Beach Features

Question 1

Back shore

Answer 1

the area of a shore that is above the high-water mark except in very severe weather

Question 2

Beach Berms

Answer 2

terrace of a beach that has formed in the backshore, above the water level at high tide. Berms are commonly found on beaches that have fairly coarse sand and are the result of the deposition of material by low-energy waves.

Question 3

Beach Cusps

Answer 3

Beach cusps are shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern.

Question 4

Beach Morphology

Answer 4

Refers to the study of the interaction and adjustment of the seafloor topography and fluid hydrodynamic processes, seafloor morphologies and sequences of change dynamics involving the motion of sediment.

Question 5

Caves, Arches, Stacks and Stumps

Answer 5

Formed by erosion.

Question 6

Concordant coast

Answer 6

A concordant coastline has the same type of rock along its length. Concordant coastlines tend to have fewer bays and headlands

Question 7

Cuspate Foreland (low lying headland)

Answer 7

An accretionary feature consisting of a triangular accumulation of sand or shingle projecting seawards from the shoreline. It can have straight or concave shores and multiple beach ridges marking stages in progradation

Question 8

Dalmatian Coast

Answer 8

a coastline characterized by chains of islands close to the mainland, formed when rising sea levels flood a series of valleys and ridges parallel to the coast

Question 9

Emergent coast

Answer 9

are stretches along the coast that have been exposed by the sea due to a relative fall in sea levels. This occurs due to either isostasy or eustasy.

Question 10

Fetch

Answer 10

The distance the wind blows over the surface of the water.

Question 11

Foreshore

Answer 11

That part of a beach that is exposed by the low tides and submerged by high tides. This area can include many different types of habitats, including steep rocky cliffs, sandy beaches or vast mudflats. Also called intertidal beach

Question 12

High Energy Coastlines

Answer 12

high energy coast have steep slopes with energetic waves

Question 13

Littoral Zone

Answer 13

In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to mean the same as the intertidal zone.

Question 14

Low energy coast

Answer 14

A shoreline that is sheltered from large waves and long period waves. Occur in gulfs and behind islands and reefs on the open coast

Question 15

Near shore

Answer 15

relating to or denoting the region of the sea or seabed relatively close to a shore

Question 16

offshore

Answer 16

The offshore zone is not well defined. In relation to beach terminology, it is thus not clear if it starts from the littoral zone, from the breaking or from the nearshore zone. In the present context, the offshore zone is defined as the zone off the nearshore zone.

Question 17

Pasammosere

Answer 17

Most common psammoseres are sand dune systems. In a psammosere, the organisms closest to the sea will be pioneer species.

Question 18

Raised beach

Answer 18

a former beach now lying above water level owing to geological changes since its formation

Question 19

Runnel

Answer 19

Ridgesandrunnelsform parallel to the shore line in the foreshore zone.Ridgesare areas of the foreshore that are raised above the adjacent shore which dips into a runnel. The runnels are disrupted by channels that help to drain the water down the beach

Question 20

Submergent Coast

Answer 20

Submergent coastlines are stretches along the coast that have been inundated by the sea due to a relative rise in sea levels. This occurs due to either isostacy or eustacy

Question 21

swash

Answer 21

When a wave breaks, water is washed up the beach - this is called the swash