy environments.
28
How are mudflats formed?
Mud and silt is deposited by the rive or the tide.
29
How are saltmarshes formed?
* Mudflats are colonised by vegetation that can survive the high salt levels and long submergence periods. * Plants trap more mud and ailt. * Builds upwards to create an area of saltmarsh that remains exposed for longer and longer between tides.
30
Erosion by tidal currents or streams results in the formation of what in the surface of mudflats or saltmarshes?
Channels which may be permanently flooded or dry at low tide.
31
Ridges of sand and pebbles found at high tide marks.
Berms
32
Grooves in the sand running parallel to the shore, formed by backwash draining to the sea.
Runnels
33
Crescent-shaped indentations that form on beaches of mixed sand and shingle.
Cusps
34
A spit that has multiple recurved ends resulting from several periods of growth.
Compound spit
35
A straight spit that grows out roughly parallel to the coast.
Simple spit
36
Formed when a spit joins two headlands together, eg. across a bay or the mouth of a river.
Bars
37
A lagoon.
What can form behind a bar?
38
Bars that form off the coast when material moves towards the coast - these are partly submerged.
Offshore bars
39
A bar that connects the shore to an island.
Tombolo
40
Long, narrow islands of sand or gravel that run parallel to the shore and are detached from it.
Barrier island
41
# There are 7. What are the coastal zones?
Offshore Nearshore Foreshore Backshore Swash zone Breaker zone Surf zone
42
Offshore
Beyond the point where waves have an impact on the seabed.
43
Nearshore
Between the low water mark and the area where waves cease to have an influence on the seabed.
44
Forshore
Between the high water mark and low water mark.
45
Backshore
Above the high water mark up to the landward limit of marine activity.
46
Swash zone
Turbulent water rushed up to the beach - swash.
47
Breaker zone
Waves approaching the shore begin to break.
48
Surf zone
The area between the waves breaking and moving up the beach as swash.
49
Beyond the point where waves have an impact on the seabed.
Offshore
50
Between the low water mark and the area where waves cease to have an influence on the seabed.
Nearshore
51
Between the high water mark and low water mark.
Forshore
52
Above the high water mark up to the landward limit of marine activity.
Backshore
53
Turbulent water rushed up to the beach - swash.
Swash zone
54
Waves approaching the shore begin to break.
Breaker zone
55
The area between the waves breaking and moving up the beach as swash.
Surf zone
56
Give an example of caves, arches and stacks:
Old Harry, Swanage
57
Give an example of cliffs and wave cut platforms:
Watchet, West Somerset
58
Give an example of headlands and bays:
Swanage Bay
59
Give an example of simple and compound spits:
Sandbanks, Hurst Castle, Spurn Point
60
Give an example of a tombolo:
Chesil Beach joining the Isle of Portland
61
Give an example of offshore bars:
Hordle Cliff
62
Give an example of barrier islands:
Fire Island / Long Island - New York
63
Give an example of a bar/barrier beach:
Slapton Sands
64
Give an example of sand dunes:
Oxwich
65
Give an example of saltmarshes/mudflats:
Keyhaven Marshes

AS/A-Level Geography (45 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions