sources of energy in the coastline Flashcards
what are the sources of energy in a coastal system?
wind
waves
tides
currents
who is energy transferred?
by air and water
what is the primary source of energy?
wind
what are the features of wind as an input of energy
wind fetch
wind speed
wind direction
what is fetch and how does it affect energy inputted?
fetch refers to distance of open water in which wind blow uninterrupted by obstacles such as land
length of fetch can determine the magnitude and energy of waves reaching the coastline
how does prevailing wind direction affect energy input?
it determines where wind will reach a coastline, it is important as it determines which direction waves will approach a coastline and the direction of transport
who does energy inputted as wind affect erosion and transportation?
wind can transport fine materials
adds to processes such as abrasion as wears away costal landscapes
how are waves formed?
energy is transferred from the wind blowing over the surface of the water
the friction gives the water a circular motion
what are the key characteristics of a wave?
wave height
wave length
wave frequency
how does wind fetch affect waves?
the longer the wind fetch the more powerfulw aves become
what is wind hight affected by?
fetch and speed
if both are bigger the height increases
who do waves break?”
as waves approach shallow water, friction between the seabed and wave increases, in deeper water waves follow a circular orbit, friction slows down the base of the wave distributing this orbit making it more elliptical, the crest of the wave carries on at the same speed until it eventually taks over the bas and plunges forward
what orbit does the wave follow when it reaches shore?
elliptical
how do tidal energy affect a coastline?
affect position at which waves break
where are most landforms created in terms of tide?
in the areas between maximum high tide and minimum low tide
