Coasts Flashcards
What is the definition of a coast?
A coast is the area where land meets the sea or ocean.
What are the main processes that shape coastlines? (3)
Erosion, transportation, and deposition.
What is longshore drift?
The movement of sand and sediment along the coast by wave action.
Which type of wave is typically associated with strong erosion?
Destructive waves
What is the main difference between constructive and destructive waves?
Constructive waves build up the beach, while destructive waves erode it.
:Spits are a type of coastal landform created by ____.
Deposition
What is a beach?
A beach is a landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake, or river, consisting of loose particles.
What human activities can accelerate coastal erosion?
Construction, deforestation, and sand mining.
What is the role of vegetation in coastal areas?
Vegetation helps to stabilize the soil and reduce erosion.
What is a sea wall?
A hard engineering structure built to protect the coast from erosion and flooding.
What is meant by coastal management?
Strategies used to protect coastlines from erosion and other processes.
Name one method of soft engineering in coastal management.
Beach nourishment.
What is a groyne?
A barrier built at right angles to the beach to trap sand and reduce erosion.
How are tides caused.
the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
What is the difference between high tide and low tide?
High tide is when the water level is at its highest, while low tide is when it is at its lowest.
What are salt marshes?
Coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides.
What is an estuary?
An area where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean.
What is the process of sediment being transported along the ground of the sea.
traction
What are the impacts of climate change on coastal areas?
Increased flooding, erosion, and loss of habitat.
What is a tidal range?
The difference in height between high tide and low tide.
What is a headland?
A coastal landform that juts out into the sea as it has harder rock.
Name a type of coastal landform created by erosion.
Caves, arches, stacks, or cliffs.
What is the main cause of sea level rise?
Melting ice caps and thermal expansion of seawater due to global warming.
What is the significance of coral reefs in coastal areas?
They provide habitat for marine life and protect shorelines from erosion.
What is the describing word for a coastline where there are alternating layers of soft and hard rock?
Discordant coastline
