8.1 COASTAL PROCESSES

Question 1

littoral zone?

Answer 1

wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore

Question 2

name the 4 subzones of the littoral zone…

Answer 2

1. backshore
2. foreshore
3. nearshore
4. offshore

Question 3

what are the 2 diff coast types?

Answer 3

-rocky
-coastal plains

Question 4

features of a cliffed coast? (3)

Answer 4

-abrupt transition from land to sea
-at low tide, the foreshore zone is exposed as a rocky platform
-vertical cliffs

Question 5

features of a sandy coastline? (2)

Answer 5

-at high tide the sandy beach is inundated
-it prevents erosion through the dune vegetation

Question 6

features of an estuarine coastline? (2)

Answer 6

-extensive mud flats
-gradual transition from land to sea

Question 7

what are primary coasts dominated by?

Answer 7

-dominated by deposition

Question 8

what are secondary coasts dominated by?

Answer 8

-dominated by marine erosion

Question 9

what is an emergent coast?

Answer 9

-coasts that are rising relative to sea level

Question 10

what is a submergent coast?

Answer 10

-being flooded by sea

Question 11

what are the three tidal ranges and what is the range?

Answer 11

microtidal (0-2m)
mesotidal (2-4m)
mactrotidal (>4m)

Question 12

what would small waves be caused by? (4)

Answer 12

-low energy
-sheltered coasts
-limited fetch
-low wind speeds

Question 13

what would big waves be caused by? (4)

Answer 13

-high energy
-exposed coasts
-facing prevailing winds
-long wave fetch

Question 14

what is a cliff profile?

Answer 14

-height and angle of cliff face as well as features
-e.g cut out notches

Question 15

where marine erosion dominates, what features are there?

Answer 15

-steep cliffs
-limited base debris
-active undercutting

Question 16

where sub-aerial processes dominates, what features are there? (3)

Answer 16

-curved slope profile
-lower angle face
-accumulated debris

Question 17

what is coastal accretion?

Answer 17

-build-up of the coast through deposition from sea + land via rivers

Question 18

whats dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 18

-balance between inputs and outputs through feedback overtime

Question 19

what is weathering?

Answer 19

-chemical, biological and mechanical breakdown of rocks into smaller fragments and new minerals

Question 20

what is mass movement?

Answer 20

-landslides, slumps and rock falls
-which move material downslope under the influence of gravity

Question 21

what is surface runoff?

Answer 21

-water, usually during rain, falling down cliff face and causing erosion

Question 22

resistance is influenced by? (3)

Answer 22

-how reactive minerals in the rock are when exposed to chemical weathering
eg calcite can be weathered by solution but quartz is not subject to chemical weathering
-is rocks are clastic
-degree at which rocks have cracks

Question 23

coastal recession rate for granite? and what lithology is it?

Answer 23

0.1-0.3
igneous

Question 24

coastal recession rate for limestone? and what lithology is it?

Answer 24

1-2
sedimentary

Question 25

coastal recession rate for chalk? and what lithology is it?

Answer 25

1-100
sedimentary

Question 26

coastal recession rate for sandstone? and what lithology is it?

Answer 26

10-100
sedimentary

Question 27

coastal recession rate for boulder clay? and what lithology is it?

Answer 27

100-1000
unconsolidated

Question 28

how do coastal plains form and give an example? (3)

Answer 28

-result of a fall in sea level exposing the seabed of what was once a shallow continental shelf (eg Atlantic coastal plain in USA)
-depostion of sediment from land