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Geography Physical > COASTS Bk2 - Coastal Systems And Landscapes > Flashcards

COASTS Bk2 - Coastal Systems And Landscapes Flashcards

1
Q

What is the foreshore?

A

The area between the HWM and the LWM. Most important zone for marine processes. The only exception is during storms events

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2
Q

What is the backshore?

A

The area between the high water mark (HWM) and the landward limit of marine activity. Events only happen here during storms

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3
Q

What is inshore?

A

The area between the LWM and the point where the waves cease to have any influence on the land beneath them

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4
Q

What is offshore?

A

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

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5
Q

What is the order of inshore, foreshore, offshore and backshore from the sea to land?

A

Backshore
Foreshore
Inshore
Offshore

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6
Q

What is nearshore?

A

The area extending seaward from the HWM to the area where the waves begin to break

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7
Q

What are the 3 parts of the nearshore and what occurs there?

A
  1. Swash zone
    - part of the beach alternatively covered and exposed by swash and backwash
  2. Surf zone
    - the region of breaking waves
  3. Breaker zone
    - the zone in which waves approaching the coastline begin breaking (typically in water depths of between 5-10m)
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8
Q

WIND
1. How is it created?
2. What is prevailing wind and the direction?
3. What is the fetch?

A
  1. Air moving from high pressure to low pressure
  2. Most common wind > SW
  3. Distance over which the wind has blown
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9
Q

What are the 3 key reasons why wind is a vital input into coastal systems?

A
  1. Primary sources of energy for other processes - waves
  2. Agent of erosion - abrasion
  3. Agent of transportation
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10
Q

Why do waves break?

A

As the wave approaches shallow water, friction with the sea bed increases and the base of the waves slows down. Increases the height and steepness of the wave until the upper part of the wave plunges forward and the wave ‘breaks’ onto the beach

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11
Q

Features of a destructive wave

A
  1. Strong backwash and weak swash
  2. Can cause erosion of cliff faces
  3. Frequently break between 11 and 15 times per minute
  4. Can form wave cut notches
  5. Circular orbit
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12
Q

Features of constructive waves

A
  1. Break 6 - 9 times per minute
  2. Generally long low waves
  3. Can form spits and bars
  4. Strong swash and weak backwash
  5. Can form beaches
  6. Elliptical orbit
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13
Q

What does wave refraction mean in terms of on the headlands and bays.

A

Waves bend over in the shallow water near headlands compared to less concentrated in a low energy environment along the bays

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14
Q

What are swash aligned beaches?

A
  • when the waves break parallel to the coastline
  • swash and backwash movements move the material up and down the beach
  • smoothly curved beaches + concave
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15
Q

What are drift aligned beaches?

A
  • produced where the waves break at an angle to the coast
  • swash occurs at an angle but the backwash runs perpendicular to the beach
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16
Q

What are currents?

A

Refers to the permanent or seasonal movement of surface water in the seas and oceans

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17
Q

What are longshore currents (littoral)?

A

Occur as most currents do not hit the coastline ‘head on’ but approach at an angle

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18
Q

What are rip currents?

A

Strong currents moving away from the shoreline. They develop when seawater is piled up along the coastline by incoming wave

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19
Q

What is upwelling?

A

The movement of cold water from deep in the ocean towards the surface. It replaces the warmer surface water and creates nutrient rich currents. These form part of the pattern of global ocean circulation currents

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20
Q

What is the cause of tides?

A

Gravitational pull of the ocean (sun has a minimal impact as it is far away)

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21
Q

What is the low spring tide?

A

Occur after a new moon > when the sun and moon are aligned with the earth

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22
Q

What is a high spring tide?

A

Occur after a full moon > when the sun and moon are aligned with the earth

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23
Q

Why are spring tides more extreme?

A

Because there is a gravitational pull from both the sun and the moon, so there are higher high tides and lower low tides

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24
Q

What is a neap tide?

A

When the sun and moon are at right angles to the Earth. The gravitational pull is less so the tidal range is smaller

