coast Flashcards
what is a beach?
is a strip of land separating sea from inland made up of materials e.g pebbles and rocks
what is a bay?
a bay is a body of water surrounded by land usually bye the sea line it is formed when there is a softer rock next to harder rock and it is more easily eroded.
what is a stack?
a stack is formed when part of a headland is eroded by hydraulic action, which is the force of the sea or water crashing against the rock. Eventually, erosion will cause the stack to collapse, leaving a stump.
what is a cave?
caves occur when waves force their way into cracks in the cliff face. The water contains sand and other materials that grind away at the rock until the cracks become a cave. Hydraulic action is the predominant process.
what is a arch?
If the cave is formed in a headland, it may eventually break through to the other side forming an arch. The arch will gradually become bigger until it can no longer support the top of the arch.
what is a stump?
stumps occur when there is a weakness in a stump causing it to collapse this is called a stump
what is a spit?
A spit is an extended stretch of beach material that projects out to sea and is joined to the mainland at one end. Spits are formed where the prevailing wind blows at an angle to the coastline, resulting in longshore drift. An example of a spit is Spurn Head, found along the Holderness coast in Humberside.
what is a tombolo?
A tombolo is formed when a spit connects the mainland coast to an island. … When the coastline changes direction or there is a river estuary the process of longshore drift continues. This causes material to be deposited in a long thin strip that is not attached to the coast and is known as a spit.
what is a wave cut platform?
A wave-cut platform is the 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 erosion. Wave-cut platforms are often most obvious at low tide when they become visible as huge areas of flat rock.
what is a destructive/constructive wave?
Characteristic Constructive Destructive
Energy Low High
Swash Strong Weak
Backwash Weak Strong
Wave height Low High
Beach shape Wide and flat Steep and narrow
caused by this
type of wave
Frequency Low (6-8 per minute) High (10-14 per minute)
Holderness coast (features)
The Holderness Coast is located on the east coast of England. It extends 61km from Flamborough in the north to Spurn Point in the south. The Holderness Coast is one of Europe’s fastest eroding coastlines. The average annual rate of erosion is around 2 metres per year.
what is a groyne?
a groyne functions as a physical barrier by intercepting sand moving along the shore. Sand is gradually trapped against the updrift side of the structure, resulting in a wider beach on this “supply-side” of the structure.
what is a sea wall?
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a sea wall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides, waves, or tsunamis.
what are gabions?
The purpose of a gabion revetment is to provide short term (5-10 years) protection from backshore erosion by absorbing wave energy along the dune face
what is rock armour/rip rap?
Rip Rap or Rock Armour is a coarse crushed rock typically 300mm upwards used to prevent water erosion and scouring. Rip Rap is commonly used as coastal defence as well as lining rivers and inland waterways.
