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Geography: Mrs Matthews Coasts > Coastal Landscapes and Change > Flashcards

Coastal Landscapes and Change Flashcards

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1
Q

Define Coast

A

Where the land means the sea

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2
Q

Define dynamic

A

Changing

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3
Q

Define Littoral zone

A

The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore

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4
Q

Define estuary

A

Where a river widens as it meets the sea

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5
Q

Define Rocky (Cliffed) coastline

A

It has cliffs varying in height from a few metres to hundreds.

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6
Q

How are rocky coastlines formed?

A

Varied resistant rock

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7
Q

Define coastal plains

A

The land gradually slopes towards the sea across an area of deposits sediment

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8
Q

What are the most common coastal plains?

A

Sand dunes and mudflats

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9
Q

What is another name for coastal plain?

A

Alluvial coast

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10
Q

Define Cliff

A

A steep rock face, especially at the edge of the sea

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11
Q

Define beach

A

A pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the sea between high and low marks

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12
Q

Define backshore

A

A zone of the shore or beach above the high water line, acted upon only by severe storms or exceptionally high tides

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13
Q

Define foreshore

A

The ground between the water’s edge and broken up land; land along the edge of the body of water

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14
Q

Define nearshore

A

The region of the sea or seabed relatively close to the shore

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15
Q

Define offshore

A

Situated at sea some distance from the shore

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16
Q

Name 3 characteristics of cliffs

A

Made up of variations in rock
Formed from rock
Varying in height

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17
Q

What is the backshore affected by?

A

Waves during high tides and major storms

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18
Q

What is another name for major storms?

A

Spring tides

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19
Q

What are 2 characteristics of the nearshore?

A

Sediment is transferred

Intense human activity e.g. fishing

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20
Q

How can coastal plains be formed

A

Falling sea level

Deposition of sediment by rivers

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21
Q

Define delta

A

Where a river splits into many channels as it meets the sea

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22
Q

Define accretion

A

The deposition of sediment at the coast and the seaward growth of the coastline, creating new land. It often involves sediment deposition being stabilised by vegetation

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23
Q

Define dynamic equilibrium

A

The balanced stated of a system where inputs equal outputs over time

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24
Q

Define cliff profile

A

The height and angle of a cliff face as well as its features

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25
Q

Name 3 characteristics of Marine cliff profile

A

Marine erosion by wave action dominates
Cliffs are steep and un-vegetated
Little rock debris at the base of the cliff as it is quickly transported away by the waves

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26
Q

Name 3 characteristics of sub aerial cliff profile

A

Shallower curved profiles and lower relief
Slowly moves rock sediment down slope
Limited amount of marine wave erosion means its not removed

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27
Q

Define morphology

A

The shape of the land

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28
Q

Define geology

A

Rock type

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29
Q

Define strata

A

Different layers of rock

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30
Q

Define discordant coastline

A

Rock strata intersect the coast at right angles so geology varies along the coast

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31
Q

Define concordant coastline

A

Rock strata run parallel to the coastline. Also known as pacific coasts

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32
Q

Define bedding planes

A

Natural breaks in the rock strata caused by gap in time during periods of rock formation

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33
Q

Define joints

A

Vertical cracks

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34
Q

Define folds in rock

A

Formed by pressure during tectonic activity which makes rock buckle and crumble

35
Q

Define fault

A

Formed where the stress or pressure to which a rock is subjected exceeds it’s internal strength. It fractures and slips along a fault plane

36
Q

Define dip in rock

A

The angle at which the rock strata lie

37
Q

Define Anticline

A

A upward fold in the rock strata

38
Q

Define syncline

A

A downward fold in the rock strata

39
Q

What are 5 factors leading to erosion

A 
Vertical joints- opened by weathering 
Vertical bedding planes
High wave energy
Less resistance rock
Seaward dip
40
Q

Define differential erosion

A

Being eroded at different rates

41
Q

Define recession rate

A

How fast a coastline is moving inland

42
Q

What do recessive rates depend on?

A

Lithology
Angle of dip (bedding planes- angles)
Weathering
Wave energy

43
Q

Define composite cliffs

A

If a cliff is made of different rock layers

44
Q

Define permeable rocks

A

Allows water to flow through them

45
Q

Define impermeable rock

A

Don’t allow groundwater to flow through them

46
Q

Define weathering

A

The breakdown of rock in situ by physical and chemical processes due to the presence of water, plants and animals. Rates vary due to temperature, rock type and time.

