coasts Flashcards

1
Q

hard-rock coasts and example

A

consists of resistant rocks

eg. Lulworth cove dorset

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2
Q

soft-rock coasts

A

consists of less resistant rocks such as clay and shales that are more easily eroded

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3
Q

rock sturcture

A

the way different strata are arranged

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4
Q

discordant

A

when strata are perpendicular to/at right angles to the coast

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5
Q

concordant

A

strata are parallel to the coean

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6
Q

what forms along discordant coastlines and how

A

headlands and bays

bands of rock are eroded at different rates

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7
Q

what forms along concordant coastlines and how

A

fewer erosional landforms due to all of the rock being eroded at the same rate

coves and cliffs

  • erosional processes make a gap or find a weakness/fault in the resistant strata, exposing the less resistant rock which is then quickly eroded to make a cove
  • at the back of the cove, waves reach more resistant rock, forming a steep cliff
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8
Q

joints

A

small, usually vertical crakcs found in many rocks

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9
Q

faults

A

larger cracks in rocks caused by past tectonic movements, where rocks have moved

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10
Q

what 3 types of processes can affect rate of coastal erosion

A

climate
marine
subaerial

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11
Q

what are the 3 types of climate processes that affect rate of coastal erosion

A

seasonality
storm frequency
prevailing winds

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12
Q

how does seasonality affect rate of coastal erosion

A

temperature varies with the seasons
cold in winter, warm in spring, hot in summer, cool in autumn
differences in temperature have an effect on coastal processes for example milder temperatures increase rate of salt weathering because water evaporates at a greater rate

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13
Q

how does storm frequency affect rate of coastal erosion

A

storms are very frequent in winter
the strong winds create high energy, destructive waves, increasing erosion of cliffs
heavy rainfall causes cliffs to be saturated and mass movement becomes more likely

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14
Q

how do prevailing winds affect rate of coastal erosion

A

the most common winds in the UK are south westerlies, warm winds bringing in storms from the Atlantic
the UK south coast is exposed to these winds
cold northerly winds are also common, especially on the east coast

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15
Q

how do marine processes affect rate of coastal erosion

A

destructive waves carry out erosional processes as they are high, steep and high in frequency
backwash is stronger than swash, meaning that material is removed from the coasts
storms increase the erosional power of destructive waves, leading to increased rates of coastal erosion

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16
Q

what are the two types of subaerial process

A

weathering

mass movement

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17
Q

subaerial processes

A

land based processes that alter the shape of the coastline

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18
Q

what are the 3 types of weathering

A

mechanical
chemical
biological

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19
Q

mechanical weathering

A

physical breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition
main example is salt weathering

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20
Q

chemical weathering

A

the breakdown of rock by changing its chemical composition

carbonation weathering occurs in warm and wet conditions

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21
Q

biological weathering

A

the breakdown of rock by living things such as plant roots growing down into rocks through cracks in their surface and pushing them apart

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22
Q

mass movement

A

the shifting of rocks and loose materials down a slope due to the force of gravity acting on a slope being greater than the force supporting it

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23
Q

what makes mass movement more likely

A

when the material is saturated as it acts as a lubricant and makes material heavier

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24
Q

what are the 4 main types of mass movement

A

rockfall
landslides/slides
slumps/rotational slips
mudflow

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25
Q

rockfall

A

material breaks up and falls down the slope , usually due to freeze thaw weathering leaving scree behind

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26
Q

landslide/slides

A

material shifts in a straight line

large blocks of rock slide downhill down a slide plane

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27
Q

slumps/rotational slips

A

material/saturated soil slumps down a curved slip plane, on a rotation

28
Q

mudflow

A

saturated soil flows down a slope in a stream

the bottom part is known as a lobe

29
Q

describe longshore drift (4)

A

waves follow the direction of the prevailing wind and usually hit the coast at an (oblique) angle
swash carries material up the beach in the same direction as the waves
backwash carries the material back down the beach at right angles, back towards the sea
gradually material zigzags along the coast

30
Q

constructive waves

A

they deposit more material than they erode (responsible for deposition)
low, long and low frequency (6-8 waves per min)
powerful swash, carrying material up the beach
weaker backwash, not taking much material back down the beach
form beaches by deposition of sand or shingle

31
Q

deposition (coasts)

A

when material carried by sea water is dropped on the coast due to water carrying sediment slowing down and therefore being unable to move fast enough to carry so much material

32
Q

3 landforms cause by deposition (coastal)

A

beaches
spits
bars

33
Q

beaches formation

A

made up of eroded material that has been transported from elsewhere and then deposited by the sea
waves have LIMITED energy, often forming in bays, constructive waves build up beaches as they have strong swash and weak backwash

34
Q

spits formation

A

form at sharp bends in the coastline such as a river mouth
longshore drift transports sand and shingle past the bend and then deposits in the sea - strong winds and waves may curve the end
the sheltered area is protected from waves, allowing lots of material to gather

35
Q

what may form in teh sheltered area of a spit

A

over time plants grow there and the sheltered area can become a mud flat or salt marsh

36
Q

bars formation

A

formed when a spit joined two headlands together

37
Q

what forms inside of a bar

A

when a bar cuts off the bay from the sea, it allows a lagoon to form

38
Q

tombolo

A

a bar of sand that has connected the mainland to an island

39
Q

3 landforms caused by erosion (coastal)

