coastal landscape and change Flashcards
What is the littoral zone?
the wider coastal zone, including the coastal land and shallow parts of the sea just offshore
what are the different subaerial processes?
mechanical, chemical, biological, landslides and rockfalls
what is accretion?
the deposition of sediment at a coast that expands the area of land
what is wave refraction?
the process causing wave crests to become curved as they approach the coastline
what are faults?
major fractures in rocks produced by tectonic forces and displacement of rocks on either side of the fault line
what are clastic rocks?
rocks that consist of sediment particles cemented together
what are crystalline rocks?
rocks that are made up of interlocking mineral crystals
what is plant succession?
the changing structure of a plant community over time as an area of initially bare sediment is colonised
what is swash?
the flow of water up a beach with a breaking wave
what is backwash?
the water draining down the beach back into the sea. Both can transport sediment
what is hydraulic action?
air trapped in cracks which is compressed by waves and the pressure forces the cracks to open
what is abrasion?
sediment picked up by breaking waves is thrown against a cliff which acts as a chisel and gradually wears down the surface
what is attrition?
as sediment is moved around by waves they collide which makes the sediment smaller and more rounded.
what is solution (erosion)?
carbonate rocks are vulnerable to solution by rainwater, spray from the sea and seawater
what is traction?
sediment rolls along, pushed by waves and currents
what is saltation?
sediment bounces along, because of either the force of the water or of the wind
what is suspension?
sediment is carried in the water column
what is solution (transport)?
dissolved material is carried in water as a solution
what is longshore drift?
the net transport of sediment along the beach as a result of sediment transport in the swash and backwash
what is eustatic change?
a rise or fall in water levels caused by a change in the volume of water
what is isostatic change?
a local rise or fall in land levels
what is a Rias?
drowned river valleys in unglaciated areas
what is dredging?
involves scooping or sucking up sediment from the sea bed or a river bed
what is a storm surge?
a localised term for rise in sea level caused by air pressure change
