Coastal processes Flashcards
Weathering definition
The break down of rocks
Types of weathering
Biological
Chemical
Physical
Mass movement definition
The downhill movement of rock and soil under gravity
Types of Mass movement
rockfall
Mudflow
Landslide
Rotational slip
Erosion definition
The breakdown and removal of rocks by sea, rivers, glaciers and wind
Types of erosion
Abrasion
Attrition
Hydraulic action
Corrosion
Transport definition
The movement if materials along the coast
Types of transport
Long shore drift (LSD)
Hydraulic action
The wave crashes air and water into cracks in the rock face causing them to get bigger and split apart
Abrasion
The waves pick up rocks and throws them against one another or into cliff faces, this smooths the rock like sandpaper
Corrosion
Salts or chemicals in the water dissolve the rocks they touch
Attrition
The sea picks up angular rocks and hits them against each other until the are rounder
Wind speed
The stronger the wind the faster the wave
Wind duration
The longer the wind acts on the wave the larger they get
Fetch
The distance between coasts limiting his big the waves get
Factors affecting LSD
Wave frequency
Type of wave
Strength of swash
Angle of approaching wave
How fine or corse sediment is (weight)
How steep the beach is
Rockfall
rocks fall down the cliff face due to freeze thaw weathering
fast
mudflow
saturated soil flows down a slope
slow
landslide
downhill movement of material caused by gravity
fast
