Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Buisness > 2.1 - Coastal processes > Flashcards

2.1 - Coastal processes Flashcards

1
Q

What are the zones that the littoral zone can be divided into

-name them in order

A

coast
backshore
foreshore
nearshore
offshore

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the backshore zone found in the littoral zone

-what is it

A

area between the high tide mark
- affected by wave action during major storms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the foreshore zone found in the littoral zone

-what is it

A

area between high tide and low tide mark
- seen as most important area for marine activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the nearshore zone found in the littoral zone

-what is it

A

-area of shallow water where friction occurs between seabed and waves- causing waves to break

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the offshore zone found in the littoral zone

-what is it

A

area of deeper water beyond the point where waves begin to break
friction occurs between seabed and waves- could cause distortion in wave shape

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Name the 2 main types of coastlines formed by the littoral zone

A

Rocky/ Cliffed coastlines
- Coastal plain landscapes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are rocky coastlines

A

reas of high relief

resistant rock areas- resistant to erosive power of sea, wind, rain

high energy environments

rock types: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks- granite, slate, limestone

erosion is greater than deposition

destructive waves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is weathering

A

chemical, bilogical, mechanical breadown of rocks into smaller fragments in situ

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is mass movement

A

landslides, slumps, rockfalls all of which move material downslope under the influence of gravity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is surface runoff

A

water, usually during heavy rain, flowing down cliff face and causing erosion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the littoral zone

A

-boundary between land and sea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Why does the littoral zone vary

A

due to:
short-term factors- daily tides, seasonal storms, individual waves

long-term factors- changes to sea levels, climate change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Name the 3 coastal landscapes the littoral zone forms

A

rocky, cliffed coastline
sandy coastline
estuarine coastline

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are sandy coastlines

A

areas of low relief with sand dunes and beaches, that are much flatter

form in areas with:

less resistant geology
a low energy environment
where deposition > erosion
constructive waves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are estuarine coastlines

A

areas of low relief with salt marshes and mudflats (estuaries)

form:

in river mouths
where deposition > erosion
in a low energy environment
usually in areas of less resistant rock

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is coastal accretion

A

deposition of sediment at the coast and the seaward growth of coastline- creating new land

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium

A

balanced state of a system when inputs and outputs balance over time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How are coastal plains maintained in a state of dynamic equilibrium in many locations

A

deposition of sediment from river systems inland and from offshore and longshore sources

erosion by marine action

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is a cliff profile

A

height and angle of a cliff face as well as its features

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Name the inputs in the coastal system

A

inputs

marine- waves, tides
atmospheric- weather/ climate
land-rock type, structure
people- human activity, coastal management

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Breakdown the coastal system

A

-inputs -> processes -> outputs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Name the processes in the coastal system

A

weathering
mass movement
erosion
transport
deposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Name the outputs in the coastal system

A

erosional landforms
depositional landforms
different types of coasts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Name the 2 ways coasts can be classified

A

longer-term criteria:

geology
sea level change
short-term criteria:

