8 coasts key terms Flashcards
coastal accretion
deposition of sediment at the coast which leads to the seaward growth of the coastline
involves sediment disposition being stabilised by vegetation
dynamic equilibrium
complete balance in a system where inputs and outputs equal each other over time
if there is an outside influence, the internal balances of the system will change
by a process of feedback the system adjusts to the change and the equilibrium is regained
cliff profile
the height and angle of a cliff face
also it’s feature such as a wave cut notch
littoral zone
the wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore
holocene
the geological epoch that began about 12,000 years ago
it’s early stages were marked by large sea level rises to 35m and a warming interglacial climate
faults
major fractures in rocks produced by tectonic force
unconsolidated sediment
material that has not been cemented to become sedimentary rock
sand, gravel, boulder clay
pore water pressure
the pressure water experiences at a particular point below the water table
due to the weight of water above it
halophytes
plants that can tolerate salt water eg marram grass
they can be submerged at high tide or simply spray with sea salt
xerophytes
ZERO salt water
can’t tolerate salt water but can tolerate dry conditions such as plants found in coastal sand dunes
psammosere
sand dune ecosystem
halosere
salt marsh eco system
