Coasts As A System Flashcards

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1
Q

What are waves

A

Waves are the movement of energy through water

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2
Q

How are waves formed

A

Waves are caused as wind blows across the surface of the water. This friction causes ripples which become tougher, allowing the wind to grip the roughened surface and intensify the wave

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3
Q

Fetch

A

The distance over which the wind has blown

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4
Q

Why do waves break

A

When waves become more elliptical (circular) in movement, friction slows down the base of the wave, causing the crest of the wave to rise as it moves forward. The wave steepens to a height of 1:7 and allows the wave to break as the velocity and wave length decrease

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5
Q

Crest

A

Highest point of a wave

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6
Q

Trough

A

Lowest point of a wave

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7
Q

What is the littoral zone

A

The near shore area where sunlight penetrates all the way to the sediment, allowing aquatic plants to grow

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8
Q

Back shore

A

The area between the high water mark and the landward limit of marine activity. Changes normally take place here during storm activity

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9
Q

Foreshore

A

The area lying between the high water mark and low water mark. Most important for marine processes in times not influenced by storm activity

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10
Q

Inshore

A

The area between the low water mark and the point where waves cease to have an influence on the land beneath them

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11
Q

Offshore

A

The area beyond the point where waves cease to impact upon the sea bed and in which activity is limited to deposition of sediments

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12
Q

Sediment cells

A

A length of coastline within which the movement of sediment is largely self-contained

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13
Q

Features of sediment cells

A

They vary in size, with the later cells being divided into sub-cells

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14
Q

Is a coastline open or closed?

A

Open system because inputs are received and outputs are transferred across the boundary across the boundary of the system

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