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Coastal Landscapes > 1.b. Coastal landscape systems are influenced by a range of physical factors. > Flashcards

1.b. Coastal landscape systems are influenced by a range of physical factors. Flashcards

1
Q

What is fetch?

A

The area in which ocean waves are generated by the wind.

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2
Q

What are onshore winds?

A

Winds that blow onto the coast.

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3
Q

What are offshore winds?

A

Winds that blow off and away from the coast.

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4
Q

What does the term aeolian, mean?

A

Relating to the action of the wind.

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5
Q

What do physical factors vary in?

A

Terms of spatial (size) and temporal (time span) impacts.

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6
Q

Give an example of how physical factors are interrelated.

A

No wind = no waves.

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7
Q

What are the 5 physical factors?

A

Winds.

Waves.

Tides.

Geology.

Currents.

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8
Q

How is wave energy generated?

(Winds)

A

By the frictional drag of winds moving across the ocean surface (kinetic energy).

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9
Q

The higher the wind speed and the longer the fetch, the…

(Winds)

A

The larger the waves are, and the more energy they possess.

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10
Q

What do onshore winds generate? What angle do they have to blow at for longshore drift to occur?

(Winds)

A

Waves.

45° angle.

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11
Q

Wind is a moving force. What 3 things can it carry out by itself?

(Winds)

A

Erosion, transportation, and deposition.

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12
Q

What types of energy do waves possess?

(Waves)

A

Potential energy due to position above trough.

This allows for the transfer of kinetic energy.

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13
Q

How do waves move?

(Waves)

A

They don’t move forwards, but circularly against water molecules.

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14
Q

Describe the relationship between wave height and wave energy.

(Waves)

A

The relationship between wave height and wave energy is non-linear.

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15
Q

All waves have the same basic anatomy, but wave behaviour is complex and influenced by many factors. State 2.

(Wave anatomy)
(Waves)

A

Shape and gradient of the sea floor.

Irregularities of the coastline.

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16
Q

What is the wave crest?

(Wave anatomy)
(Waves)

A

The highest surface part of a wave.

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17
Q

What is the wave trough?

(Wave anatomy)
(Waves)

A

The lowest surface part of a wave.

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18
Q

What is wave height?

(Wave anatomy)
(Waves)

A

The vertical distance between crest and trough.

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19
Q

What is wavelength?

(Wave anatomy)
(Waves)

A

The horizontal distance between two adjacent crests or troughs.

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20
Q

How is the speed, direction, and shape of a wave changed?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Waves move into shallow water.

The deepest circling water molecules come into contact with the seafloor.

Friction occurs.

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21
Q

What are swell waves?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Waves generated far away in open oceans.

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22
Q

What are storm waves?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Locally generated waves with a short wavelength.

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23
Q

How do breaking waves form?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Waves slow down as they drag.

This decreases the wavelength and successive waves start to bunch up.

The wave height increases as the crest advances ahead of the base.

Eventually the wave topples over and breaks against the shore.

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24
Q

What are the 3 types of breaking wave?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Spilling, plunging, and surging.

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25
Q

Outline spilling waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Steep waves break gently onto sloping beaches.

Water spills gently forward as the wave breaks.

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26
Q

Outline plunging waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Moderately steep waves break onto steep beaches.

Water plunges vertically downwards as the crest curls over.

27
Q

Outline surging waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Low-angle waves break onto steep beaches.

The wave slides forward and may not actually break.

28
Q

Outline waveheight, wavelength, and wave frequency in constructive waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Low waveheight.

Long wavelengths.

Low frequency, (6-8 waves per minute).

29
Q

Outline waveheight, wavelength, and wave frequency in destructive waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

High waveheight.

Short wavelength.

High frequency, (12-14) waves per minute.

30
Q

Describe the swash/ backwash relationship in constructive waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Swash energy exceeds backwash energy.

Due to the long wavelength, backwash returns to the sea before the next wave breaks, and so the next swash movement is uninterrupted and thus retains its energy.

31
Q

How do constructive waves usually break?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

As spilling waves.

This is because the strong swash travels along way up the gently sloping beach.

32
Q

Describe the swash/ backwash relationship in destructive waves.

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

Backwash energy exceeds swash energy.

Friction from the steep beach slows the swash so it doesn’t travel far before returning down the beach as backwash.

