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Edexcel Geography AS Level > 3.1 Coastal Processes > Flashcards

3.1 Coastal Processes Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the littoral zone?

A

The littoral zone is the area of coastline where land is subject to wave action.

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2
Q

What are the 4 zones in the Littoral Zone?

A

Offshore - area of deeper water beyond where waves break
Nearshore - area of shallow water where waves break
Foreshore - area between high and low tide marks
Backshore - area above high tide mark only affected by waves in high tides

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3
Q

What is the rate of erosion?

A

Rate of Recession is how fast coastline is retreating and is affected by lithology (rock type)

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4
Q

What are the 3 main types of rock?

A
  • Igneous - very slow erosion rate: crystalline & have few joints eg granite, basalt, dolerite.
  • Metamorphic - slow erosion rate: crystalline, foliation and often folded & fractured eg slate, schist, marble
  • Sedimentary - fast erosion rate: clastic, geologically young, many bedding planes & fractures eg sandstone, limestone, shale
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5
Q

What are sediment cells?

A

Coasts that are split into sections and these coasts can be considered an OPEN SYSTEM

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6
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?
What are inputs and outputs?

A

Where inputs and outputs are balanced.

  • Input: action of waves, wind & currents
  • Output: erosion
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7
Q

How many sediment cells are in England & Wales?

A

There are 11 sediment cells.

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8
Q

What are Sources in a sediment cell?

A

Where sediment comes from (eg cliffs, offshore bars)

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9
Q

What are transport in a Sediment cell?

A

Movement of sediment along the shore (eg longshore drift)

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10
Q

What are Sinks in a sediment cell?

A

Areas of deposition (eg spits, beaches)

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11
Q

What is a feedback loop?

A

The coastal system maintains dynamic equilibrium through FEEDBACK LOOPS

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12
Q

What is a Negative Feedback Loop?

A

Lessens any changes that occured within the system.

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13
Q

What is a Positive Feedback Loop?

A

Enhances any changes that have occurred within the system.

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14
Q

What is a rocky coastline?

A

High relief, form in areas of high energy, resistant rock, destructive waves.

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15
Q

What is a sandy coastline?

A

Low relief, form in areas of low energy, less resistant rock, constructive waves.

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16
Q

What is an estuarine coastline?

A

Low relief, form in river mouths, low energy areas, less resistant rock.

17
Q

What are the 2 main coastal processes?

A
  • Primary coasts: land based processes.
  • Secondary coasts: marine processes
18
Q

What 2 types of coasts that are linked to sea level change?

A
  • Emergent coasts - rising relative to sea level.
  • Submergent coasts - sinking relative to sea.
19
Q

What are the 2 types of coasts that are linked to wave energy?

A
  • Low energy coasts: sheltered, small fetch, low wind speed, constructive waves.
  • High energy coasts: exposed, long fetch, high wind speed, destructive waves.
20
Q

What are faults?

A

Major weakness within strata, rocks are heavily fractured.

21
Q

What are joints?

A

Occur in most rocks in regular patterns.

22
Q

What is Valetin’s Classification of Coasts?

A

Recognizes that coasts can be erosional/depositional and emerging and submerging and that these effects can magnify or neutralize each other. Revised in 1952.

23
Q

What is the Geological Structure of rock and what are the 3 elements?

A

Refers to the arrangement of rocks.
- Strata
- Deformation
- Faulting

24
Q

What is the strata?

A

Different rock layers.

25
Q

What is a deformation?

A

How much rocks are tilted/folded by tectonic activity.

26
Q

What is faulting?

A

Major fractures that have moved rocks from their original position.

27
Q

What is a concordant coastline?

A

Pacific coasts, rock strata parallel to coastline eg Lulworth (Dorset)

28
Q

What is a discordant coastline?

A

Atlantic coasts, rock strata perpendicular at an angle of the coastline eg West Cork Coast (Ireland)

29
Q

What are cliff profiles?

A

Influenced mainly by the rocks resistance of erosion and its dip (angle of strata from the horizontal)

30
Q

What is a horizontal dip?

A

Vertical profile, notches where soft strata is eroded.

31
Q

What is a seaward dip? (High angle)

A

Sloping, low angle profile, vulnerable to rock slides.

32
Q

What is a seaward dip (low angle)

A

90 degree + profile, overhanging areas, very vulnerable to rock falls.

33
Q

What is a landward dip?

A

Steep profile, very stable cliff, reduced fock falls.

34
Q

What is coastal vegetation?

A

Vegetation supports sandy coastlines + protects against recession, as sand dunes are constantly supplied by sediment.

35
Q

What plants colonize embryo and fore dunes?

A

Halophytic plants such as sea rockets.

36
Q

What plants colonize yellow dunes?

A

Xerophytic and halophytic plants such as marram grass.

37
Q

What plants colonize grey dunes?

A

Heathers or lot of humus.

Edexcel Geography AS Level (8 decks)

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