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Geography > Coasts > Flashcards

Coasts Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a model?

A

A model is not the real world, but merely a human construct to help us better understand real world systems.

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2
Q

What is a system?

A

A system is a group of processes that work together to perform a specific function.

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3
Q

What are the three types of system?

A
  • Closed
  • Open
  • Isolated
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4
Q

What is a closed system?

A

A closed system is where energy is transferred into and out of the system. All matter is enclosed. An example of this is the carbon cycle.

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5
Q

What is an open system?

A

An open system is where matter and energy can be transferred from the system to the environment.

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6
Q

What is an isolated system?

A

An isolated system almost non existent. The only isolated system is the universe.

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7
Q

What is an example of a closed and open system at the coast?

A

Open system = Beach
Closed system = Sediment cell

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8
Q

What is a positive feedback loop?

A

Where the effects of an action are amplified by a change.

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9
Q

What is a negative feedback loop?

A

Where the effects of an action are nullified by a change.

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10
Q

What is a dynamic equilibrium?

A

This is where the inputs and outputs of a system are equal.

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11
Q

What are some sources of energy at the coast?

A
  • Waves
  • Wind
  • Tide
  • Currents
  • Human activity
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12
Q

What are the 5 subsystems on Earth?

A
  • Atmosphere (air)
  • Lithosphere (tectonic)
  • Hydrosphere (water)
  • Biosphere (natural)
  • Cryosphere (glacial)
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13
Q

What happens at a irregular coastline?

A

At an inrregular coastline, the wave bends because different parts of the wave are at different depths. This is a negative feedback loop.

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14
Q

What happens at a straight coastline?

A

At a straight coastline, when the wave touches the seabed it looses velocity. Prevaillig winds make it paralell to the coastline.

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15
Q

What is a sediment budget?

A

The sediment budget is the amount of sediment available.

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16
Q

What does an increase in the sediment budget lead to? How about a decrease?

A

Increase = more deposition
Decrease = more erosion

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17
Q

What is a sediment cell?

A

A sediment cell is a part of the coast where sediment is largely contained. It is usually between two promenant headlands.

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18
Q

What are the four types of sediment?

A

Clastic = Weathering of rocks
Biogenic = Skeletons of fish
Non-cohesive = larger particles grain by grain
Cohesive = Smaller clay and mud that joins together

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19
Q

What is the backshore?

A

Backshore is the area between the high water mark and the limit of marine activity.

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20
Q

What is offshore?

A

Offshore is where waves have no impact on the beach.

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21
Q

What is the inshore?

A

The inshore is between the low water mark and where the waves no longer impact the beach.

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22
Q

What is the foreshore?

A

Foreshore is the area between the high water mark and the low water mark.

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23
Q

What is littoral / longshore drift?

A

Littoral drift is where sediment is blown up the beach in a zia-zag pattern. It occurs when the swash pushes sediment up the beach, and the backwash along with gravity It transfers sediment from one place to another and protects the cliff from erosion.

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24
Q

What is the thermohaline circulation?

A

A process driven by the different densities of water. The cold water, which is denser than the hot water, sinks. This process affects the Earths climate by moving hot water around.

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25
Q

What causes different densities in water?

A

Salt concentration

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26
Q

What is a spring tide?

A

Spring tides occur after a full moon, when the sun and moon are alligned. This causes larger tides as the sun and moon add onto eachothers gravity

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27
Q

What is a neap tide?

A

A neap tide is when the sun and moon are at a right angle to eachother. The sun cancells out the moons gravity, leading to moderate tides.

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28
Q

What happens at high tide?

A

At high tide, erosion and deposition occur higher up the beach.

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29
Q

What happens at low tide?

A

At low tide, erosion and deposition occur at a similar place at the beach.

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30
Q

What is a current?

A

A current is large scale movement of water in the oceans.

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31
Q

What is the time difference in between the low tide and high tide?

A

12 hours and 25 minutes

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32
Q

What is weathering?

A

Weathering is the breakdown of rocks in situ

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33
Q

What is mechanical weathering?

A

The breakdown of rocks due to physical factors in the environment.

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34
Q

What is chemical weathering?

A

The breakdown of rocks due to interaction with air, water or acid.

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35
Q

What is biological weathering?

A

The breakdown of rocks due to due to plants, animals and micro-organisms

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36
Q

What is freeze-thaw?

