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Geography > Coasts > Flashcards

Coasts Flashcards

1
Q

What is enquiry question 1?

A

why are coastal landscapes different and what processes causes these differences?

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2
Q

What is the definition of concordant coasts?

A

this is where bands of more resultant and less resistant rocks parallel to the coast

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3
Q

What are the key landforms of a concordant coast?

A

Dalmatian coasts- formed as a result of rise in sea level. Valleys and ridges run parallel to each other. When valleys flood ( due to sea levels rising ) the tops of the ridges remain above the sea. Looks like offshore islands.
Example: Dalmatian coasts of Croatia

Haff coasts- consists of concordant features, long spits of sands and lagoons aligned in parallel to the coast
Example: Southern shore of the Baltic sea

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4
Q

What is the definition of a discordant coast?

A

the geology alternates between bands of more resistant and less resistant rock which run at right angle to the coast

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5
Q

What are the key landforms of a discordant coast?

A

Headlands- force incoming waves to refract or bend concentrating their energy at the headlands. this increases the waves erosive power which leads to steepening of the cliff and their eventual erosion into arches

Bays- waves energy dissipates and reduces in the bay. This leads to deposition of the sediment.

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6
Q

What is the definition of deformation?

A

degree to which rock units have been deformed (tilted or folded) by tectonic activity

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7
Q

What is the definition of faulting?

A

presence of major fractures that have moved rocks from their original position

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8
Q

What is the definition of bedding in terms of rocks?

A

where rock types meet

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9
Q

What is a dip?

A

The angle in which rocks lie at an angle usually seen in deformed strata

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10
Q

What type of cliff profile is at a low angle with one rock layer facing the sea (usually vunrable to rock slides)?

A

Seaward Dip (high angle)

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11
Q

What type of cliff profile is vertical profile with notches reflecting strata that are more easily eroded?

A

Horizontal Dip

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12
Q

What type of cliff profile is steep profile of 70-80 degrees producing a very stable cliff with reduced rock fall?

A

Landward Dip

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13
Q

What type of cliff profile may exceed 90 degrees producing areas of overhanging rock (very vunrable to rock fall)

A

Seaward Dip (low angle)

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14
Q

What is the erosion rate of sedimentary rocks?

A

0.5 - 10 cm per year

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15
Q

What is the erosion rate of metamorphic rocks?

A

0.1 - 0.3 cm per year

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16
Q

What is the erosion rate of igneous rocks?

A

<0.1 cm per year

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17
Q

What are examples of sedimentary rock?

A

chalk, clay, conglomerate

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18
Q

What are examples of metamorphic rock?

A

Marble, slate, Gneiss

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19
Q

What are examples of igneous rocks?

A

Basalt, Granite, Gabbro

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20
Q

What is a psammoseres?

A

Sand dunes

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21
Q

What is a haloseres?

A

Salt marshes

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22
Q

What rock type and what are the characteristics of gabbro?

A

igneous
course grained and dark coloured

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23
Q

What rock type and what are the characteristics of conglomerate?

A

Sedimentary
clasts are well rounded and vary in size

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24
Q

What rock type and what are the characteristics of Gneiss?

A

Metamorphic
distinctive banding caused by segregation of mineral grains into layers often alternating between dark and light

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25
Q

What is the definition of a high energy environment?

A

where destructive storm waves breaking on shingle beaches are most typical

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26
Q

What is the definition of a low energy environment?

A

where constructive swell waves breaking upon sandy beaches are most typical

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27
Q

What two categories did Valentino use for coasts?

A

advancing- where marine deposition or the uplift is dominant
Retreating- where marine erosion or the submergence of land is more significant

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28
Q

What is the definition of marine erosion?

A

wearing away of the land surface and removal of materials by river and seawater, ice and wind

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29
Q

What is the definition of marine deposition?

A

Deposition occurs when energy levels decrease in environments such as bays and estuaries. Where deposition occurs on the inside of a spit a salt marsh can form

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30
Q

What does the littoral zone consist of?

A

coast
backshore
foreshore
nearshore
offshore

31
Q

What four types of coast line are formed by the littoral zone?

A

rocky- resistant rock with high energy environments also destructive waves
sandy- low relief areas, low energy environments with more deposition than erosion
estuarine- salt marshes and mud flats river mounds with more deposition than erosion

32
Q

What is short term classification?

A

energy inputs (high and low energy coastlines)
sediment inputs (deposition and erosion rates)
advancing and retreating (happens due to erosion and deposition rates)

33
Q

what are the characteristics of a coastal plain?

