Coasts Flashcards
Name the two types of wave
Constructive
Destructive
Give 5 characteristics of constructive waves
Long wavelength
Low wave height
Strong Swash
Weak Backwash
Cause deposition of sediment
Occur up to 9 times per minute
Give 5 characteristics of destructive waves
Short wavelength
High wave height
Weak swash
Strong Backwash
Cause coastal erosion
Occur 10-15 times per minute
Define Relief
The way the landscape changes height
Define Upland
High above sea level
Define Lowland
Not very high above sea level
What is the difference between uplands and lowlands?
Uplands are high above sea level whereas lowlands aren’t very high above sea level
Give an example of an upland area in Scotland
Northwest Highlands
Cairngorm Mountains
Grampian Mountains
Southern Uplands
Give an example of an upland area in Wales
Snowdonia
Brecon Beacons
Give an example of an upland area in England
Pennines
Lake District
Dartmoor
Exmoor
Give an example of a lowland area
The midlands
London Basin
The Vale of York
Lincolnshire
What creates waves?
Wind blowing across the surface of the water
Define Prevailing Wind
The main direction the wind comes from
Define Fetch
The distance the wind has travelled across the sea or ocean
What is the difference between the swash and backwash?
The swash washes up on the beach after an incoming wave has broken but the backwash is the water running back down the beach
Which type of wave has a strong backwash?
Destructive
Which type of wave has a low frequency?
Constructive
Which type of wave has a low wave height?
Constructive
Define Weathering
The breakdown of rock in situ (where it is)
What are the 3 types of weathering?
Mechanical
Biological
Chemical
What type of weathering is freeze-thaw?
Mechanical
What type of weathering is this:
Roots in the sides of cliffs cause rock to break away?
Biological
Define biological weathering
Weakening of rock by plants, animals and microbes
Growing plant roots can exert stress/pressure on rock
Define chemical weathering
Breakdown of rocks due to the interaction of air, water or acid with the chemical composition of the rock
Define mechanical weathering
The breakdown of rocks by physical factors in the environment such as wind, water and temperature
E.g. freeze-thaw
Define mass movement
bulk movements of soil and rock debris down slopes in response to the pull of gravity
Name the 3 types of mass movement
Sliding
Slumping
Rockfall
Define slides
Material shifts in a straight line
Define slumps
Material shifts with a rotation
Define rockfalls
Material shifts vertically
