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coasts Flashcards

1
Q

what is a destructive wave

A

strong backwash, weak swash

high wave height, small wavelength

high frequency

erosional (takes away beach)

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1
Q

what is a contrustive wave?

A

strong swash, weak backwash

low wave height, large wavelength

low frequency

depositional (builds up beach)

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2
Q

what affects the size of the wave?

A

strength of wind

how long wind has been blowing for

water depth

water depth

the fetch (how far the wave has travelled)

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3
Q

what happens if a beach gets hits by constructive waves?

A

has depositional landforms (e.g. sand beach)

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4
Q

what happens if a beach gets hits by destructive waves?

A

has erosional landforms (e.g. headlands/bays, cliffs etc)

coastlines retreat

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5
Q

what are the 5 coastal processes?

A

erosion,

weathering,

transportation,

mass movement,

Deposition

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6
Q

what are the 5 erosional processes?

A

corrosion

abrasion

attrition

hydraulic action

solution

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7
Q

what is corrosion?

A

where material and sediment is flung at the cliff-face and waves break against it

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8
Q

what is abrasion?

A

where sediment and sand scrapes and bands against a rock face, waring it aways gradually (sandpaper effect)

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9
Q

what is attrition?

A

where rocks bang against each other chipping away to make them smaller and smoother

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10
Q

what is hydraulic action?

A

where air is forced into crakes in the rock. high pressure causes crakes to force apart and widen when the wave retreats and air expands

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11
Q

what is solution?

A

the mild acidic water cause alkaline rock (e.g. limestone) to be eroded

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12
Q

what creates a cave?

A

marine erosion widen crakes that get bigger over time

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13
Q

what forms when marine erosion and sub-aerial process deepen a cave?

A

a large hole forms through the other side of the headland, this is known as an arch

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14
Q

when an arch collapses due to gravity and through mass movement what does it form?

A

a stack which id detached from the headland

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15
Q

a stump is formed when…

A

…a stack falls because of marine erosion at the base

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16
Q

what is an example of a caves arches stacks and sumps

A

Old Harry Rocks in Poole
Durdle Door in Dorset (arch)

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17
Q

what causes wave-cut notches and platforms?

A

marine erosion

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18
Q

a notch is eroded between what?

A

high and low tides

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19
Q

what happens when the notch becomes deeps (and sub-aeriel weathering weakens the cliff from the top)?

A

the cliff becomes unstable and collapses under its own weight through mass movement

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20
Q

what is left behind after the race cut notch has collapsed?

A

a wave-cut platform

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21
Q

explain what longshore drift is

A

waves hit beach at direction of prevailing wind

waves push sediment up beach in direction of prevailing wind

due to gravity the waves carry sediment back down the beach at 90^ in the backwash

this moves sediment down the beach over time

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22
Q

what is solution?

A

what is solution?

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22
Q

what are the other processes of transportation?

