Coasts as a system Flashcards
Is the coast an open or closed system ?
Open system
What is an open system ?
Where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across a boundary into the surrounding environment
What are inputs from the coasts ?
- Waves
- Wind
- Tides
- Sea currents
- Geology of the coastline
- Sea level rise
What are components from the coast ?
- Erosional landforms and landscapes
- Depositional landforms and landscapes
what are examples of outputs from the coast ?
- Dissipation of waves
- Accumulation of sediment above the tidal limit.
- Sediment removed beyond local sediment cells
What do all beaches in a dynamic equilibrium
involve ?
- The supply of sand
- The energy of the waves
- Changes in sea-level
- The location in the shoreline
What is backshore ?
Is the area between the high water mark and the landward limit of marine activity. Changes normally take place here only during storm activity.
What is foreshore ?
Is the area lying between the high water mark and the low water mark. It is the most important zone for marine processes in times that are not influenced by storm activity.
What is nearshore/inshore ?
Is the area between the low water mark and the point where waves cease to have any influence on the land beneath them.
What is offshore ?
Is the area beyond the point where waves cease to impact upon the seabed and in which activity is limited to deposition of sediments.
what is the swash zone ?
The area where a turbulent layer of water washes up the beach following the breaking of a wave.
What is the breaker zone ?
The area where waves approaching the coastline begin to break, usually where the water depth is 5 - 10m.
What is the surf zone ?
The area between the point where waves break, forming a foamy, bubbly surface and where the waves then move up the beach as swash in the swash zone.
