Key Terms

Question 1

Strata

Answer 1

A layer of sedimentary rock

Question 2

Deformation (e.g. tilts, folds)

Answer 2

A change in the shape of a body of rock due to a strain/stress

Question 3

Faults/Faulting

Answer 3

A body of rock that has been displaced due to mass movement

Question 4

Joints

Answer 4

A fracture dividing rock into two sections that have not moved away from each other

Question 5

Bedding plane

Answer 5

The gap that separates layers of rock from each other

Question 6

Fissures

Answer 6

Any separation in a body of rock (e.g. joints, fractures)

Question 7

Dips (Horizontal/seaward/landward)

Answer 7

The angle that a rock face strikes a horizontal plane

Question 8

Unconsolidated sediment

Answer 8

An area of sediment that has formed as the result of volcanic processes, weathering or erosion. It often hardens into sedimentary rock over time

Question 9

Concordant coast

Answer 9

A coastline where layers of different rock are compressed into ridges that run parallel with the coast

Question 10

Discordant coast

Answer 10

A coastline where layers of different rock run perpendicular to the coast, so the rocks erode at different rates (differential erosion)

Question 11

Open system

Answer 11

A system that can be added to (e.g. coasts)

Question 12

Closed system

Answer 12

A system that has fixed amounts (e.g. water cycle)

Question 13

Negative feedback

Answer 13

Stabilises the system and brings it back to equilibrium

Question 14

Example of negative feedback

Answer 14

If there is additional erosion causing cliff collapse, the collapsed cliff will protect much of the beach from being eroded itself

Question 15

Example of positive feedback

Answer 15

Rising sea levels result in an increase in erosion, which in turn causes higher levels of erosion than deposition

Question 16

Coastline

Answer 16

The line that forms the boundary between the coast and the shore (i.e. the foot of a cliff, the foot of sand dunes)

Question 17

Backshore

Answer 17

Above the high tide line and is only affected by waves during exceptionally high tides or major storms

Question 18

Foreshore (Inter-tidal zone)

Answer 18

Between the low and high tide water marks. Rocky shores, sandy beaches and mudflats may be located here

Question 19

Breaker line

Answer 19

Where approaching waves start to break (position is variable)

Question 20

Nearshore

Answer 20

Shallow water areas close to land. Influenced by currents close to the shoreline. Often intense human activity here (e.g. fishing, leisure etc.)

Question 21

Offshore

Answer 21

Area always covered by the sea. Beyond the influence of waves

Question 22

The three inputs to a system

Answer 22

Waves (kinetic), sunlight (thermal) and gravitational potential- energy in a beach is stored in the sand and is flowed by longshore drift

Question 23

How can dynamic equilibrium on coasts be disrupted?

Answer 23

Beach nourishment, coastal defences (e.g. groynes)

Question 24

Equilibrium

Answer 24

When the inputs (e.g. deposition) and outputs (e.g. erosion, weathering) are equal

Question 25

Dynamic equilibrium

Answer 25

When the inputs and output can fluctuate, but will balance out overall

Question 26

Sediment cell

Answer 26

An area of the coast between physical barriers

Question 27

Sediment budget

Answer 27

The amount of sediment available within a sediment cell

Question 28

The littoral zone

Answer 28

The wider coastal zone- from the highest possible waters to shallow offshore waters

Question 29

Flows/transfers examples

Answer 29

Longshore drift, saltation, solution, traction, suspension

Question 30

Spring tide

Answer 30

The highest tides of the year, occurring when the moon is between the sun and the Earth. This occurs twice every lunar month

Question 31

Neap tide

Answer 31

The lowest tides of the year, occurring when the Earth is directly between the sun and the moon

Question 32

Microtidal

Answer 32

Less than 2 metres tidal range

Question 33

Most common tidal range

Answer 33

Microtidal

Question 34

General tidal range patterns are shown...

Answer 34

Latitudinally

Question 35

Areas with macrotidal range

Answer 35

UK, north-western Australia, western Madagascar

Question 36

Areas with mesotidal range

Answer 36

USA, Portugal, Philippines

Question 37

Areas with microtidal range

Answer 37

Mediterranean, Caribbean

Question 38

Tides are caused by...

Answer 38

The gravitational pull between the moon (and the sun)

Question 39

UK maximum fetch (max wave height)

Answer 39

3,700 miles west (21.8m) | 20 miles south-east (1.6m)

Question 40

Sea waves

Answer 40

Caused by wind energy

Question 41

Swell waves

Answer 41

Waves that have energy from wind that has now stopped

Question 42

Wave refraction

Answer 42

Where the headlands receive the majority of the wave energy, so the bays receive little energy

Question 43

Succession

Answer 43

The decomposition of one plant producing the nutrients for another to grow

Question 44

Turbidity

Answer 44

Murky, cloudy

Question 45

Flocculation

Answer 45

A process by which solute comes out of a solution. As the sediment is dropped the charged particles, such as clays and polymers, clumps together to form flocs

Question 46

Salinity

Answer 46

Salty

Question 47

Inter-tidal zone

Answer 47

Area between high and low tide

Question 48

Coastal accretion

Answer 48

Build up of sediment

Question 49

Alluvium

Answer 49

River sediment

Question 50

Fluvial/Alluvial

Answer 50

River related

Question 51

Aeolian

Answer 51

Wind related

Question 52

What do groynes do?

Answer 52

Widen and steepen the beach, so wave energy is reduced due to friction and gravity, so the risk to the coastline is lowered

Question 53

Geomorphic

Answer 53

Changes on the Earth's surface (e.g. mass movement, erosion, deposition, transportation, weathering)

Question 54

Relict cliff

Answer 54

Former cliff but now not by the coast due to sea level fall or tectonic activity (behind a raised beach)