Coasts Flashcards
What is a Coast?
A coast is where the land meets the sea.
How do waves form?
They form by wind moving across the surface of the water.
Name the three parts of a wave.
Backwash, Swash and the Crest.
Name the two types of waves.
Constructive and destructive.
Name some properties of Constructive waves.
Low wave frequency, long wave interval, strong swash & weak backwash, Gentle sloping coastline.
Name some properties of Destructive waves
High wave frequency, short wave interval, weak swash & strong backwash, steeply sloping coastline.
what 3 processes do waves use to change the shape of a coastline?
Eroding, transporting and depositing material.
Waves erode by….
Solution, Hydraulic action, Attrition and Abrasion.
What is longshore drift?
Long shore drift is when material is moved along the coast in a zigzag pattern caused by waves approaching at an angle.
Name 4 costal features created by erosion.
Cliff, Notch, Wave cut platform, Bay & Headland.
How are Bays formed?
Where the coastline has bands of alternating hard & soft rock, the soft rock erodes faster and the hard does not. Here the bay is created and is Curved in shape.
How are Headlands formed?
Where the coastline has bands of alternating hard & soft rock, the hard rock erodes slowly while the soft rock erodes quicker, which leaves the hard rock jutting out into the water and that is a headland.
How are Notches Created?
Waves attack the base of a cliff, making a cut called a “notch”
Name 4 Coastal features created by deposition.
Beaches, Bay Bars, Tombolo’s and Spits
Explain Beaches
These are Long stretches of sand and other material buildup along the shore. Beaches form because water slows as it approaches the shore depositing material.
