Coastal Processes Flashcards
Define Abrasion/ Corrasion?
When the sea hurtles bits of rock at the cliff face breaking bits of and smoothing surfaces.
Define Hydraulic action.
When air and water is compressed into the cracks of a cliff face crack expanding the original crack and breaking off rock pieces.
Define Cavitation.
When air bubbles that have been left in a cliff crack eventually implode exerting a small shock wave onto the rock.
Define wave quarrying.
When the energy of a wave is so large it can detach bits of rock from the cliff.
Define solution/ corrosion.
When soluble rocks like limestone or chalk are dissolved by the seawater.
Define attrition.
When large bits of rock are forced together by the waves breaking them into more small rocks.
Define Solution (transportation).
When soluble rocks such as chalk are dissolved into the water and carried away.
Define suspension.
When fine rocks like silt are carried by floating on top of the surface of the water.
Define saltation (transportation)
When bigger rocks that cannot be carried by the waves are pushed and bounce along the sea bed by the force of the waves.
Define traction.
When very large boulders are pushed along the sea bed by the force of the water.
Define Long shore drift.
When swash carries sediment up the beach parallel to the prevailing wind and backwash carries sediment back down the beach at right angle to the shoreline.
Define salt weathering
When saline water enters the cracks of rocks at high tide, then at low tide when the water is evaporated crystallises exerting pressure on the rock.
Define freeze thaw weathering.
This occurs when temperatures are fluctuating. Water enters the crack and freezes and expands exerting pressure on the rock and over time weakening it.
Define chemical weathering.
When CO2 reacts with rain water it makes a weak carbonic acid which slowly dissolved certain rock types such as chalk or limestone that contain calcium carbonate.
Define mass movement.
The shifting of material down a slope due to gravity. This can include landslide, slumping, rockfall and mudflows.
