4.3 Distinctive Costal Landscapes Are Influenced By Geology Interacting With Physical Processes Flashcards
What is the rock type (geology) like on a concordant coastline?
1) A concordant coastline has the same type of rock along it’s length.
2) Concordant coastlines tend to have fewer bays and headlands.
What features are found on a concordant coastline?
1) The concordant coastlines have fewer features.
2) Fewer headlands and bays.
3) Same type of rock along it’s length.
What is the rock type like on a discordant coastline?
Coastlines where the geology alternates between strata of hard rock and soft rock are called discordant coastlines.
What is the difference between hard/soft rock?
1) Hard rock is any rock that is resistant and strong.
Example: granite
2) The bands of soft rock, such as sand and clay, erode more quickly than hard rock
What are the characteristics of headlands and bays?
1) Headlands are formed when the sea attacks a section of coast with alternating bands of hard and soft rock.
2) The area where the soft rock has eroded away next to the headlands are called bays.
What is a wave cut platforms?
Wave cut platforms are a narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay or sea that was created by the erosion of waves.
How is a wave cut platform formed?
Wave cut platforms form when destructive waves hit against the cliff face, causing undercutting between the high and low water marks, mainly as a resultant of corrosion and hydraulic power, creating a wave cut notch.
What are the characteristics of a arch/stack/stump?
1) When the arch collapses, it leaves the headland on one side and a stack on the other.
2) The stack will be attached at the base in the same way that a wave cut notch is formed.
3) This weakens the structure and it will eventually collapse to form a stump.
What 3 factors affect wave energy?
1) The wind must be blowing faster than the transfer of energy from wave crest to wave crest.
2) It is the amount of time the wind blows, or wind duration.
3) It is the fetch, the uninterrupted distance over sea for which the wind blows without a change in direction.
Where in the UK are the biggest waves?
Dorset
What are characteristics of a destructive wave?
1) created in storm conditions
2) created in big strong winds and waves
3) occur when energy level is high
4) stronger backwash than swash
5) short wave length and are high and steep
What are the characteristics of constructive waves?
1) created in calm conditions
2) break on the shore
3) deposit materials
4) swash is stronger than the backwash
5) long wavelength and are low in height
How do rockfalls break down the cliff?
It happens when pieces of rock fall away down the cliff.
Freeze thaw weathering
1) if the air temperature drops below freezing, the water will freeze and expand.
2) the ice will melt when the temperature rises.
3) if the process repeats, the rock will weaken.
4) the fragments may be deposited.
Chemical weathering
The erosion or disintegrated rocks, building materials etc… caused by chemical reactions rather than mechanical processes.