A

Freeze-thaw is a type of weathering where water continually seeps into rocks, and then expands when temperatures drop, and it becomes ice. Over time these cracks become larger until the rock is broken down.

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37
Q

What is exfoliation?

A

Exfoliation is a type of weathering which occurs when cracks develop parallel to the land surface.

38
Q

What is crystalisation?

A

Crystalisation is a type of weathering where water goes into holes, evaporates and then turns into crystalls.

39
Q

What is solution?

A

Solution is when acids in the water dissolve alkaline rock.

40
Q

What are the four OG types of coastal erosion

A
  • Traction
  • Saltation
  • Suspension
  • Solution
41
Q

What is attrition?

A

Attrition is smoothing and reducing of angular rock into pebbles.

42
Q

What is corrasion?

A

Corrasion is where rocks are launched against a clif and can weaken it.

43
Q

What is abraision

A

Abraision is the sandpapering effect of rocks against a coastline.

44
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

Hydraulic action is where waves break against a cliff and forces itself into cracks.

45
Q

What is caviation?

A

Caviation is where bubbles of air collapse as a result of stress.

46
Q

What is wave quarraying?

A

Wave quarraying is where waves break against unconsolidated material. Waves scoop out loose material.

47
Q

What is rockfall?

A

This is where there is a sudden collapse and breaking away of rock fragments at a cliff face.

48
Q

What is a landslip / slump?

A

This is where the slide surface is curved, and weak clays or sands ‘slump’ down this surface.

49
Q

What is soil creep?

A

Very slow movement of soil downhill.

50
Q

What is a landslide?

A

Rock moving rapidly downhill along a plane. It is often triggered by an earthquake.

51
Q

What is a swash aligned beach?

A

This is where waves break parallel to the coast. They tend to form in low energy environments.

52
Q

What is a drift aligned beach?

A

This is where waves approach the beach at an angle. Longshore drift moves material along the beach.

53
Q

Explain the formation of a spit

A

Longshore drift carries material along a coast. When the coastline changes direction, sediment builds up. It projects outwards. Wave refraction curves it round. Saltmarshes and sand dunes may form behind the spit.

54
Q

What are compund spits?

A

This is where spits show evidence of a series of sequential growth and recurvate.

55
Q

What is a bar / barrier beach?

A

A bar is the extension of a spit across a bay to the point that it blocks off the entire bay. Behind, a lagoon forms which can turn into a mangrove or a saltmarsh.

56
Q

What is a tombolo?

A

A tombolo is where sediment is deposited towards a small island and connects to it.

57
Q

What are the 5 stages of sand dune development?

A
  • Embyro dunes
  • Foredunes
  • Yellow dunes
  • Grey dunes
  • Mature dunes
58
Q

What is an embryo dunes?

A

It is the first stage of sand dunes. It is when there is an obsticle, sand builds up. Conditions are very extreme here, and they do not grow to more than one metre in height.

59
Q

What are the foredunes?

A

This is the second stage in sand dune development. This is where the first plants begin to colonise, such as lyme grass, marram grass and sea rocket. It helps to trap more sand. They are drought resistant.

60
Q

What are the yellow dunes?

A

This is the third stage of sand dune development. This is where a humus layer builds up and traps water and nutrients in the soil. Up to 80% coverage.

61
Q

What are the grey dunes?

A

This is the fourth stage in sand dune development. This is where there is much more stable vegetation, and it can be up to 100%. Soil begins to form, and this takes place arounf 50-100m from the sea. It can be about 10m in height.

62
Q

What are mature dunes?

A

This is the fifth stage in sand dune development. This can be several hundred metres from the sea, and can support trees. Eventually it may reach climax vegetation.

63
Q

What is isostatic sea level rise?

A

Isostatic is global sea level rise, caused by melting of the ice sheets.

64
Q

What is eustatic sea level rise?

A

Eustatic sea level rise is local sea level rise, caused by the weight of ice. Eustatic recovery is where it rises again when ice melts.

65
Q

What are relict cliffs?

A

This is an old cliff displaying features such as caves, arches or stacks

66
Q

What is a raised beach?

A

These are former wave cut platforms where the land has risen.

67
Q

What are rias

A

Rias are a drowned river valley. Only the high land is visible

68
Q

What are fjords?

A

Fjords are long, deep, narrow bodies of water that reaches far inland, creating a u-shaped valley.

