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Coasts > basics > Flashcards

basics Flashcards

1
Q

what type of system is the coastal system?

A

open

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2
Q

why is the coastal system an open system?

A

it interacts with other systems (e.g. rivers and climate systems)

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3
Q

how does the climatic system interact with coast?

A
  • wind erodes (creates LSD)
  • storms erode coastline
  • sea level change
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4
Q

dynamic equilibrium

A

inputs are equal to outputs

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5
Q

what is the dynamic equilibrium affected by?

A
  • supply of sand
  • energy of waves
  • location of shoreline
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6
Q

landforms

A

individual features which are created by coastal processes

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7
Q

landscapes

A
  • the entire area of sea, coastline and immediate land behind the sea front
  • within the landscape are characteristic landforms
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8
Q

how are waves formed?

A
  • wind causes friction with water and transmits energy
  • creates a wave crest
  • wave travels in circular motion
  • as shoreline inteferes with wave it causes a more horizontal wave movement and the wave breaks
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9
Q

which area of the UK is subject to the most powerful waves? why?

A
  • south west coastline
  • strong prevailing winds from that direction
  • fetch of 3600km
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10
Q

constructive landscapes contain what features?

A
  • spits
  • bars
  • tombolos
  • beaches
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11
Q

destructive landsapes contain what features?

A
  • arches
  • stacks
  • wave cut platforms
  • caves
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12
Q

neap tides

  • when are they formed?
  • characteristics?
A
  • when the sun and moon create right angle
  • low tidal range
  • high low tides
  • low high tides
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13
Q

spring tides

  • when are they formed?
  • characteristics?
A
  • sun and moon in line with each other
  • high tidal range
  • high high tides
  • low low tides
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14
Q

sources of sediment within the coastal system?

A
  • fluvial sediment from rivers
  • cliff erosion
  • offshore sediment transported by waves/tides
  • wind transports sand (sand dunes)
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15
Q

what is ‘beach morphology’

A

the shape of the coast/beach

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16
Q

sweep zone

A

area between high and low tide

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17
Q

examples of stores within coastal system

A
  • beach
  • spit
  • bar
  • sand dunes
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18
Q

examples of transfers/flows within coastal system

A
  • erosion
  • LSD
  • evaporation
  • mass movement
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19
Q

examples of inputs within coastal system

A
  • wind
  • precipitation
  • fluvial sediment
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20
Q

examples of outputs within coastal system

A
  • ocean currents
  • headlands
  • bays
  • riptides
  • wave cut platforms
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21
Q

example of feedback within coastal system

A

mass movement reduces cliff foot erosion

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22
Q

atmospheric factors influencing coastline

A
  • solar energy
  • temperature
  • winds
  • precipitation
  • climate change
23
Q

terrestrial factors influencing coastline

A
  • tectonics
  • glaciations
  • supply of sediment
  • sub-ariel processes
  • fluvial processes
24
Q

human factors influencing coastline

A
  • tourism/recreation
  • pollution
  • industry and residential development
  • sea defences
  • conservation
25
Q

positive feedback of weathering

A

when the rate of debris removal exceeds the rate of weathering/mass movement, the weathering may increase

26
Q

negative feedback of weathering

A
  • if debris removal is slow, it will lead to a build up of debris
  • this reduces exposure of cliff face to elements so weathering slows and mass movement decreases
27
Q

factors that influence erosion

A
  • wave type
  • rock type and rock angle
  • coastal defences
  • high or low energy coastline
  • weather
  • material
  • sub ariel processes
28
Q

deposition in high energy coasts

A
  • small particles easily transported

- larger/heavier material is deposited which forms shingle beaches

29
Q

deposition in low energy coasts

A
  • even smallest material is deposited forming mudflats and salt marshes
30
Q

concordant coastlines

A
  • rocks on these coastlines run parallel to the sea
31
Q

discordant coastlines

A
  • rocks on these coastlines run perpendicular to the sea
32
Q

how does a wave cut platform develop?

A
  • waves breaking at cliff-foot produce wave-cut-notch
  • undercutting is result of abrasion etc
  • as cliff is undercut, rock above collapses so the cliff gradually retreats
  • sloppy rocky platform is left
33
Q

what effect do wave cut platforms have on erosion?

A
  • waves have a larger distance to travel in shallow waters so will break earlier
  • erosion of cliff face should decrease
34
Q

strand line

A

strands of material (e.g. seaweed) on beach that gets deposited and shows high tide line

35
Q

characteristics of high energy coastline

A
  • erosion exceeds deposition
  • rocky coastline
  • contains cliffs, headlands
36
Q

characteristics of low energy coastline

A
  • sheltered areas
  • less powerful waves
  • deposition exceeds erosion
  • sandy / estuarine
  • beaches and spits
37
Q

formation of a spit

A

-

38
Q

what is a spit?

A

a long narrow piece of land made up of sand/shingle joined to the mainland which protrudes out to sea or across a river estuary

39
Q

how is a spit formed?

A
  • LSD will move material along a coastline in direction of prevailing winds
  • as the coastline changes direction, waves lose energy and deposit material
  • this material builds upwards and outwards
  • wave refraction and second dominant wind cause the material to move away causing a curved end
40
Q

the area behind a spit turns into a…?

why?

A
  • salt marsh
  • low energy waves enter area and deposit material
  • this material builds up and vegetation begins to grow
41
Q

simple vs compound spits

A

simple - no hooks or barbs

compound - do have hooks and barbs

42
Q

what is a tombolo?

A

a narrow strip of sediment going the mainland and an island

43
Q

how is a tombolo formed?

A
  • LSD occurs and moves sediment outwards from mainland

- the island stops the sediment from extending further and joins the island to mainland

44
Q

what are sand dunes?

A

accumulations of sand blown into mounds by the wind

45
Q

how are sand dunes formed?

A
  • sand accumulates on the beach from LSD
  • at low tide the sand dries out allowing the prevailing winds to move the sand up the beach
  • debris such as driftwood traps sand and dune starts
  • lyme grass grows to stabilise dunes
  • need large inter tidal zones for sand to be dry
46
Q

stages of dunes

A
  • embryo dune
  • fore dune
  • yellow dune
  • grey dune
  • dune slack
  • mature dune
47
Q

swash aligned beaches

A
  • form in low energy environments (bays)
  • no LSD
  • parallel waves
  • sediment moves forward and backward
48
Q

drift aligned beaches

A
  • form where waves approach coast at an angle
  • LSD occurs
  • leads to tombolos, spits, bars
  • material eroded quickly
49
Q

beaches

- where and why do they form?

A
  • low energy coastline
  • in littoral zone between low and high tide
  • constructive waves deposit material
  • sediment origin: cliff/dune erosion, river sediment
50
Q

beach ridges and runnels

A

ridges: furthest deposited material at each high tide
runnels: separate pools of standing water at low tide/ perpendicular channels through which theres backwash

51
Q

required conditions for mudflat formation

A
  • sheltered areas where deposition occur
  • where salt and freshwater meet
  • where there are no strong tides or currents
52
Q

pioneer species?
flocculation?
halophytes?

A

pioneer species: plants tolerant to salt(e.g.sea blite)
flocculation: mud/material is dropped out of the water close to the hight tide line
halophytes : plants that can live in saltwater environments

53
Q

what is a salt marsh?

A

area of coastal grassland that is regularly flooded by seawater

Coasts (6 decks)

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