A

flat land, low relief, often containing wetlands and salt marshes, low energy environments, high deposition
Mostly south-east UK

34
Q

What are the characteristics of a rocky coast?

A

Cliffs that vary in height, high resistant rock, low relief, little deposition with high erosion
Mostly north-west UK

35
Q

What are faults?

A

major fractures caused by tectonic processes

36
Q

What are joints?

A

fractures created by rocks being moved

37
Q

What are fissures?

A

more open than fractures

38
Q

What is folding?

A

bends in rock due to sedimentary rock layering

39
Q

What is anticline and syncline?

A

anticline-top of curve
syncline-bottom of curve

40
Q

What is enquiry question 2?

A

how do characteristics of coastal landforms contribute to coastal landscapes?

41
Q

What causes waves to be stronger and higher?

A

strength of wind
water depth
duration of wind blowing
distance of sea travelled (fetch)

42
Q

What is an example of a long fetch?

A

Cornwall (longest prevailing wind of 4000km)

43
Q

What are the characteristics of a constructive wave?

A

long wavelength
low surging waves
strong swash
weak backwash
beach gain

44
Q

What are the characteristics of a destructive wave?

A

short wavelength
high plunge waves
weak swash
strong backwash
beach loss

45
Q

What are the four erosional processes?

A

abrasion
hydraulic action
attrition
solution

46
Q

what is marine processes?

A

action of waves

46
Q

define erosion

A

wearing away of land surface and removal of material by river

47
Q

what is abrasion

A

when waves advance they pick up sand and pebbles from sea bed and throw them at cliff face

48
Q

what is hydraulic action

A

when wave advances air can become trapped and compressed in faults then the wave retreats air expands. This continuous process weakens the faults

49
Q

what is attrition

A

gradual wearing down of rock particles by impacts and abrasion as [pieces of rock are moved by waves and tides

50
Q

what is solution

A

when a cliff is formed by alkaline rock or cement bonds the rock particles together, solution by weak acids in salt water dissolve them eroding them down

51
Q

define geomorphic

A

relates to the formation and shaping of landforms and landscapes by natural processes such as weathering, mass movement transportation and erosion

52
Q

define weathering

A

breakdown or disintegration of rock in situ (original place) as a process it leads to the transfer (flow) of material

53
Q

define mass movement

A

downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity

54
Q

define marine process

A

includes erosion, transportation and deposition. Caused by power of wind which transfers energy to waves

55
Q

what is an example of bay beaches

A

dorset coast

56
Q

what is an example of bay bars

A

looe cornwall

57
Q

what is an example of barrier beaches

A

start bay, Devon

58
Q

what is an example of spits

A

Orford Ness Sufolk

59
Q

what is an example of recurved spits

A

Hurst castle spit Hampshire

60
Q

what is an example of cuspate forelands

A

Carolina USA

61
Q

what is an example of tombolo’s

A

loch Eriboll Scotland

62
Q

what is an example of a sediment cell

A

Portland bill

63
Q

How many sediment cells are there in England and Wales?

A

11

64
Q

What three components make up a sediment cell?

A

sinks, transfers and sources

65
Q

What isa sediment cell

A

it is a closed system which is in dynamic equilibrium meaning no sediment is transferred between each cell

66
Q

What are sources

A

places where sediment generated

67
Q

What are transfer zones

A

place where sediment moving alongshore

68
Q

What are sinks

A

locations where dominant process is deposition

69
Q

What are examples of sources

A

erosion on cliff
onshore currents supply sediment to shore
land sediment eroded by rivers
wind-blown sediment from land
subaerial processes such as weathering and mass movement
shells and remains of marine organisms

70
Q

What are examples of transfers

A

longshore drift
wave transport through swash and backwash
tides moving sediment in and out
currents- localised or large scale
wind alongshore and off shore

71
Q

What are examples of sinks

A

backshore depositional landforms
foreshore depositional landforms
nearshore depositional landforms
offshore sediment deposition to deep offshore waters

72
Q

What is negative feedback

A

maintains balance e.g. wave erosion causes rock fall which protects the base from further erosion

73
Q

What is positive feedback?

A

changes the balance until a new equilibrium is reached e.g. sand dunes are damaged during storm causing ‘blow out’ (depressions/hollows) allowing wind to move sand away , preventing marram grass from re-growing = more erosion

Geography (9 decks)

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