Coastal Landforms Flashcards
What is a landform
An individual coastal feature is a landform e.g cave
What is a geo
A geo or gio is an inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff
how is a geo formed
they are created by waves eroding along faults/joints in a cliff, which cuts into the cliff
what is a dalmatian coast
A dalmation coastline is formed where the geology creates valleys parallel to the coast so that when sea level rises, a series of elongated islands remain offshore.
what is a ria
former river valleys drowned by rising sea levels
what is a tombolo
A tombolo is formed when a spit connects the mainland coast to an island
what is an offshore bar
Offshore bars are elongated ridges and mounds of sand or gravel deposited beyond a shoreline by currents and waves.
what is a fjord
former glacial valleys drowned by rising sea levels
what is a cuspate foreland
a triangular extension of a shoreline
how is a cuspate foreland created
created by the deposition of longshore drift
how are offshore bars formed
They form from sediment eroded by destructive waves and carried seawards by backwash.
what is a raised beach
areas of previous wave cut platforms and the beaches connected , that are at a higher level than the sea level
what is a baymouth
It is a sandbank that partially or completely closes access to a bay.
how is a baymouth bar formed
by deposition of longshore drift
what is a salt marsh
Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides
what is a mudflat
coastal wetlands that are in the intertidal area where sediment like silt and clays have been deposited by tides or rivers
what is a barrier beach
Barrier Beaches are narrow and elongate beaches situated parallel to the shoreline
how is a barrier beach created
Barrier beaches are formed where spits are joined to the mainland at both ends, trapping water behind in a lagoon
what is a barrier island
a long broad sandy island lying parallel to a shore that is built up by the action of waves, currents, and winds and that protects the shore from the effects of the ocean, not connected to the shoreline
what is a wave-cut (marine) platform
a gently sloping , mostly smooth platform created by the retreat of a cliff when the base has been eroded and therefore the cliff top has collapsed repeatedly
what is a wave cut notch
A wave cut notch is a natural landform caused when the original rock is eroded where the sea level is(cliff foot)
where are landforms effected by erosion found
high energy coastlines
where are landforms effected by deposition found
low energy coastlines
how is a bay formed
a bay is formed when areas of softer rocks e.g clay , on a coastline is eroded away