47
Q

Define mass movement

A

The downslope movement from rock, earth or water

48
Q

Define Halosere (salt marsh)

A

Change in a habitat in a saline environment

49
Q

Define climax community

A

The stage in community succession where the community has become relatively stable through successful adjustment to its environment.

50
Q

Define Pore water pressure

A

The pressure water experiences at a particular point below the water table due to the weight of water above it

51
Q

Define alluvial coast

A

Coast made of a variety of materials, including fine particles of sand, silt and clay

52
Q

Define surface run off

A

Water from rain,snowmelt etc that flows over the land

53
Q

Define fissure

A

A long, narrow crack

54
Q

Define Haff coast

A

A shallow fresh-water coastal lagoon formed by the growth of a sand spit

55
Q

Define Psammosere (sand dunes)

A

A seral community (stage before climax community), an ecological succession that begun life on newly exposed coastal sand.

56
Q

How do sand dunes stabilise sandy coastlines?

A

Plant roots bind the sediment together and stabilise the area. Vegetation causes friction at the ground surface, reducing wind speed and allowing more sand to be deposited

57
Q

Define plant succession

A

The changing structure of a plant community over time as an area of initially bare sediment is colonised by plants

58
Q

Define plant species

A

The first plants to colonise an area of bare sediment

59
Q

What does wave size depend on?

A

The strength of the wind
The duration the wind has blown over open water for
Water depth
Fetch

60
Q

Define Fetch

A

The uninterrupted distance across water over which a wind blows, and therefore the distance the waves have to grow in size.

61
Q

Define Swash

A

The flow of water up a beach as a wave breaks

62
Q

Define Backwash

A

When water runs back down the beach to meet the next incoming wave

63
Q

Define Beach morphology

A

The shape of a beach, including its width and slope (the beach profile) and features such as berms, ridges and runnels. It also includes the type of sediment (shingle, sand, mud) found at different locations on the beach.1

64
Q

Name the 4 types of erosion

A

Hydraulic action, attrition, abrasion, solution

65
Q

How does lithology in terms of abrasion influence erosion?

A

When the waves advance, they pick up sand and pebbles from the seabed. Then, when they break at the base of the cliff, the transported material is hurdled at the cliff foot.

66
Q

What determines how much erosion is present?

A

The size and amount of sediment picked up

67
Q

How does lithology in terms of hydraulic action influence erosion?

A

When the waves advance, air can be trapped and compressed (either in joints or between the breaking wave and cliff). This continuous process can weaken joints and cracks in the cliff- causing rock to break off.

68
Q

What influences the amount of hydraulic action?

A

The force of the waves

69
Q

How does lithology in terms of solution influence erosion?

A

When cliffs are formed from alkali rock (e.g. chalk), or an alkali cement bonds the rocks together, solution by weak acids in seawater can dissolve them.

70
Q

How does lithology in terms of attrition influence erosion?

A

Gradual wearing away of rock particles by impact and abrasion, as the pieces of rock are moved by waves, tides and currents. This gradually reduces the particles size and makes stones rounder and smoother.

71
Q

Name different types of erosional landforms

A

Wave cut notch, wave cut platforms, cave, arch, stacks, stumps, cliffs.

72
Q

Name 4 types of transportation

A

Traction, saltation, suspension, solution

73
Q

What does transportation depend on?

A

Wave energy

74
Q

Describe the steps of longshore drift

A

Most waves approach a beach at an angle- generally from the same direction at the prevailing wind. Material is carried up the beach at an angle. The backwash then pulls material down at 90°.

75
Q

What is lateral shift?

A

The effect of movement of sediment up and down the beach.

76
Q

What creates significant and sustained longshore drift?

A

Strong prevailing winds and large waves

77
Q

Define currents

A

Flows of sea water in a particular direction driven by winds or differences in water density, salinity or temperature. They may have continual global currents or more localised sporadic rip tides

78
Q

Define tidal range

A

The difference between the high and low tides

79
Q

What does high tidal ranges create?

A

Relatively high tidal currents

80
Q

What are the 8 different coastal depositional landforms?

A

Spits, recurved spits, beach, Offshore bars, barrier beaches, barrier island, tombolo, cuspate foreland

81
Q

Define spit

A

A long, narrow feature made of sand and shingle, which extends from the land into the sea (or part of the way across an estuary)

82
Q

What can spits form?

A

Drift aligned beaches

83
Q

Define recurved spit

A

When the end of the spit will begin to curve round, as wave refraction carries material round into the more sheltered water behind the spit

Geography: Mrs Matthews Coasts (3 decks)

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