Coastal Processes Flashcards
How are Waves formed?
- The waves are Formed by the wind blowing over the sea.
Name the 2 Different types of Waves and Explain each?
- The 2 different types of waves are constructive and destructive.
- Constructive are waves that build up on the beach and have a small height.
- Destructive are Waves that destroy the beach and have a Tall height.
Write a Definition of Weathering and Name the 3 Different types of weathering?
- Weathering is the breakdown/Wearing away of the land in the sea.
- The 3 Different type of weathering is Mechanical, Chemical and Biological.
What happens in mechanical Weathering?
- In mechanical Weathering the Disintegration (Breck-up) of rocks. Where this happens, Piles of rock fragments called “Scree” can be found at the foot of the cliff.
What happens in Chemical Weathering?
- chemical Weathering is caused by chemical changes. Rainwater, which is slightly acidic very slowly dissolves certain types of rocks and minerals.
What happens In biological Weathering?
- Biological weather is due to actions of plants and animals. Plant roots grow into cracks in the rock. Animals such as rabbits burrow into weak rock such as sands.
In 3 Steps how does Freeze- thaw weathering happen?
- 1) Rainwater falls into cracks of rocks.
- 2) The temp drops and the water freezes to form ice into those cracks.
- 3) This puts precure on the rocks making them fragments Brecks soft and collects as scree.
Name 4 types of Mass movement that happen at the coast?
- 1) Rock fall - Fragments of rock break away from the cliff face due to weathering e.g. freeze thaw.
- 2) Sliding - When chunks or slabs break away from rock.
- 3) Slumping - The materials rotates in a curved line.
Name the 4 Different types of Erosion that can happen it a beach and Explain each?
- 1) Hydraulic Power - Waves crash against rocks and compresses air in cracks.
- 2) Abrasion - Eroded Particles That Scrape or Rub Against The Rock.
- 3) Attrition - Eroded Particles in The Water That collide and Break Into Small pieces That Become Rounder.
- 4) Solution - Dissolved Soluble chemicals in rock such as limestone.
Name The 4 Types of Transportation And Explain Them?
- 1) Traction - Large Boulders are Carried Across The Sea Bed
- 2) Saltation - Pebbles Bouncing Along The sea bed By the Force Of The Waves
- 3)Suspension - Small Particles Like Clay Being Carried along in the water
- 4) Solution - Soluble Materials Like Limestone Dissolving in The water and Being Carried
Write a Definition of Longshore Drift?
- Longshore drift is the process by which sand and other materials move along a coastline because of waves hitting the shore at an angle.
write a Definition of Deposition?
- Deposition is where The Winds and The Sea Lose Energy and Drop The sediment on To The Beach
What Is A Discordant Coastline?
- Its Where The Coast Is made out of Altering Hard and Soft Rock At Right Angles.
What Is a Concordant Coastline?
- It’s Where The Alternating Bands Hard And Soft rock Are Parallel at the coast.
In 3 Steps How are Headlands and Bays formed?
- 1) The coastline is made up of hard rock ( Like chalk or Granite) and Soft rock (Like clay or sandstorm)) Over time the waves erode the softer rock faster than the harder rock.
- 2) The softer rock erodes quickly, creating an inward curve or indentation in the coastline. This becomes a bay—a sheltered area where the sea enters the land.
- 3) The hard rock erodes more slowly, so it sticks out into the sea. These are called headlands and are often exposed to strong wave action.
Write a Definition of Bays and Headlands?
- A Bay is the Less Resistant Rock Which Has Been Eroded and It Has Sand on it Making It a Bay.
- A Headland is The Resistant rock That Sticks out The Sea Because It Very Resistant.
Describe The 4 Process Of How a Cave, Arch, stack, Stump?
Cave: Cracks At The Base of the Headland Become Exposed Due To Hydraulic Action Becoming a Cave.
Arch: Cracks Are Widened By Erosion On Both sides of the cliff Becoming A Arch.
Stack:Overtime The Arch collapse Due to Weathering.
Stump: The stack erodes further and It Cannot Holds iTs Own Mass Flailing into the sea And The Forming a Stump.
Describe The Process of How a Wave cut Platform is Formed?
- Most Erosion happens At the foot of the cliff Forming a wave cut Notch which is enlarged over time
- Repeated Erosion Causes The rock above the Notch to collapses Because it is Unstable
- The Collapse Materials Is Washes Away And a new wave cut platform starts to form.
How Does Sand And Shingle Form Beeches?
- Sand Beaches are Created by Low energy Waves - Sand Particles are Small so the Weak Backwash can move back down the beach creating long gentle slope.
- Shingle Beeches are created by High energy waves - Sand Particles are Washed away But the larger shingle is left Behind.
Describe The Process of How Spits Are Formed?
- Spits Are Formed at Sharp Bends In The Coastline For example River Mouth.
-Longshore Drift Transports Sand and Shingle Past the Bend and Deposits It in the Sea. - Strong winds and Waves Can Curve The end of a Spit.
- The area behind the spit is sheltered from waves so Material Gather and Plants Are Able To Grow.
Describe that Process of How Bars Are Formed?
- A Bay Forms when a Spit joint 2 Headlands Together.
- The Bay Between The Headlands Gets Cut From The Sea.
- This means A lagoon can form behind this bar
- OffShore Bars can form if the coast has a gentle slope Friction with the Sea Bed cause Waves to slow Down and Deposit Sediment offshore Creating a bar that is not connected to the Coast.
Describe How Sand Dunes Are Formed?
- Sand Dunes are Formed When Sand is Deposited By Longshore Drift and is Moved up the Beach By wind.
-Embry Dunes are Colonised By Plants Like Marram Grass The roots of vegetation stabilise the sand Encouraging more sand To Accumulate There This Forms Foredunes and Leading To Mature Dunes
- Dune Slacks (Small Polls) can Form in Hollows Between duns.
