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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
rockfall
material breaks up and falls down the slope , usually due to freeze thaw weathering leaving scree behind
26
landslide/slides
material shifts in a straight line | large blocks of rock slide downhill down a slide plane
27
slumps/rotational slips
material/saturated soil slumps down a curved slip plane, on a rotation
28
mudflow
saturated soil flows down a slope in a stream | the bottom part is known as a lobe
29
describe longshore drift (4)
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
constructive waves
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
deposition (coasts)
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
3 landforms cause by deposition (coastal)
beaches spits bars
33
beaches formation
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
spits formation
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
what may form in teh sheltered area of a spit
over time plants grow there and the sheltered area can become a mud flat or salt marsh
36
bars formation
formed when a spit joined two headlands together
37
what forms inside of a bar
when a bar cuts off the bay from the sea, it allows a lagoon to form
38
tombolo
a bar of sand that has connected the mainland to an island
39
3 landforms caused by erosion (coastal)
headlands and bays caves, arches and stacks cliffs and wave-cut platforms
40
how are headlands and bays formed
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
how are cves, arches and stacks formed
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
how are cliffs and wave cut platforms
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
direct effects
the immediate results of human activities
44
indirect effects
happen as a result of the direct effects
45
hard engineering (coastal)
man made structures built to control the flow of the sea and reduce flooding and erosion
46
soft engineering (coastal)
schemes set up using knowledge of the sea and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion
47
what is the ICZM
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
2 types of hard engineering (coastal)
sea wall | groynes
49
sea wall
a wall made out of a hard material like concrete that reflects waves back into the sea
50
evaluate the use of a sea wall (2+,2-)
+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
groynes
wooden or stone fences built at right angles to the coast, trapping material transported by longshore drift
52
evaluate the use of groynes (3+,2-)
+ 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
what are 3 examples of soft engineering techniques (coastal)
beach replenishment slope stabilisation strategic realignment
54
beach replenishment
sand and shingle from elsewhere or from lower down the beach are added to the upper part of beaches
55
evaluate the use of beach replenishment (2+,3-)
+ 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
slope stabilisation
slopes are reinforced by inserting concrete nails into the ground and covering the slope in metal netting
57
evaluate the use fo slope stabilisation (1+,2-)
+ prevents mass movement by increasing the strength of the slope - very expensive - sometimes very difficult to install
58
strategic realignment
removing an existing defence and allowing the land behind it to flood
59
evaluate the use of strategic realignment (2+,1-)
+ 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
do nothing option
no new coastal defences are built and erosioin and floding are dealt with as the happen
61
evaluate the do nothing option
+ free - infrastructure may be lost - people may be forced to move away from an area due to the risk of erosion and flooding
62
what two factors increase risks of coastal flooding
rising sea levels | increasing storm frequency
63
what 4 human activities can have an impact on the coast
agriculture development coastal management industry
64
what sort of impact can agriculture have on the coast
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
what sort of impact can development have on the coast
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
what sort of impact can coastal management have on the coast
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
what sort of impact can industry have on the coast
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

Geography GCSE (7 decks)

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