Coastal recession

Question 1

What are clastic rocks?

Answer 1

Less resistant rocks that have been cemented together

Question 2

What are crystalline rocks?

Answer 2

Resistant rocks that have interlocking crystal minerals

Question 3

What is recession?

Answer 3

The rate at which the coastline is moving inland

Question 4

What is an example of unconsolidated sediment?

Answer 4

Fluvial alluvium
Boulder clay

Question 5

Why does the Holderness coast erode easily?

Answer 5

It is made up of boulder clay that is weak, soft and crumbling

Question 6

What has occurred at the Holderness coast?

Answer 6

The coastline has retreated
The recurved spits are more noticeable
Deposits behind the spit have led to the formation of a salt marsh

Question 7

Which rocks are igneous?

Answer 7

Granite, basalt and dole rite

Question 8

What type of rock is igneous?

Answer 8

Crystalline

Question 9

Why are crystalline rocks more resistant?

Answer 9

They have less jointing and less fractures, water is not able to enter

Question 10

What other factors in rocks can make them less resistant?

Answer 10

Faults, joints, weak bedding planes and fissures

Question 11

Give an example of a complex cliff profile?

Answer 11

The north Antrim coast

Question 12

What are permeable rocks?

Answer 12

Rocks that allow water to flow through them

Question 13

Why may a rock be permeable?

Answer 13

Porous
Numerous joints

Question 14

Why are permeable rocks less resistant?

Answer 14

There is a larger surface area for chemical weathering

Question 15

What is marine erosion?

Answer 15

Processes caused by waves

Question 16

How are steep cliffs produced?

Answer 16

Marine erosion dominates
All of the material at the bottom of the cliff is broken down

Question 17

Why some cliffs shallow?

Answer 17

Sub aerial processes such as weathering dominate
There is little marine erosion at the base

Question 18

What is spring creating erosion?

Answer 18

Permeable rock is layered over impermeable rock
Water enters the permeable rock
Water accumulates which creates a spring
As the water leaves it causes fluvial erosion

Question 19

What is fluvial erosion?

Answer 19

Erosion caused by material/water coming from surface run off

Question 20

How can marine erosion weaken clastic rocks?

Answer 20

It can break down the cement that is holding the rock particles together

Question 21

Why is vegetation important on coastlines?

Answer 21

It can stabilize unconsolidated sediment which prevents erosion

Question 22

What is the role of pioneer plants?

Answer 22

Consolidate the sediment
Add humus to the soil

Question 23

What is the name of the process of sediment getting colonized on sand?

Answer 23

Psammosere

Question 24

What are xerophytic plants?

Answer 24

Plants that are especially adapted to dry conditions

Question 25

Examples of xerophytic plants?

Answer 25

Marram grass

Question 26

What is the name of plant succession in salty water?

Answer 26

Halosere

Question 27

What is the name of plants adapted to wet conditions?

Answer 27

Halophytes

Question 28

What are marine factors that influence coastal recession?

Answer 28

Types of waves
Wave energies

Question 29

How can human activity exacerbate recession?

Answer 29

By disrupting the accumulation of sediment

Question 30

How did the construction of the Aswan dam exacerbate recession?

Answer 30

The sediment volume was reduced from 130 million toneto 15 million tones
Delta was starved of sediment
Erosion rates jumped from 20 to 200 meters per year