Coasts

Question 1

Swash

Answer 1

The movement of waves up the beach

Question 2

Backwash

Answer 2

The movement of waves back towards the sea at the angle of 90 degrees.

Question 3

Constructive waves

Answer 3

Add material to the beach because they have a strong swash than backwash

Question 4

Destructive waves

Answer 4

Remove material from the beach because they have a stronger backwash than swash.

Question 5

Abrasion

Answer 5

Breakdown of the coast by rocks hitting it and wearing it away.

Question 6

Hydraulic action

Answer 6

Erosion of the coast through the force of wave water against the shore.

Question 7

Attrition

Answer 7

Erosion of coastal sediment as it is knocked together. This gradually makes it rounder and smaller.

Question 8

Solution

Answer 8

Chemical erosion of coastlines using the slightly acidic nature of some sea water.

Question 9

Freeze-Thaw

Answer 9

A type of weathering caused by water filling a crack in the coast, freezing (which causes it to expand), melting, allowing more water into the larger crack. This process repeats until the rock fragment breaks away.

Question 10

Mass Movements

Answer 10

Large amounts of a cliff face being removed at once. Types include: Landslides, rockfalls and slumps.

Question 11

Longshore Drift

Answer 11

A method of coastal transportation driven by the direction of the waves. Material is moved along the coast in the direction determined by the prevailing wind.

Question 12

Prevailing wind

Answer 12

The most common wind direction in a place (South Westerly for the UK)

Question 13

Hold the line

Answer 13

An approach to coastal management where a decision is made to keep defending the coast in its current position.

Question 14

Managed retreat (realignment)

Answer 14

An approach to coastal management where a portion of the coast is allowed to be flooded in order to protect more valuable areas.(Soft engineering)

Question 15

Beach Nourishment

Answer 15

A soft engineering approach where material is added to the beach to absorb wave energy and reduce erosion.

Question 16

Groynes

Answer 16

A hard engineering strategy where fences are built at right angles to the sea to prevent longshore drift. This slows down erosion by building up a beach which absorbs wave energy.

Question 17

Sea walls

Answer 17

A hard engineering approach using concrete walls to reflect wave energy and prevent coastal flooding. The most expensive method of coastal management.

Question 18

Fetch

Answer 18

The distance the wind can travel over the ocean to form waves. The longer this distance the larger the wave.

Question 19

Wave cut platform

Answer 19

Erosional feature found at the base of a cliff. If shows the base of the former cliff after is retreats following erosion between the high and low water lines.

Question 20

Sand dune

Answer 20

A wind formed depositional landform found at the back of a beach. Material is blown towards them and stops when it hits an obstacle of existing dune.

Question 21

Spit

Answer 21

A depositional landform created when longshore drift continues beyond a bend in the coastline. Deposition causes the feature to build over time.

Question 22

Bar

Answer 22

A depositional landform formed when a spit extends across a bay. The formation is very similar to a spit, Behind a bar you will often find a lagoon.

Question 23

Headland

Answer 23

An area of hard rock which sticks out into the sea. It is created by the soft rock beside it eroding backwards at a faster rate.

Question 24

Bay

Answer 24

An often horse-shoe shaped inlet at the coast. They are found in areas of soft rock which erode at a faster rate than the hard rock beside them.