Coasts Flashcards
Learn about Coasts
What is the Attrition
It is when materials are carried by the waves and they bump/collide with each other. They are smoothed and broken down into smaller particles.
What is Abrasion/Corrasion
This is when the coast is worn down by the material carried by the waves. Waves throw the particles against the rock at high speeds and erode rock like a sand papering action. The rock smoothens the surface of the rock.
What is Corrosion?
This is the chemical action of the sea water. The acids in the salt water slowly dissolve mineral particles in the rock. For example, Carbonic acid in the sea water dissolves Calcium carbonate in limestone.
What is Hydraulic Action?
This involves the force of the water against the coast. The waves enter cracks (faults) in the coastline and it compresses the air within the crack. When the wave retreats, the air in the crack expands quickly, causing a minor explosion. This is repeated continuously.
What is Longshore Drift?
Longshore drift is the movement of eroded sea material along a coast line. Swash and Backwash cause pebbles to move in a zigzag course along the beach.
What is the order of erosion on a headland?
The order is crack, cave, arch, stack and stump. Then when it gets eroded even more it becomes a wavecut platform.
How does a crack form on the headland?
The waves approach the headland and erode it to cause a crack.
How does a cave form in the headland?
The crack gets eroded further and eventually causes a cave to form.
How does a arch form in the headland?
The waves erode the cave and cause the cave to meet at both ends and this leaves an arch.
How does a stack form?
Eventually the roof of the arch gets to heavy of the headland to support and it crumbles and collapses, so it falls into the sea. The roof gets eroded and leaves debris in the sea. This leaves a piece of rock that is separated from the headland.
How does a stump form?
The stack gets eroded at the bottom by the waves and this creates and undercut. the stack gets to heavy and collapses into the sea. This leaves a piece of small rock called a stump.
Complete this sentence
The ______ approach the headland and erode it to cause a crack.
The WAVES approach the headland and erode it to cause a crack.
What is swash?
Swash is the movement of the waves when they goes up a coast , it carries materials and eroded material.
What is backwash?
Backwash is the movement of the waves when they go down a coast. They remove the material of the coast. When the swash comes back up the material is returned to the coast.
