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geography > Coastal landscapes > Flashcards

Coastal landscapes Flashcards

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1
Q

Physical weathering

A

Water gets into cracks in the rock.When the temperature falls below freezing, the water will expanded it turns into ice This expansion puts pressure on the rock around it fragments of rock break off

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2
Q

chemical weathering

A

Rain water contains weak acids that can react with certain rock types. Carbonate in limestone are dissolved by weak acids and this causes the rock to break off or disintegrate.

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3
Q

Biological weathering

A

Seeds that fall into cracks in the rocks will start to grow when moisture is present. The roots of the young plant force their way in and in time can break up rocks.

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4
Q

Mass movement

A

When material moves down a slope due to the pull of gravity

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5
Q

Slumping

A

Large area of land moving down a slope. When it rains the water runs into cracks and is absorbed until the rock becomes saturated. This weakens the rock and due to the pull of gravity it slips down the slope

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6
Q

Abrasion

A

Material carried in the river is thrown against the river bed and banks by the force of the water,breaking of rocks.

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7
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The pressure of the water against the river bed.

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8
Q

Solution

A

Chemical reaction between certain types of rocks and minerals,wearing it away.

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9
Q

Attrition

A

Rocks in the water hit each other and break into smaller pieces.

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10
Q

Traction

A

Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the river bed.

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11
Q

Saltation

A

Small pebbles and stones are bounced along the river bed.

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12
Q

Suspension

A

Fine light material is carried along the river.

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13
Q

Solution [deposition]

A

Minerals are dissolved in the water and carried along in solution.

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14
Q

Longshore drift

A
  • The transport of sand and pebbles along the coast is called longshore drift.
  • The prevailing wind causes waves to approach the coast at an angle.
  • The swash carries the sand and pebbles up the beach at the same angle (usually 45º). The backwash, however carries the material back down the beach at right angles (90°) as this is the steepest gradient.
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15
Q

What type of rocks erode more quickly?

A

Rocks that are well jointed or have many faults (such as limestone) erode quicker than rocks that have few joints as the waves exploit the lines of weakness.

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16
Q

What type of cliffs erode more slowly?

A

Cliffs made from resistant rock (granite) will erode more slowly than cliffs made from less resistant rock (clay)

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17
Q

Concordant coastline

A
  • Have rocks that lie parallel to the coastline.
  • They have alternate layers of resistant and less resistant rock.
  • The hard rock acts as a barrier to the erosive power of the sea
  • If the sea erodes through the had rock it will quickly erode the soft rock behind.
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18
Q

Discordant coastline

A
  • Have alternating layers of hard and soft rock that are perpendicular to the coast.
  • Because the soft rock is exposed, it is erodes faster than the hard rock.
  • This differential erosion creates headlands and bays along discordant coastlines.
19
Q

Destructive waves

A
  • Most important agent in coastal erosion
  • Backwash is stronger than swash and can carry pebbles & sand away from the shore
  • Steep beach
20
Q

Constructive waves

A
  • Responsible for deposition
  • Swash is more powerful than backwash and so deposits sediment on beaches
  • Gently sloping beaches
21
Q

How does the UK’s seasonality of weather and climate affect the rates of erosion?

A

-In the winter, the differences between day and night time temperatures can cause freeze thaw weathering on cliff faces

22
Q

How does the UK’s storm frequency affect the rates of erosion?

A
  • Storms have an impact on the landforms of the coastline as storms waves are powerful agents of erosion
  • The human coastal landscape such as sea defences are constantly in need of repair due to the increasing regularity of storms
23
Q

How does the UK’s prevailing wind affect the rates of erosion?

A
  • The prevailing wind in the UK is from the SW
  • The coastlines of cornwall and devon experience winds that may have blown for several thousand kilometres over the Atlantic ocean
  • These winds have a long fetch: the longer the fetch, the stronger the wind and the more powerful the wave and the faster the rate of erosion
24
Q

What landforms are created by coastal erosion?

A
  • Headlands and bays
  • Cliffs and wave cut platforms
  • Caves, arches, stacks and stumps
25
Q

Headlands and bays

A
  • Headlands are formed when the sea attacks a section of coast with alternating bands of hard and soft rock.
  • The bands of soft rock,(sand and clay), erode more quickly than those of more resistant rock,(chalk).
  • This leaves a section of land jutting out into the sea called a headland.
  • The areas where the soft rock has eroded away, next to the headland, are called bays.
26
Q

Cliffs and wave cut platforms

A
  • When the sea moves against the base of the cliff,using abrason or hydraulic action, it undercuts the cliff and forms a wave cut notch
  • An overhang will form above this notch which in time, will fall into sea due to the pressure of its own weight and pull of gravity
  • The sea will continue to attack the sea, forming another wave cut notch and causing the cliff to retreat as it becomes higher and steeper
  • The remains of the ciff rock ,now below sea level at high tide, form a rocky wave cut platform
27
Q

What landforms are created by coastal deposition?

