costal systems and landscapes Flashcards
(11 cards)
backshore=
the area from the high water mark (HWM) to the inland limit of storms
foreshore=
the area from hwm to lwm- the most important zone for marine processes in times that are not influenced by storm activity
inshore=
area between lwm and the point where waves cease to have an affect on the land beneath
offshore=
area where waves cease to impact upon the sea bed and deposition is the main activity
the coasts open system inputs
-energy the drive the system, provided by waves, winds, tides and currents- it is irregularly boosted by storm surges and tidal waves
-sediment which comes from cliffs or rivers that have been eroded and transported by waves from offshore
-human activity
the coasts open system processes
-associated with wave action, tidal movement, erosion, weathering, transportation and deposition
the coasts open system outputs
-sediment washed out to sea or deposited further along the coast
-costal landforms, both erosive and depositional
-wave energy loss
foreshore and inshore divided into:
-swash zone= water rushes up the beach
-surf zone= mass of broken water in the breaker zone of a shoreline- foaming water as a result of high wave activity
-breaker zone= waves break on the shoreline
the types of open systems
terrestrial
atmospheric
oceanic
-these can include rock water and carbon cycles
sediment cells=
where coasts are split up into sections surrounded by prominent headlands
within sections the movement of sediment is contained and flows of sediment act in dynamic equilibrium
dynamic equilibrium=
the maintenance of a balance in a natural system despite it being in a constant state of change- counteracts any changes imposed on the system to keep this balance
e.g- in a sediment cell where input and outputs of sediment are in a constant state of change but remain in balance
-dynamic equilibrium may be upset or interrupted by long term human intervention