level of energy
advancing/ retreating

25
How can coasts be classified by their geology
lithology (rock type) and structure of rocks -used to determine if coast rocky, sandy or estuarine and concordant / discordant
26
How can coasts be classified because of sea level change
used to classify coasts as emergent/ submergent can be caused by: tectonic processes- lift/ subside land- effects sea levels climate change- sea levels rise and fall
27
How can coasts be classified because of energy inputs
receive energy inputs form waves, tides, currents, rivers, atmospheric processes, gravity tectonics classify coasts as high/ low energy
28
How can coasts be classified because of advancing/ retreating
classified as advancing/ retreating due to long-term processes (emergent/submergent) and short term (outbuilding/eroding)
29
What are the 2 main cliff profile types
marine erosion dominated (steep face) - sub-aerial process dominated (curved slope profile)
30
What factors can determine a rocks resistance to erosion and weathering
How reactive minerals in the rock are when exposed to chemical weathering- e.g. calcite (found in limestone) can be weathered by solution, whereas quartz (found in sandstone) is not subject to chemical weathering if rocks are clastic/ crystalline- igneous rocks are crystalline and are more resistant, sedimentary rocks are clastic (made of cemented sediment particles if rocks have cracks, fractures and fissures, which are weaknesses exploited by the forces of weathering and erosion
31
What are primary coasts?
Coastlines dominated by land-based processes such as deposition
32
What are secondary coasts?
Coastlines dominated by marine erosion or deposition processes
33
What is the difference between emergent and submergent coasts?
Emergent - coasts rising relative to sea level (e.g. due to tectonic uplift) Submergent - coasts being flooded by the sea (due to rising sea levels or subsiding land)
34
What is dynamic equilibrium
balanced state of a system when inputs & outputs balance over time -this is due to balancing forces of: -deposition of sediment from river -erosion by marine action at coast
35
What are the 3 key elements to geological structure and what do they mean?
Strata - the different layers of rock within an area and how they relate to each other Deformation - degree to which rock units have been deformed by tectonic activity Faulting - presence of major fractures that have moved rocks from their original positions
36
What are concordant and discordant coastlines?
Concordant - rock strata run parallel to the coastline Discordant - different rock strata intersect the coast at an angle
37
How are headlands and bays formed at discordant coastlines?
Softer rock eroded faster - creating bays Wave refraction means lateral erosion occurs at headlands (cave arch stack stump), while wave energy in bays is much lower and erosion is reduced
38
How do coves form on concordant coastlines?
More resistant rock broken through by marine erosion, and the softer rock behind is then rapidly eroded to form wide coves. At the back of the coves is more resistant rock which prevents erosion further inland
39
What is a Dalmatian coastline? Coastline made up of anticlines and synclines that has been drowned by rising sea levels, creating concordant coastline of long narrow islands arranged in long lines offshore
What is a Haff coastline? A concordant coastline where long sediment ridges topped by sand dunes run parallel to the coast offshore, creating lagoons between ridges and shore
40
What 2 geological factors affect cliff profiles?
the resistance to erosion of the rock the dip of rock strata in relation to the coastline
41
What is dip, and why is it important in determining cliff profiles?
Dip is the angle of rock strata in relation to the horizontal. It is important as determines the stability of the cliff
42
What are joints?
Joints divide rock strata up into blocks with a regular shape
43
What are fissures?
Much smaller cracks in rocks, often only a few centimetres or millimteres long
44
How does folding occur and how does it create anticlines and synclines?
Folding occurs due to crustal compression - when horizontal strata are ‘squeezed’ they can be folded into a series of anticlines and synclines. Anticlines - A shaped (convex up) Synclines - U shaped (concave down)
45
What are faults?
Major fractures in rocks produced by tectonic forces and involving the displacement of rocks on either side of the fault line
46
What is unconsolidated sediment?
Material such as sand, gravel, clay and silt that has not been compacted and cemented to become sedimentary rock, so is loose and easily eroded
47
What is igneous rock (give examples) and what is it’s erosion rate?
Igneous rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of magma - e.g. granite or basalt VERY SLOW rate of erosion (< 1mm a year) - as they are crystalline and have few joints
48
What is metamorphic rock (give examples) and what is it’s erosion rate?
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have become changed by intense heat or pressure while forming. e.g. slate, marble SLOW erosion rate (1mm to 10 cm per year) - some are crystalline, others are folded and heavily fractured
49
What is sedimentary rock (give examples) and what is it’s erosion rate?
Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms. e.g. sandstone, limestone MODERATE TO FAST erosion rate (10cm to several metres) - often clastic, and have many bedding planes and fractures
50
What is the difference between impermeable and permeable rocks?
Permeable - allow water to flow through them Impermeable - do not allow groundwater flow
51
What is pore water pressure?
The pressure water experiences at a particular point below the water table due to the weight of water above
52
How does vegetation stabilise sediment?
Roots of plants bind sediment particles together making them harder to erode When submerged, plants growing in sediment providing a protective layer (surface of sediment not exposed to moving water) Plants reduce wind speed to reduce wind erosion because of friction with vegetation
53
What is the difference between halophytes and xerophytes?
Halophytes - tolerate salty conditions Xerophytes - can tolerate very dry conditions
54
What is a psammosere and a halosere?
Psammosere - sand dune ecosystem Halosere - salt marsh ecosystem
55
What are the stages in sand dune succession?
embryo dunes fore dunes yellow dunes fixed dunes (grey) heath/woodland
56
What are the roles of embryo dune pioneer plants?
stabilise mobile sand with their root systems reduce wind speeds at the sand surface, allowing more sand to be deposited add dead organic matter to the sand, beginning the process of soil formation
57
Why are sand dunes a dynamic environment?
periods of wind erosion can create low areas within dune systems called dune slacks embryo and fore dunes are prone to wind and wave erosion, particularly during major storms, but the dune front will stabilise as long as the supply of sediment to the coast resumes
58
Why are estuaries ideal for the development of salt marshes?
sheltered from strong waves so sediment can be deposited rivers transport a supply of sediment to river mouth, which may be added to by sediment flowing into an estuary at high tide
59
Q What are the stages in salt marsh succession?
Algal stage - algae grows on and within bare mud, binding it together Pioneer stage - roots begin to stabilise mud Establishment stage - continuous carpet of vegetation established Stabilisation - area of salt marsh rarely submerged Climax vegetation - developed soil profile, only submerged once or twice each year

Buisness (22 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions