Coastal landscapes Flashcards
Constructive wave
Breaking waves push large amounts of sand and pebbles up the beach ‘constructing’ it
Destructive wave
Breaking waves plunge down onto beach with little forward swash
The types of mass movement
- rockfall
- landslides
- mudflow
- rotational slip
Rockfall
Rocks break away often to freeze thaw
Landslides
Blocks of rocks slide downhill
Mudflow
Saturated soil and weak rock flows down hill
Rotational slip
Slump of saturated soil and weak rock along a curved surface
When the wave reaches the beach
It breaks and collapses on it. The water rushes up the beaches as wash and runs back down as backwash
Waves form by
- wind blowing over the sea
- friction with the surface and water causes ripples that turn into waves
- tsunamis form when earthquakes or volcanos Shake the sea bed
Biological weathering
Caused by the actions of the flora and farina
Example of biological weathering
Plant roots grow in cracks in rocks, and animals burrow into weak rocks
Chemical weathering
Caused by chemical changes
Example of chemical weathering
Carbonation-rain water absorbs co2 from air becoming slightly acidic. Contact with alkaline water causes rock to slowly dissolve
Mechanical weathering
The disintegration of rocks
Examples of mechanical weathering
Freeze thaw - water collects in rocks, it freezes expands and the it melts again and sinks deeper into the rock
The types of sediment transportation
- solution
- suspension
- traction
- saltation
Solution
Dissolved chemicals often derived from limestone or chalk
Suspension
Particles carried within the water