Coastal Processes

Question 1

What is geological structure?

Answer 1

the arrangement of rocks

Question 2

What is Lithology?

Answer 2

rock type

Question 3

What is Morphology?

Answer 3

rock shape

Question 4

What are bedding planes?

Answer 4

horizontal breaks in strata

Question 5

What are dips

Answer 5

the angle of rock strata

Question 6

What are faults?

Answer 6

fractures which form when rock put under stress

Question 7

What are folds?

Answer 7

When rock crumples due to tectonic activity

Question 8

What are joints?

Answer 8

Vertical cracks caused by tectonic activity

Question 9

What is strata?

Answer 9

layers of rock

Question 10

What is the direction of strata at a discordant coast?

Answer 10

perpendicular

Question 11

What is the direction of strata at a concordant coast?

Answer 11

Parallel

Question 12

Where is somewhere that has a discordant coastline?

Answer 12

Dorests east coast

Question 13

Where is somewhere that has a concordant coastline?

Answer 13

The Damation Coast in Croatia

Question 14

What are drought tolerant plants called?

Answer 14

xerophytic

Question 15

What are salt tolerant plants called?

Answer 15

halophytic

Question 16

how do salt marshes form? (5)

Answer 16

1. rivers bring fine mud and deposit them at the sides of the estuary.
2. the particles stick together and are deposited by colonised algae
3. the pioneer plants can survive being covered by brackish water
4. plants trap more sediment which builds marshes to a higher level
5. other plants such as marsh grass and pickleweed can colonise the drier area

Question 17

what type of coast do salt marshes form at?

Answer 17

low energy estuaries and sheltered bays where tidal conditions bring seawater and sediments in and out.

Question 18

How do sand dunes form? (5)

Answer 18

1. embryo dunes form and once established collect more sand and become larger
2. pioneer plants such as sea rocket colonise the dunes and hold sands together
3. these plants alter the pH and humus content as they die and decay allowing other plants such as marram grass to invade the dunes
4. yellow dunes mature into grey dunes. shrubs and heather move in as they can withstand the acidic soil
5. pine and oak forests colonise the oldest dunes where decayed plants had formed soil

Question 19

what is hydraulic action?

Answer 19

air trapped in the rock, then water falls away and pressure shatters the rock

Question 20

what is corrosion?

Answer 20

seawater dissolves rock

Question 21

what is abrasion?

Answer 21

rocks thrown against the cliff

Question 22

what is attrition?

Answer 22

rocks scrape against each other

Question 23

how do waves form? (3)

Answer 23

1. friction caused by wind forces the surface of the water to move in a circular orbit
2. as it reaches the shore, friction with sea bed causes an increasingly eliptical orbit, causing bottom of wave to slow and top to become taller
3. wave breaks against shore

Question 24

how do storm surges form?

Answer 24

1. low pressure system such as a depression or tropical develop offshpre
2. rising air draws sea upwards into a dome
3. storm waves develop on top of the dome due to strong winds
4. onshore winds drive the dome towards the coastline

Question 25

How does dip affect the stability of the cliffs?

Answer 25

landward dips are stronger and seaward dips are weaker

Question 26

Characteristics of igneous rock such as granite?

Answer 26

1. resistant (1mm recession per year)
2. impereable as it has not joints
3. not poros

Question 27

Characteristics of sedimentary rock such as chalk?

Answer 27

1. very poros
2. permeable
3. not resistant to marine erosion or weathering (2.5mm recession/ year