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25
What are tidal storm surges?
Where meteorological conditions give rise to strong winds that can produce higher water levels than those at high tide
26
What are pressure gradients?
A higher pressure system over the North Atlantic will generate low wave energy, but a passing depression or very low pressure will generate stronger winds and more high energy waves
27
How much does sea level rise by for every 1 millibar drop in pressure
1cm
28
What is a tidal range?
Area between high and low tide
29
What size is macrotidal?
>4m
30
What size is mesotidal?
2-4m
31
What is microtidal?
<2m
32
What are the two key reasons why tidal ranges differ around the UK?
1. Morphology of the sea bed 2. Shape / width of the coastline
33
Why is the tidal ranges significant?
It links with coastal management > erosion and flooding Low tidal range = more erosion as more concentrated
34
Formula for wave energy?
LH^2 (wave height and length)
35
What is the difference between tidal power and wave power?
Tidal power = large scale Wave power = small scale
36
Features of a low energy coast
- wave energy is low - air pressure gradients are less extreme - rates of deposition often exceed rates of erosion - landforms include beaches and spits - examples include many estuaries, inlets and sheltered bays
37
Features of high energy coasts
- prevailing winds create high energy waves - low pressure systems and large tidal ranges - rates of erosion often exceed rates of deposition - landforms include headlands, cliffs and wave cut notches
38
What are the 6 onshore sources of sediment and 3 offshore sources?
Onshore 1. Cliff erosion / mass movement 2. Long shore drift 3. Wind (aeolian) 4. Rivers (fluvial) 5. Glaciers 6. Human intervention e.g. soft engineering > beach nourishment Offshore 1. Waves 2. Tides 3. Tsunamis
39
4 types of classic sediment?
- clay / silt - sand - shingle (pebbles and cobbles) - boulders
40
2 types of biogenic sediment?
- sea shells - marine skeletons
41
Blurting of the sediment cells (littoral cells) in the UK
- 11 - idea that each is a closed system apart from sediment - separated by headlands or deeply indented bays and estuaries (sediment sinks) - larger cells subdivided into sub cells - sediment input = erosion of the seabed and land - human activity can upset the balance
42
What is the difference between a positive and negative coastal sediment budget?
Positive - material added > material removed - shoreline builds towards the sea Negative - removed > added - shoreline reveals landward
43
What are marine processes?
Operate along the coastline and are connected with the sea, such as waves, tides and longshore drift
44
What are sub-aerial processes?
Operate on the land but affect the shape of the coastline, such as weathering, mass movement and run-off
45
What is hydraulic action (wave pounding)?
Waves break against the cliff face and the force weakens the rock. Air is then trapped within the rocks creating enormous pressure
46
What is cavitation?
Opening up of cavities due to pressure in the rock
47
What is abrasion (corrosion)?
Launching of rock fragments and pebbles against the cliff face. Bits of solid cliff are broken off and weaken the cliff
48
What is quarrying?
Destructive waves create hydraulic pressure on cliff faces. Vibration of the cliff dislodges rock and undercuts the base (where unconsolidated material is found)
49
What is attrition?
Smoothing of angular rocks > pebbles, shingle and sand
50
What is solution (corrosion)?
A form of weathering but contributes to erosion. Chalk and limestone are dissolved
51
Factors affecting erosion rates
1. Waves - pH of water - fetch - constructive / destructive - energy levels 2. Weather - rain - storms - sun 3. Coastline - rock configuration - location (high / low energy) - littoral cells - type of rock / sediment - type of coastline - resistant / less resistant rock + permeability 4. Human intervention - coastal management
52
What is lithology?
Characteristics of rocks, especially resistance and permeability. This has an impact on the rates of erosion (different erosion)
53
What is coastal morphology?
Related not only to the underlying geology, or rock type, but also to its lithology (geological structure). Characteristics include strata, bedding planes, joints, folds, faults and dip
54
What is a concordant coastline?
1 rock type facing in the sea
55
What is a discordant coastline?
A number of different rock types
56
What is an anticline and syncline in a coastal landscape.
Anticline > bay Syncline > headland
57
What is weathering?
Disintegration of the rock in situ (without movement)
58
What is mechanical weathering (physical)?
Internal pressures are excited on rock as a result of changes in the physical structure within its mass
59
What is biological weathering?
Living organisms can contribute to the weathering of coastal rocks through the activity of plants and animals
60
What is chemical weathering?
Both rain and seawater certain chemicals that can react with chemicals compound in the rocks, differing its structure
61
What are the 4 examples of mechanical weathering?
1. Welling and drying 2. Exfoliation (onion skin) 3. Crystallisation (water evaporates and leaves behind crystals which grow overtime and create pressure - also corrodes if contains iron) 4. Freeze thaw
62
What are the 4 types of biological weathering?
1. Plant roots 2. Water running through decaying vegetarian becomes acidic 3. Birds and animals 4. Marine organisms
63
What are the 4 types of chemical weathering?
1. Oxidation 2. Solution 3. Hydration (expands rocks) 4. Carbonation
64
What are the 4 types of transportation and what do they entail?
1. Solution - minerals dissolved and carried within water 2. Suspension - finer sands and silt are carried along in the flow of water 3. Saltation - pebbles are bounced along the bed 4. Traction - large boulders are rolled along the bed
65
What is mass movement?
The movement of consolidated material (solid rock) and unconsolidated material (clay and soil) due to gravity
66
What are rockfalls as a form of mass movement?
involves a sudden collapse or breaking away of individual rock fragments (triggered by weathering or earthquakes)
67
What are landslides as a form of mass movement?
Involves a block of rock moving very rapidly down a hill along a plane. Triggered by heavy rainfall + earthquakes + move in a parallel direction
68
What is runoff as a form of mass movement?
When overland flow occurs down a slope of cliff face and small particles are moved downslope
69
What are mudflows as a form of mass movement?
Earth and mud flowing downhill over unconsolidated or weak bedrock. Water gets trapped within the rock which forces particles apart and leads to slope failure
70
What is slumping as a form of mass movement?
When a sudden movement of material goes in a circle down the slope due to increased weight
71
What is soil creep as a form of mass movement?
An extremely slow movement of soil downhill (Zigzag movement). Due to rising up due to wetting or freezing then going backdown due to gravity

Geography Physical (27 decks)

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