Coastal Landscapes in the UK - key words

Question 1

Hydraulic action

Answer 1

Air is smashed into the cracks b the power of the water. Cracks expand and rocks weaken and eventually break.

Question 2

Abrasion

Answer 2

Rocks hit the bottom of a cliff and break it causing the clif to collapse and a wave cut platform is formed.

Question 3

Attrition

Answer 3

Attrition is when rocks constantly hit against eachother they break eachother down. Rocks can also make rocks smaller, rounder and smoother.

Question 4

Corrosion (solution)

Answer 4

Sea water is very corrosive and can slowly dissolve chalk and limestone, which makes the size of cracks/joints bigger so that more erosion can take place.

Question 5

Wetting and Drying

Answer 5

Softer rocks such as clay can get bigger (expand) when they are wet and then get smaller (contract) when they dry out. This can make the rock weaker so they erode more easily.

Question 6

Erosion

Answer 6

There are three examples of this:

1. Abrasion
2. Attrition
3. Hydraulic action

Question 7

Constructive waves

Answer 7

These types of waves create beaches.

Question 8

Destructive waves

Answer 8

These types of waves destroy beaches.

Question 9

Swash

Answer 9

This is when material in the wave is washed up the beach.

Question 10

Backwash

Answer 10

This is when material in the wave is washed back down the beach.

Question 11

Transportation

Answer 11

This is when material is transported in the wave.

Question 12

Deposition

Answer 12

This is when material is deposited (dropped) by the wave.

Question 13

Discordant coastlines

Answer 13

These have alternating layers of rock at right angles to the coast.

Question 14

Concordant coastlines.

Answer 14

These have alternating layers of rock that are parallel to the coast.

Question 15

Wave frequency

Answer 15

The number of waves breaking per minute.

Question 16

Crest

Answer 16

The top of a wave.

Question 17

Wave height

Answer 17

The vertical distance from trough to crest.

Question 18

Trough

Answer 18

The base of a wave.

Question 19

Wave length

Answer 19

The horizontal distance between two successive crests.

Question 20

Hold the line

Answer 20

Maintain the existing coastal defences.

Question 21

Advance the line

Answer 21

Build new defences further out to sea than the existing ones.

Question 22

Do nothing

Answer 22

Build no coastal defences at all and deal with the consequences as it happens.

Question 23

Retreat the line

Answer 23

Build no coastal defences, but move people away from the coast.

Question 24

Hard engineering

Answer 24

Man - made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion.

Question 25

Soft engineering

Answer 25

Schemes set up using knowledge of the sea and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion.

Question 26

Sea wall

Answer 26

A wall made out of hard material like concrete that reflects waves back to sea.

Question 27

Groynes

Answer 27

Wooden or stone fences that are bulit at right angles to the coast. They trap material transported by longshore drift.

Question 28

Beach replenishment

Answer 28

Sand and shingle from elsewhere that’s added to beaches.

Question 29

Rip - rap

Answer 29

Boulders that are piled up along the coast.

Question 30

Revetments

Answer 30

Slanted structures made of concrete, wood or rocks built at the foot of a cliff.

Question 31

Breakwaters

Answer 31

Concrete blocks or boulders deposited on the sea bed off the coast.

Question 32

Gabions

Answer 32

Rock - filled cages, built at the foot of cliffs.