Coasts Flashcards
swash
body of water pushing up a beach after a wave has broken
backwash
the movement of water back down beach after a wave has reached its highest point
storm surge
high onshore winds and tides combine to give unusually high sea level
marine process
the action of the sea on coastal landforms
sub-aerial processes
processes active on face and top of cliffs
percolation
the rate in which water soaks into rocks. A shingle beach = higher percolation rate than sand beach
lithology
the properties of the rocks- mineral composition, cracks, joints
promontory
highland area jutting out into sea
landslide
mass movement of material down a cliff face
tombolo
where deposition of sediment joins an island to the mainland
sediment budget
calculated by subtracting the volume of outputs from the volume of inputs
submergent coastlines
produced by rising sea levels
emergent coastlines
produced by falling sea levels
managed retreat
allowing existing defences to be breached and areas to flood to their natural level
promontory effect
where protected areas begin to protrude seawards as surrounding areas erode