With a short wavelength, the swash of the next wave is often slowed by the frictional effects of meeting the retuning backwash of the previous wave.

33
Q

How do destructive waves usually break?

(Types of waves)
(Waves)

A

As plunging waves.

This is because there is little transfer of energy to move water up the gently sloping beach as swash.

34
Q

What are tides?

(Tides)

A

The periodic rise and fall of the ocean (sea surface).

35
Q

What causes tides?

(Tides)

A

The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.

36
Q

What is a tidal range?

(Tides)

A

The difference between a high and low tide.

37
Q

What is the tidal range of the Severn Estuary?

(Tides)

A

14m.

38
Q

Where does a tidal range influence? What does this mean for a larger tidal range?

(Tides)

A

Tidal range influence where wave action hits the cliff.

If the tidal range is larger more wave action will be given on the cliff/ coastline.

38
Q

Why does the Severn Estuary have a tidal range of 14m?

(Tides)

A

Due to topography the water is funnelled at high tides.

39
Q

How often do spring tides happen?

(Tides)

A

Twice each lunar month.

40
Q

Large tidal bulges are related to what? What about smaller bulges?

(Tides)

A

Larger bulges = stronger gravitational pulls.

Smaller bulges = weaker gravitational pulls.

41
Q

What are spring tides?

(Tides)

A

Larger tides.

42
Q

What are neap tides?

(Tides)

A

Smaller tides.

43
Q

What constitutes a micro tidal range?

(Tides)

A

Anything less than 2 m.

44
Q

What constitutes a macro tidal range?

(Tides)

A

Anything greater than 4 m.

45
Q

What is lithology?

(Geology)

A

Refers to the physical and chemical composition of rocks.

46
Q

What are the 3 different rock lithologies?

(Geology)

A

Strong, weak, and carboniferous.

47
Q

Outline a weak lithology. Give an example.

(Geology)

A

Has little resistance to erosion, weathering and mass movement.

Bonds between particles are weak.

E.g. clay.

48
Q

Outline a strong lithology. Give an example.

(Geology)

A

Collections of strong interlocking crystals; so is very resistant to erosion.

Will form prominent coastal features such as cliffs and headlands.

E.g. basalt.

49
Q

Outline a carboniferous lithology. Give an example.

(Geology)

A

Predominately made from calcium carbonate.

Reacts with acid, so rocks are physically strong but chemically weak.

E.g. chalk, acid rain polluted sea water.

50
Q

What is rock structure?

(Geology)

A

The individual properties of a rock.

51
Q

What are the three structural features of rocks?

(Geology)

A

Joints, faults, and beddings.

52
Q

Outline rock joints.

(Geology)

A

Lines of weakness within a rock type.

53
Q

Outline rock faults.

(Geology)

A

Lines of weakness within a rock type, but on a larger scale.

54
Q

Outline rock beddings.

(Geology)

A

The different layers of geology.

The weakness is where two beds meet.

55
Q

What are the types of current?

(Currents)

A

Onshore, offshore, and rip currents.

56
Q

What are rip currents?

(Currents)

A

Currents that approach the shore perpendicularly.

57
Q

How do rip currents form?

(Currents)

A

A wave with a large wave height breaks onshore adjacent to two waves with a lower wave height.

The swash of the larger wave travels further on the beach, than the two smaller waves.

As all the waves break, the smaller two will start to create a backwash before the larger wave.

This means that the larger middle wave is then split on the beach; dividing the backwash equally.

As this repeats, cusps (semi-circular depressions on the beach) will form.

These cusps allow the backwash to ‘shortcut’ the original backwash as they are channelled around.

In turn, this increases the speed of the cellular backwash.

The cellular backwash is then taken out to sea, in a potentially deadly retreat.

58
Q

What are offshore currents also known as?

(Currents)

A

Ocean currents.

Shape the coastline through warm and cold currents.

59
Q

What do offshore currents do?

(Currents)

A

Shape the coastline through warm and cold currents.

60
Q

What can warm currents cause?

(Currents)

A

Lots of evaporation, precipitation, and the possibility of tropical storms.

61
Q

What energy does a tropical storm require?

(Currents)

A

Kinetic and thermal energy transfers from the warm current.

62
Q

Why are warm currents the most significant type of current?

(Currents)

A

They blow onshore winds with the hotter air onto the coast.

This means that the tropical storms are brought to the coast.

Coastal Landscapes (9 decks)

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