The Sea

Question 1

What does the size of a wave depend on

Answer 1

The wind and the fetch

Question 2

Explain swash

Answer 2

The frothy water that rushes onto the shore after a wave breaks

Question 3

Explain backwash

Answer 3

The water that runs back out to sea from the shore

Question 4

Give the characteristics of a destructive wave

Answer 4

They have a lot of energy and have a strong backwash and weak swash. They erode the coastline

Question 5

Give the characteristics of a constructive wave

Answer 5

They have a strong swash and a weak back wash. It deposits material and builds up the coastline.

Question 6

Explain hydraulic action

Answer 6

The force of the water hitting the coastline causing it to erode

Question 7

Explain air compression

Answer 7

The waves trap air in the cracks of rocks and as the waves retreat the trapped air expands and can crack the rock.

Question 8

Explain abrasion

Answer 8

Eosin caused by the small rocks carried by the sea hitting against the coastline.

Question 9

Explain attrition

Answer 9

Erosion caused by small rocks hitting each other and breaking themselves into smaller pieces.

Question 10

Explain how a cliff is formed

Answer 10

The waves cut a notch in the rock creating an overhang. The notch then gets deeper and the overhang collapses leaving a wave cut platform. This continues and the coastline retreats inland.
Ex. Cliffs of moher. Co. Clare.

Question 11

Explain how a bays and headlands are formed

Answer 11

A bay is a wide opening in the coastline and a headland is a pice of land jutting out to sea.
Soft rock erodes quickly and hard rock erodes slowly. A bay is formed when soft rock is eroded in between two pieces of hard rock and the headlands are the hard rock.,

Question 12

Give and example of a bay and headland

Answer 12

Dublin bay and howth head

Question 13

What is a sea cave and how is it formed

Answer 13

This is a tunnel at the base of a cliff but it doesn’t cut right through the cliff/headland.
The waves erode a weak point into the rock called a cave

Question 14

Explain what and how a sea arch is formed

Answer 14

A sea arch is a passage that runs completely through a headland. T his can happen when a cave is eroded further or two caves meet in the middle to form a complete passage through a headland called a sea arch

Question 15

Explain what and how a sea stack is formed

Answer 15

A sea stack is a pillar of rock standing I. The water near the coast.
When sea arches erode further a sea stack is formed. The roof of the arch collapse forming a pillar of rock isolated from the land.

Question 16

When a sea stack is eroded what is left

Answer 16

A sea stump

Question 17

What is a blowhole

Answer 17

A passage from a cave up to the surface of a cliff top

Question 18

Explain how a blowhole is formed

Answer 18

Compressed air is trapped in the cave by strong waves
The pressure loosens the joints I. The rock above the cliff and eventually this falls into the cliff creating a passage known as a blowhole.

Question 19

Give an example of a blowhole

Answer 19

The two pistols. Co. Donegal

Question 20

What’s a rivers load and the seas load

Answer 20

River: sand, silt, clay
Sea: sand, pebbles, stones, and mud.

Question 21

What two ways do waves transport material in The sea

Answer 21

1. Up and down the shore. Swash and backwash

2. Long shore drift

Question 22

Explain long shore drift

Answer 22

The movement of materials along the beach. The swash comes up the beach at an angle and the backwash comes back at another angle so the load is moved in a zigzag pattern.

Question 23

Explain the fetch

Answer 23

The length that a wave has to travel

Question 24

Explain a beach

Answer 24

This is built up of sand and shingle deposited by waves between low and high tide levels. Fine material is found on the lower beach and caorse material is found at the upper beach

Question 25

Explain a storm beach

Answer 25

A beach that was created in a storm when material is hurtled up past normal high tide level

Question 26

Give an example of a beach

Answer 26

Grey stones co. Wicklow, tramore Co.Wateroford

Question 27

What are sand dunes and how they formed

Answer 27

Sand dunes are hills of sand that pile up on the shore beyond high tide level. Light dry sand is blown inland until trapped by wall or vegetation

Question 28

Give an example of sand dunes

Answer 28

Rosslare co. Wexford, inch co. Kerry

Question 29

Explain marram grass

Answer 29

Defence mechanism stops coast from eroding, bonds the sand together

Question 30

What is a sand spit and explain how it is formed

Answer 30

A ridge of sand or shingle that is connected to the land at one end and extends into a bay. Material is moved by long shore drift. Material is deposited faster than eroded

Question 31

Explain spit

Answer 31

Change in direction of the coastline

Question 32

Give an example of a sand spit

Answer 32

Portmarnock co. Dublin

Question 33

What is a lagoon and give examples

Answer 33

A lake of water cut off from the sea by a bank of sand or sand bar.
Ex. Lough Gill (Kerry), our lady’s island (Wexford)

Question 34

What is a tombolo, how is it formed and give example.

Answer 34

A ridge of sand or shingle that joins an island to the mainland.
It’s formed when a sand spit grows outwards towards the sea and island and by long shore drift material is deposited between the island and mainland.
Ex. Howth, sutton

Question 35

How do people try to control the destructive sea (three ways)

Answer 35

Sea wall
Boulders
Groynes

Question 36

What are sea walls

Answer 36

Walls made from concrete with a curved top to help deflect the waves back out to sea.

Question 37

What are boulders. In the context of the sea

Answer 37

Large rocks placed at the base of cliffs or I front of sand dunes to prevent erosion by reducing the waves power.

Question 38

What are groynes

Answer 38

Lows wooden walls built at a right angle to the shore to help prevent sand from moving by long shore drift.

Question 39

Explain a beach that you have studied.

Answer 39

It has:
Beach
Sea stack
Cliffs
Headlands
Bay
Sand spit
Lagoon
Sand dunes

Caravan sites, camp sites
Forts and castles.