A

headlands and bays
caves, arches and stacks
cliffs and wave-cut platforms

40
Q

how are headlands and bays formed

A

formed along discordant coastlines
soft rocks have lots of joints so are not very resistant to erosion
hard rocks have as solid structure so are more resistant
less resistant rocks form a bay as they are eroded more quickly, they are gentle sloped
more resistant rocks form headlands as they are eroded more slowly - they jut out and are steep sided

41
Q

how are cves, arches and stacks formed

A

waves crash into the headlands, enlarging the cracks mainly by ABRASION and HYDRAULIC ACTION
repeated erosion and enlargement of cracks causes formation of a cave
erosion causes the cave to continue to deepen until it breaks through the headland to form an arch
gradually erosion, wears away at the rock supporting the arch until it crumbles, leaving a stack

42
Q

how are cliffs and wave cut platforms

A

waves cause erosion at the foot of a cliff which forms a wave cut notch
the wave cut notch continues to be enlarges as erosion continues, until the rock above becomes unstable and eventually collapses (collapsed material washes away)
new wave-cut notch starts to form
repeated collapsing results in the cliff retreating
the platform left behind when the cliff retreats is the wave cut platform

43
Q

direct effects

A

the immediate results of human activities

44
Q

indirect effects

A

happen as a result of the direct effects

45
Q

hard engineering (coastal)

A

man made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion

46
Q

soft engineering (coastal)

A

schemes set up using knowledge of the sea and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion

47
Q

what is the ICZM

A

the integrated coastal zone management
an approach that aims to protect the coast while taking everyone’s interests into account, making it easier to find solutions that people can all agree upon

48
Q

2 types of hard engineering (coastal)

A

sea wall

groynes

49
Q

sea wall

A

a wall made out of a hard material like concrete that reflects waves back into the sea

50
Q

evaluate the use of a sea wall (2+,2-)

A

+prevents coastal erosion
+ acts as a barrier to prevent flooding

  • creates a strong backwash which erodes under the wall
  • very expensive to build and maintain
51
Q

groynes

A

wooden or stone fences built at right angles to the coast, trapping material transported by longshore drift

52
Q

evaluate the use of groynes (3+,2-)

A

+ creates wider beaches that slow waves
+greater protection from flooding and erosion
+ fairly cheap defence
- starve beaches further down the coast of sand, making them narrower
- narrower beaches don’t protect the coast, leading to greater erosion and floods

53
Q

what are 3 examples of soft engineering techniques (coastal)

A

beach replenishment
slope stabilisation
strategic realignment

54
Q

beach replenishment

A

sand and shingle from elsewhere or from lower down the beach are added to the upper part of beaches

55
Q

evaluate the use of beach replenishment (2+,3-)

A

+ creates wider beaches that slow the waves
+ gives greater protection from flooding and erosion
- taking material from the seabed can kill organisms such as corals
- very expensive defense
- has to be repeated

56
Q

slope stabilisation

A

slopes are reinforced by inserting concrete nails into the ground and covering the slope in metal netting

57
Q

evaluate the use fo slope stabilisation (1+,2-)

A

+ prevents mass movement by increasing the strength of the slope

  • very expensive
  • sometimes very difficult to install
58
Q

strategic realignment

A

removing an existing defence and allowing the land behind it to flood

59
Q

evaluate the use of strategic realignment (2+,1-)

A

+ over time the land becomes marsh land creating new habitats
+ flooding and erosion are reduced behind the marshlands
- people may disagree over what land should be allowed to flood

60
Q

do nothing option

A

no new coastal defences are built and erosioin and floding are dealt with as the happen

61
Q

evaluate the do nothing option

A

+ free

  • infrastructure may be lost
  • people may be forced to move away from an area due to the risk of erosion and flooding
62
Q

what two factors increase risks of coastal flooding

A

rising sea levels

increasing storm frequency

63
Q

what 4 human activities can have an impact on the coast

A

agriculture
development
coastal management
industry

64
Q

what sort of impact can agriculture have on the coast

A

agricultural land has low economic value so it often left unprotected -> direct effect as the sea can erode the cliffs and shape the land

changing farmland use would affect cliff stability
- vegetation binds soil together and stabilises clifftops but if this is removed from grazing land in order to grow crops, soil and underlying rock can be exposed . leaving it vulnerable to weathering from the wind and rain

draining marshland for agricultural purposes affects the coast directly as it reduced the natural flood barrier provided by marshlands

65
Q

what sort of impact can development have on the coast

A

coastal areas are popular places to live and work so undergo lots of development

coasts with lots of settlement may have more coastal defences as people want to protect their homes and businesses -> positive direct effect as land is better protected against erosion

a negative indirect effect of this is that transportation and deposition of materials patterns have changed ; building on coastal lowlands can restrict sediment supply to beaches making them narrower, narrow beaches don’t protect the coast well, so the land is more vulnerbale to coastal erosion

66
Q

what sort of impact can coastal management have on the coast

A

about protecting coastal landscapes from the impacts of erosion

some management strategies alter sediment movements, reducing the amount of protective beach material further along the coast, increasing erosion

coastal defences also reduce erosion which has a direct effect as it stops the landscape from changing

67
Q

what sort of impact can industry have on the coast

A

coastal quarries expose areas of rock, making them vulnerable to chemical weathering and erosion

gravel is extracted from some beaches for use in the construction industry, removing materials from the coast and increasing risk of erosion as there is less material to protect the cliffs

industrial growth at ports has led to increased pressure to build on salt marshes as they provide flat land and sheltered water but building on these natural flood barriers leaves the land more vulnerable to erosion