A

solution

suspension

traction

saltation

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23
what is suspension?
particles and small rocks are light enough to float within waves
23
what is traction?
large rocks rolled along sea bed
24
what is saltation?
pebbles and small rocks bounce along the sea bed
24
when does deposition occur?
when the wave looses energy and drops the sediment
25
what are beaches?
large deposits of sand and shingle caused by constructive waves
26
beaches typically have what?
berms which are ridges where high tide reaches and deposits a ridge of sand and materials
27
what is a spit?
a long narrow strip of land which is formed due to deposition
28
what creates a spit?
Longshore drift occurs along the coast line but as the waves lose energy (normally due to going into a sheltered area such as behind a headland) they deposit their sediment. Occasionally a secondary prevailing wind may cause a recurved end on the spit the sheltered end behind a spit is called a salt marsh
29
when does a bar form?
when a spit continues and then connects to the land as there is nothing stopping it (e.g. a river or estuary) it's spit that has grown across a lagoon
30
what is behind a bar?
a lagoon
31
when do sand dunes occur?
when the prevailing winds blow sediment to the back of the beach
32
what is an embryo dune?
its found in the upper area of a beach where sand starts to gather around an obstacle (e.g. drift wood)
33
what is a yellow dune?
as more sand gathers and the dune grows, vegetation may develop on the upper and back of a dune surface, this stabilises the dune
34
what are grey dunes?
sand develops in the soil as the vegetation which grows dies there. this adds nutrients to the sand which enables more plants of different types to grow there
35
what is a dune slack?
the water rises closer to the surface or water is trapped between hollows between dunes during a storm this allows for the growth of moisture-loving plants like willow grass
36
what is heath and woodland?
sandy soil develop as there is a greater nutrients content, allowing for less brackish plants to thrive trees will also grow (willow, birch, oak trees) with the coastal woodland becoming a natural windbreak to the mainland behind
37
what is weathering?
the breakdown of rocks over time
38
what are the types of weathering processes?
mechanical (physical) weathering chemical weathering biological weathering
39
what is mechanical weathering?
the breakdown of rocks due to physical forces happening
40
what is an example of mechanical weathering?
freeze-thaw
41
what is freeze-thaw?
where water enters crakes in rocks and then the water freezes overnight during winter. as it freezes the water expands which increases the pressure on the rocks causing more crakes to develop. overtime these crakes grow weakening the cliff making it more vulnerable to other processes of erosion
42
what is chemical weathering?
the breakdown of rocks dew to a chemical reaction
43
what is the most common type of chemical weathering?
carbonation, which is where acid rain reacts with calcium carbonate in rocks to from a chemical compound which can then be easily dissolved
44
what is biological weathering?
the breakdown of rocks dew to the action of plants, bacteria and animals
45
what are the things that a type mass movement depends on?
the angle of the slope/cliff the rock type the saturation of the ground from pervious rain or flooding
46
what are the types of mass movement?
rock falls land slides mudflow rotational slip (slumpings)
47
what are rock falls?
occurs on a sloped cliff (over 40^ to the beach floor) when the rock becomes exposed to mechanical weathering
48
what are landslides?
water between sheets of rock and the rock face reduces friction and allows large chunks of rock to slide down the cliff
49
what is mud flow?
saturated soil flows down the face of a hill like fluid, bulging at the bottom in a lobe
50
what is rotational slumping?
soil and rock fragments become saturated with water. chunks of rock and soil slip, creating stepped 'heads' down the cliff face
51
why protect the coasts?
coastal erosion can endanger huge areas of coastline and many natural and human activities/sites damage to these places can cost millions of pounds therefore protecting them through coastal defences and management is important
52
what is hard engineering?
building artificial structures aimed at controlling natural processes
53
what is soft engineering?
a sustainable approach to managing the coasts without using artificial structure
54
what are the types of soft engineering?
dune stabilisation beach nourishment
55
what is dune stabilisation?
marram grass is planted, the roots help bind the dunes protecting land behind fences can be put in place to catch the wind too.
56
what are the advantages of dune stabilisation?
coast effective and creates an important wildlife habitat relatively cheap and minimum impact on natural environment
57
what are the disadvantages of dune stabilisation?
planting can be time consuming can be easily damages in a storm
58
what is beach nourishment?
sand added to the beach to replace the material lost through erosion and transportation
59
what are the advantages of beach nourishment?
maintains the beach, which is major tourist attraction this blends in with the rest of the beach, so isn't unattractive
60
what are the disadvantages of dune stabilisation?
large quantities of sand needed on a regular basis
61
what are the types of hard engineering?
groynes sea walls rip rap gabions
62
what are groynes?
timber or rock protrusions that trap sediment from long shore drift
63
what are the advantages of groynes?
builds up beach, protecting cliff and increasing tourists potential
64
what are the disadvantages of groynes?
visually unappealing deprives areas downwind of sediment increasing erosion elsewhere
65
what are sea walls?
concert structure the absorb and reflect wave energy, with curved surface
66
what are the advantages of sea walls?
effective erosion prevention promenade has tourism benefits
67
what are the disadvantages of sea walls?
visually unappealing expansive to contract and maintain wave energy reflected elsewhere, with impacts on erosion rates
68
what is a rip rap?
large rocks that reduce wave energy, but allow water too flow through
69
what are the advantages of rip rap?
cost effective
70
what are the disadvantages of groynes?
rocks are sources from else where so doesn't fit in with the local geology pose a hazard if climber upon
71
what are gabions
wire cages filled with rocks that can be built up to support a cliff or provide a buffer against the sea
72
what are the advantages of gabions?
cheap to produce and flexible in the final design can improve the drainage of a cliff will eventually vegetated and will merge into landscape
73
what are the disadvantages of gabions?
for a while they can look unattractive cages only last 5-10 years
74
how do you remember the Dorset case studies?
Chesil beach (bar) Old Harry + Forelands (stacks,stumps etc) Lulworth cove (bay) Durdle door (arch) Swanage bay (bay)
75
what other case study have you studied?
Bournemouth
76
why is coastal management needed? factor: coastal defences present for 10 years
why is protection worth while? defences are old so aren't strong anymore
77
why is coastal management needed? factor: coastal erosion 1m per year
why is protection worth while? after a long period of time the coat would have eroded meaning more homes/jobs at risk
78
why is coastal management needed? factor: tourism worth £472.8M a year
why is protection worth while? if there is no beach, tourism will decrease meaning a loss in income
79
why is coastal management needed? factor: tourism employs 11,604 people
why is protection worth while? no tourism = no jobs = poverty
80
why is coastal management needed? factor: 3,00 homes at risk of erosion
why is protection worth while? people could loose their homes, houses are expensive so people might not be bale yo afford a new house
81
why is coastal management needed? factor: 100 businesses at erosion risk
why is protection worth while? loss of income = poverty
82
what are the overall aims of Bournemouth Council?
replace 53 groins and add 3 new ones beach replenishment (1 every 5 years)
83
what is happening to Barton-on-Sea has Bournemouth is adding groynes?
Its being starved of sediment as groynes are stopping LSD happening
84
what else is happening to Barton-on-Sea?
the coastline is retreating a lot of mass movement

Geography revision (8 decks)

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