69
Q

What are dalmation coasts?

A

Dalmation coasts are where valleys are parallel to each other.

70
Q

What are the stages in the development of saltmarshes?

A

1= Mud deposited by high tide line by floculation
2= Pioneer plants colonise transition zone
3= Mud level rises above HWM
4= Soil condition improves, meadow forms
5= Shrubs + trees colonise area

71
Q

What is floculation?

A

Floculation is where tiny particles of clay stick together

72
Q

What type of environments can pioneer plants tolerate?

A

Halosere environments (salty)

73
Q

What happens when shrubs and trees colonise a saltmarsh?

A

Sucession reaches climactic climax

74
Q

What are the three processes leading to the formation of the sundarbans?

A
  • Tides
  • River network estuaries
  • Wave action
75
Q

How did tides contribute to the formation of the sundarbans?

A

The change of tide allows sediment to become trapped, which stabilises the mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves can grow with their roots submerged in water. It allows fish to shelter before moving into the open ocean as adults. Birds can also nest there.

76
Q

How do river network estuaries contribute to the formation of the sundarbans?

A

The sundarbans is the worlds largest sediment disposal system. 1.3bn tonnes of sediment passes through the Bay of Bbengal each year.

77
Q

How does wave action contribute to the formation of the sundarbans?

A

Islands and sizebale newly deposited lands (chars) appear seasonally. During the south west monsoon season (June), sea breeze increases the wave height. Monsoons increase the runoff in the rivers means larger sediment can be transported via traction. 95% of sediment comes from summer monsoon rainfall.

78
Q

How does the mangroves protect against storms?

A
  • 30 trees per 0.01 hectares reduces the force of a tsunami by 90%.
  • They have an enormous capacity to hold CO2 and traps it in soils.
  • Flooding also has economic value through fishing and timber. One hectare = $12,000
79
Q

What goods can the mangrove provide if it is sustainibly managed?

A

> Fuel
Construction materials
Household items
Food and drink
Textiles

80
Q

Basic facts about the sundarbans

A
  • 10,000sqkm across Bangladesh and India.
  • It was 4x bigger in 1947
  • 1/3 water
  • 41 mammals, 50 reptiles + 339 species of bird
81
Q

When was the Bangladesh ICZM introduced

A

2005

82
Q

What has been done in Bangladesh to reduce vunerability?

A

In 2015, rural women built 10km of brick roads connecting villages to eachother.

5,000km of embankment built, fortified with concrete for protection

83
Q

What has been done in Bangladesh to reduce poverty

A

6 NGOs committed to the aim of getting food security and help rebuild livelyhoods.

84
Q

What has been done in Bangladesh regarding institutional change? (sanitation)

A

500 targeted households trained on income generating activities

130 houses given latrines

18 wells to supply drinking water

Development of connecting roads

85
Q

What has been done in Bangladesh regarding biodiversity conservation?

A

Ecotourism, dolphin sanctuary, no large vessells, mangrove eco-village.

In 2011, 1,000,000 of the 5,000,000 who had no electricity was using solar panels.

86
Q

What are some adaptation strategies from the Sundarbans?

A
  • Salt tolerant rice, survives for two weeks
  • Storage tanks
  • Water tight containers for storms
  • Cyclone shelters - 1,012 built in 2015
87
Q

What are some mitigation strategies from the Sundarbans?

A

Afforestation = Deforestation was 3% per year. Indian NGO planted 50m mangrove saplings in 2021.

Tiger masks = 22.7 people killed per year, so they wore masks and provided prey so they avoided human death and the extinction of tigers.

88
Q

Four stages of the shoreline management plan (SMPs) and the case study

A

1= Advance the line - extends coastline out to sea
2= Hold the line - Keep in current position
3= No intervention - left to natural processes
4= Managed retreat - allows parts to flood

Used from Spurn Head to Flambrough, Holderness. Hard engineering was used in Hornsea.

89
Q

Stats about Happisburgh

A

Population of 1,400
250m land lost between 1600-1850
Groynes constructed in 1950
300m of revetment detroyed in a storm (1990)
4,000 tonnes rock armour placed at foot of cliff (2002)
9,000 tonnes realigned in 2015

90
Q

What are the case studies for coastal landforms such as stacks?

A

Old Hary Stack, Dorset (Stack)

Durdle Door, Dorset (Arch)

Geography (6 decks)

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