A
  • Beaches
  • Spits
  • Bars
28
Q

What is a beach?

A

A beach is an area of land between the low tide and storm tide marks and is made up of sand,pebbles and in some places mud and silt

29
Q

Formation of a beach

A
  • They are formed by constructive waves, often in bays where the waves have less energy due to the gently sloping sea bed and as a result deposit material
  • They can be formed along straight stretches of coastline where longshore drift occurs
30
Q

What is a spit?

A

-A spit is a long narrow stretch of pebbles and sand that is attached the and at one end, with the other end tapering into the sea

31
Q

Formation of a spit

A
  • Normally, longshore drift transports beach sediment along a coastline.
  • When the shape of the coastline changes substantially however, longshore drift continues to transport material in the same direction rather than following the coastline.
  • This transports the material out to sea.
  • As the strength of the drift weakens away from the coastline, the sediment is deposited.
  • Deposition can be brought about earlier near estuaries. The flow of water into the sea at an estuary is stronger than the drift, forcing the sediment to be deposited.
  • The deposition of sediment forms a spit
32
Q

Formation of a bar

A

-These form in the same way as a spit initially but bars are created where a spit grows across a bay, joining two headlands. Behind the bar, a lagoon is created, where water has been trapped

33
Q

How has urbanisation/industry affected coastal landscapes?

A
  • As settlements grew the coastal landscape changed
  • Original wetland areas were drained to ensure the settlements were not flooded, meaning that wading birds and animals lost their habitats
  • Harbours were built to give shelter to fishing boats which involved the building of jetties into the cliff
  • Large ports developed to import materials; these were usually on estuaries,which had a major visual impact on the area as well causing environmental changes.
34
Q

What are the effects of coastal recession on people?

A
  • If a recession is occurring where there is a settlement, then its effects on the people will be the greatest
  • If people lose their homes it will have a major impact on their finances because they would have lost the money they had invested in their homes
  • It affects transport networks, making it difficult for people to go to work or go about their daily lives
  • It could affect farmers who lose their land to sea. This could impact on the viability of their farm as it loses fields where crops were once grown
35
Q

What are the effects of coastal recession on people?

A
  • If a recession is occurring where there is a settlement, then its effects on the people will be the greatest
  • If people lose their homes it will have a major impact on their finances because they would have lost the money they had invested in their homes
  • It affects transport networks, making it difficult for people to go to work or go about their daily lives
  • It could affect farmers who lose their land to sea. This could impact on the viability of their farm as it loses fields where crops were once grown
36
Q

What are the effects of coastal recession on the environment?

A
  • The environmental effects of coastal erosion also relate to the loss of land
  • An example of this is the National Trust area called ‘Golden Cap’; the cliff there has receded 40 metres in the past 20yrs
  • This means that animals and birds are losing their breeding grounds
37
Q

What are the effects of coastal flooding on people?

A
  • Damage to people’s homes and belongings from water
  • Loss of life from drowning
  • The contamination of fresh water supplies by sewage water
  • Bridges and roads can be washed away
  • Disruption to gas and electricity supplies
38
Q

What are the effects of coastal flooding on the environment?

A
  • loss of land to sea, loss of habitats
  • Trees and vegetation washed away
  • Crops lost due to inundation by seawater
39
Q

Hard engineering

A
  • Method of coastal management which involves major construction work
  • sea walls
  • groynes
  • rip rap
40
Q

soft engineering

A
  • Method of coastal management which attempts to wok with the natural processes occurring on the coastline
  • beach nourishment
  • offshore reefs
41
Q

Advantages of sea walls

A
  • Effective for many years
  • Very visible, making residents feel safe
  • Stops coastline receding by interfering with natural processes occurring on the coastline
  • Reflects and absorbs wave energy
42
Q

Disadvantages of sea walls

A
  • Ugly- puts tourists off
  • Cost- £6000 per linear metre
  • Can cause wave scouring if not positioned correctly
43
Q

Formation of a cave, arch and stack

A
  • 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
  • The cave is continually eroded until a hole is cut through the headland and an arch is formed.
  • Further erosion of the arch causes it to collapse , leaving behind the stack which is a left standing in the sea.

geography (7 decks)

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