Coastal Key Terms

Question 1

Mechanical weathering

Answer 1

Breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition

Question 2

Chemical weathering

Answer 2

Breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition

Question 3

Describe a destructive wave

Answer 3

• wave that erodes the coast
• have a high frequency and are high a steep
• their backwash is more powerful than their swash
  = so material is removed

Question 4

Describe a constructive wave

Answer 4

• waves that deposit material
• have a low frequency and are low and long
• their swash is more powerful than their backwash
  = material is deposited

Question 5

Describe long shore drift

Answer 5

• waves follow direction of prevailing wind
• they usually hit an oblique angle
• swash carries material up the beach in same direction as the waves
• backwash carries material down the beach at right angles back towards the sea
• overtime material zigzags along the coast

Question 6

Discordant coastlines

Answer 6

Made up of alternating bands of hard and soft rock at right angles to the coast

Question 7

Concordant coastline

Answer 7

Alternating bands of hard and soft sock are parallel to the coast

Question 8

Describe corrosion

Answer 8

Mildly acidic seawater causes alkaline rock like limewater to be eroded

Question 9

Describe corrasion

Answer 9

Sediment and sand is picked up by sea and hurled against cliffs at high tide
= cause cliffs to be eroded

Question 10

Describe biological weathering

Answer 10

Breakdown of rocks due to actions of plants, bacteria and animals