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Geography > Coasts > Flashcards

Coasts Flashcards

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1
Q

Explain the 4 different types of erosion

A

Hydraulic action: strong waves crash into the cliff face. Trapped air is blasted into holes and cracks in the rock causing them to break apart
Corrasion/abrasion: rocks being thrown into the cliffs by waves and breaking off bits of the cliff
Attrition: rock fragments carried by the sea knock into each other, they break down and become smaller and more rounded
Solution: slight acidity of sea water causes bits of the cliff to dissolve

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2
Q

What is deposition?

A

When eroded material is stopped by constructive waves

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3
Q

What are destructive waves?

A 
Fairly weak swash
Strong backwash 
Erode and transport material away from beaches 
Steep beaches 
Breaks downwards with great force
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4
Q

What are constructive waves?

A 
Flat and low
Strong swash
Weak backwash
Deposit material and build beaches up 
Gentle beaches
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5
Q

What is coastal erosion?

A

The wearing away of the coast by destructive waves

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6
Q

How do waves form?

A

Transfer of energy
Friction that occurs when wind blows over water
When it reaches the shore, the lower part slows due to friction with the sea bed but the upper part continues to move. It topples and breaks against the cliff face.

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7
Q

What is the size and energy of a wave influenced by?

A

How long wind has been blowing
Strength of wind
How far the wave has travelled

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8
Q

What is transportation?

A

The movement of material in the sea and along the coast by waves

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9
Q

What are the 4 different types of transportation?

A

Traction: large material rolled along sea floor
Suspension: beach material is suspended and carried by waves
Saltation: beach material is bounced along sea floor
Solution: material is dissolved and carried by water

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10
Q

What is longshore drift?

A

The process of waves moving material along a coastline

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11
Q

How does longshore drift occur?

A
  1. Waves approach the coast at right angles
  2. The backwash is at right angles to the coast as this is the steepest gradient
  3. The material will move up the coast
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12
Q

How is a stump formed?

A
  1. Lines of weakness such as faults/cracks occur in headlands
  2. Abrasion and hydraulic action erode the fault to form a cave
  3. The cave is widened and deepened
  4. The sea cuts through to form an arch
  5. The sea erodes the foot of the arch and widens it
  6. The roof of the arch becomes too heavy and collapses
  7. Part of the former cliff is now isolated as a stack
  8. Over time, the stack is eroded and it might be undercut and collapse
  9. A stump is the remains of the eroded stack
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13
Q

How are cliffs formed?

A

When destructive waves attack the bottom of the rock face between the high and low water marks

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14
Q

How are wave cut platforms formed?

A
  1. Waves break against the cliff and erosion at high tide form a wave-cut notch
  2. The notch gets deepened until the overlaying cliff collapses
  3. A new wave cut notch is created and the sequence continues
  4. The cliff line gradually retreats leaving a gently sloping wave cute platform. This is the gently sloping rocky area between the high and low water marks
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15
Q

What is a spit and how is it formed?

A

A spit is a ridge of sand and shingle projecting from the mainland into the sea

  1. Longshore drift deposits materials at an angle of about 45 degrees
  2. The backwash, however is at right angles
  3. The materials therefore move in a zig-zag fashion
  4. There is deposition of material at the change of direction of the coast, which leads to the formation of a spit
  5. Curving at the end may be caused by a change in wind direction
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16
Q

What is a bar and how is it formed?

A

A bar is a ridge of sand and shingle which joins two headlands, cutting off a bay

  1. A spit continues to grow as more material is deposited
  2. Sometimes, the spit will eventually join two headlands forming a bar
  3. The bay is cut off and a lagoon is formed
17
Q

What is a tombolo and how is it formed?

A

A tombolo is a ridge of sand and shingle joining the mainland to the land
Sometimes a spit will grow out from a headland and will eventually join the mainland

18
Q

How are bay and headline coastlines formed?

A
  1. Where rocks of different hardness and resistance meet the sea, the weaker rocks are eroded back more quickly to form bays
  2. In the shelter of a bay, constructive waves deposit material from elsewhere and beaches are formed
  3. The stronger rocks resist wave attacks for longer and stand out as prominent rocky headlands.
19
Q

What is the difference between a concordant and discordant coastline?

A

Concordant coastlines are where bands of hard and soft rock run parallel to the coastline while discordant coastlines are where bands of hard and soft rock run perpendicular to the coastline

20
Q

What are sand dunes?

A

Small ridges/hills of sand found at the top of a beach above the usual maximum reach of the waves

21
Q

How are sand dunes formed?

A
  1. Sand dries out
  2. Wind picks up particles of sands from beaches, especially at low tide
  3. The sand is deposited around an obstruction
  4. The dunes build up over time from an embryo dune to an established dune
22
Q

What are the conditions needed for sand dunes to form?

A

A supply of dry sand over a wide beach
An area of low lying sand behind the beach
Predominantly onshore winds

23
Q

What are coral reefs?

A

A coral reef is a line of coral polyp found in warm, shallow seas. They are formed when polyps build limestone around themselves and then these foundations are used by other polyps. When the limestone foundations build up, they are called coral reefs.

24
Q

What are the conditions needed for coral reefs?

A 
Minimum water temperature of 18 degrees (warm waters)
Light conditions 
Water depth of less than 25m 
Salty water-no less than 30-32psu
Clean, clear water
25
Q

Where are mangrove swamps formed?

A

On the coastline in an intertidal zone

26
Q

What conditions can mangroves endure?

A 
Flooding of saltwater by the sea
Flooding of freshwater by rainfall
Alternating salt and temperature levels 
Choking mud 
They have special adaptations to help them survive
27
Q

Opportunities presented by coasts

A

Areas of beautiful scenery/good views/enjoy the scenery;
Use by tourists/for leisure activities or example/income from tourism;
Hiking/coastal paths;
Fishing industry;
Development of harbours/ports;
People live there/residential/retirement.

28
Q

Hazards presented by coasts

A 
Tropical storms 
Flooding
High winds 
Hurricanes 
Landslides
Tsunamis 
Storm surges

Geography (49 decks)

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