EQ1

Question 1

what are the 4 types of shore within the littoral zone

Answer 1

backshore
foreshore
nearshore
offshore

Question 2

what areas within the littoral zone are we most concerned with due to erosion

Answer 2

the backshore and foreshore

Question 3

why are we concerned with the backshore and foreshore

Answer 3

-Where the greatest human activity occurs
-Where the physical processes of erosion, deposition, transport and mass movement largely operated

Question 4

is it true that the littoral zone changes due to processes within the sea and on the beach

Answer 4

TRUE
its constantly changing, due to the dynamic interaction between the processes operating in the seas, oceans and on land

Question 5

what are the long and short term impacts to the littoral zone

Answer 5

Short term factors = individual waves, daily tides and seasonal storms

Long term factors = changes to sea level or climate change

Question 6

what are the 2 types of coasts

Answer 6

rocky/cliffed coastlines
coastal plains

Question 7

what are the characteristics of cliffed coastlines

Answer 7

-the transition of land to sea is abrupt
-at low tide the foreshore exposes a rocky wave cut platform
-the cliffs are vertical

Question 8

what are the characteristics of sandy coastlines

Answer 8

-at high tide the sandy beach are submerged but the vegetated dunes are not
-vegetation plays a significant role in dune stabilisation

Question 9

what are the characteristics of estuarine coastline

Answer 9

-extensive mudflats exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide
-backshore mudflats can become vegetated and form salt marshes
-transitions gradually from land to sea

Question 10

what rocks are found at a resistant rock coastline

Answer 10

-Igneous rocks (basalt, granite)
-Older compacted sedimentary rocks (old red sandstone)
-Metamorphic rocks (slate and schists)
-These rocks are all resistant to the erosive powers of sea, wind, rain

Question 11

what rocks do coastal plains consist of

Answer 11

-Eastern and southern coasts consists of areas of weaker and younger sedimentary rocks - clays, chalks, sand and sandstone
-an area of low, flat relief – referred to as a coastal plain

Question 12

define coastal recession

Answer 12

coastal erosion

Question 13

define lithology

Answer 13

the physical characteristics of particular rocks

Question 14

define strata

Answer 14

different layers of rock

Question 15

define bedding planes

Answer 15

these are natural breaks in the strata, caused by gaps in time during periods of rock formation
-horizontal cracks

Question 16

define joints

Answer 16

these are fractures, caused either by contraction as sediments dry out, or by earth movements during uplift
-vertical cracks

Question 17

define fold

Answer 17

formed by pressure during tectonic activity, which makes rocks buckle and crumble

Question 18

How are faults formed

Answer 18

formed when the stress or pressure to which a rock is subjected, exceeds its internal strength

Question 19

define dips

Answer 19

this refers to the angle at which rock strata lie

(horizontally, vertically, dipping towards the sea or dipping inland)

Question 20

what are the 3 types of rocks

Answer 20

sedimentary
metamorphic
igneous

Question 21

examples of igneous rocks

Answer 21

granite
basalt

Question 22

explain the erosion rate of igneous rocks

Answer 22

VERY SLOW due to:
-being crystalline, interlocking crystals make the rock resistant
-very few joints, fewer weaknesses for erosional processes to exploit

Question 23

explain the erosion rate of metamorphic rocks

Answer 23

SLOW due to:
-crystalline metamorphic rock are resistant to erosion
-however the crystals often feature foliation where crystals face in one direction producing weaknesses
-often folded and heavily fractured – weaknesses exploited by erosion

Question 24

examples of metamorphic rocks

Answer 24

slate
schist
marble

Question 25

explain the erosion rate of sedimentary rocks

Answer 25

MODERATE to FAST due to: -erode faster than metamorphic and crystalline igneous rocks -the age is important, younger rocks tend to be weaker -rocks tend to have many bedding planes and fractures making them vunerable to erosion

Question 26

examples of sedimentary rock

Answer 26

chalk sandstone limestone

Question 27

what are unconsolidated sediments

Answer 27

the weakest coastal material because they consist of loose materials and are not cemented together.

Question 28

example of unconsolidated sediments

Answer 28

boulder clay

Question 29

what are the 3 types of permeabilities within geology

Answer 29

impermeable permeable porous

Question 30

Which rock types are impermeable

Answer 30

IGNEOUS METAMORPHIC

Question 31

which rock type is permeable

Answer 31

SEDIMENTARY specifically limestone and sandstone

Question 32

which rock type is porous

Answer 32

SEDIMENTARY specifically chalk

Question 33

what 2 factors influence cliff profiles

Answer 33

-The resistance to erosion of the rock -The dip of rock strata in relation to the coastline

Question 34

what is the importance of vegetation on coastlines

Answer 34

Many coastlines are protected from erosion of unconsolidated sediment by the stabilising influence of vegetation

Question 35

examples of vegetation that protect coastlines

Answer 35

mangrove swamps salt marshes

Question 36

how does vegetation stabilise sediment (important please know this yasmine)

Answer 36

-The roots of plants bind sediment particles together making them harder to erode (sand dunes + salt marshes) -When submerged, plants growing in sediment provide a protective layer so the surface of the sediment isn't directly exposed to moving water and therefore erosion reduces (salt marsh only) -Plants protect sediment from wind erosion by reducing wind speed at the surface due to friction with the vegetation (sand dunes only)

Question 37

what conditions can halophytes tolerate

Answer 37

Halophytes can tolerate salt water, either around their roots, being submerged in salt water (at high tide) or salt spray from the sea

Question 38

what conditions can xerophytes tolerate

Answer 38

Xerophytes can tolerate very dry conditions, such as those found on coastal sand dunes where the sandy soil retains very little water due to drainage

Question 39

why have coastal vegetation become a key part of coastal management

Answer 39

sand dunes, mangroves and salt marshes reduce the risk of flooding and erosion

Question 40

Define plant succession

Answer 40

Succession refers to the changing structure of a plant community overtime as an area of initially bare sediment is colonised by plants

Question 41

what is the importance of plant succession

Answer 41

The process is especially important on coasts because of its role in coastal accretion

Question 42

what is coastal accretion

Answer 42

a continuous net deposition of sediment

Question 43

what are pioneer species

Answer 43

deposition takes place certain very specialised plants will begin to grow in the bare sand or mud. They begin the first stage of plant succession

Question 44

what does each step in plant succession called

Answer 44

seral stage

Question 45

what is a psammosere

Answer 45

a sand dune ecosystem

Question 46

what is a halosere

Answer 46

a salt marsh ecosystem

Question 47

what is a concordant coastline

Answer 47

This is where bands of more resistant and less-resistant rock run parallel to the coast

Question 48

what is a discordant coastline

Answer 48

occurs where bands of differing rock type run perpendicular to the coast.

Question 49

what is a dalmation coastline

Answer 49

composed of long, narrow islands running parallel to the coastline and separated from the coast by narrow sea channels called sounds. They are produced by sea level rise flooding the coastline

Question 50

what is a haff coast

Answer 50

it consists of concordant features - long spits of sand and lagoons – aligned parallel to the coast