COASTS definitions Flashcards

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1
Q

Abrasion

A

A form of erosion where loose material and sediment ‘sandpapers’ the walls and floors of the river, cliff or glacier. Also known as attrition

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2
Q

Backshore

A

The upper beach closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes

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3
Q

Bar

A

A section of sand caused by deposition. They all Join two side of a bay together, creating a lagoon behind the bar.

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4
Q

Beach morphology

A

The surface shape of the beach

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5
Q

Beach nourishment

A

The addition of sand and sediment to an eroding beach by human. The new material will be eroded by the sea which saved the cliffs or sand dunes from erosion and recession

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6
Q

Coastal recession

A

The retreat of a coastline due to erosion, sea-level rise or submergence

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7
Q

Concordant (parallel ) coastline

A

A coastline where band of alternate geology run parallel to the coast

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8
Q

Corrasion

A

A form of mechanical erosion where arterial and sediment in the sea is flung at the cliff face as waves break against it, this breaks up the rock making up the cliff.

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9
Q

Corrosion

A

The weak acid in seawater and some types of seaweed react it’s particular rock minerals, causing erosion and weakening

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10
Q

Discordant (perpendicular) coast

A

A coastline where bands of alternate geology run perpendicular to the shore

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11
Q

Dynamic equilibrium

A

A system where its input and outputs are in balance. Short term changes can affect this balance, negative feedback loops help to take the system back to dynamic equilibrium

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12
Q

Emergent coast

A

A coastline thats is advancing relative to the sea level at the time

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13
Q

Estuary

A

The point as where the river meets an ocean, often muddy. Sometimes estuaries become exposes at low tide or hazardous to traverse in a boat due to sandbanks

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14
Q

Fetch

A

The length of water over which the wind has travelled

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15
Q

Foreshore

A

The lower part if the beach covered twice a day at high tide ( the past of the beach that receives the more regular wave action )

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16
Q

Freeze thaw

A

A form of physical sub-aerial weathering where water freezes i the cracks of a rock expands and enlarges the crack. This weakens the rock overtime leaving it more open to erosion

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17
Q

Geology

A

The physical structure and arrangement of a rock

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18
Q

Glacial Erosion

A

The removal of loose material by glacer ice, involving abrasion etc

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19
Q

Groyne

A

A from of hard engineering. Low-lying concrete or wooden walls, constructed perpendicular to the seafront and run out to sea. They encourage the trapping of sediment to reduce erosion caused by longshoreman drift or by winds

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20
Q

Hard management

A

The use of concrete structure to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline. It incudes: groyne, sea wall and rock armour

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21
Q

High-energy environment

A

A coast where wave action is predominantly large destructive waves, causing much erosion

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22
Q

Hydraulic action

A

The pressure of compressed air forced into cracks in a rock face will cause the rocks to weaken and break apart

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23
Q

Impermeable

A

A rock that changes in sea level due to a change in local coastline or land height

24
Q

Isosatic

A

A local change in sea level due to a change in a coal coastline or land height

25
Q

Littoral cell

A

An area of coastline which has all sediment processes occur ing sources, transport and sinks A littoral cell is not a closed system

26
Q

Longshore drift

A

The transportation of sediment along a beach. Longshore drift is determined by the direction of the prevailing wind

27
Q

Low energy environment

A

A coast where wave action is predominantly small constructive waves. Deposition usually takes place leading to beach accretion (growth)

28
Q

Mass movement

A

Where there is a large downhill move to of material usually from a cliff face. Here the rock is often weak due to erosion and the move to is caused by gravity

29
Q

Nearshore

A

The area before the shore where the waves steepness and breaks before they reach the shore and then reform before breaking on the beach. It extends from the low-tide zone and then out to sea

30
Q

Permeable

A

A rock that allows water to pass through it

31
Q

Plant succession

A

Change to a plant community over time due to adaptation to changing growing conditions e.g sand dune and salt marshes

32
Q

Rock armour

A

Large rocks or concrete blocks used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs

33
Q

Saltation

A

A form of transportation where smaller sediments bounces along the sae bed pushed by currents. This sediment is to heavy to be picked up by the flow of water

34
Q

Salt marsh

A

In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up. Vegetation may establishes, further stabilising the marsh

35
Q

Sand dune

A

A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood and accumulate over time

36
Q

Sea wall

A

A hard management coastal defence where a concrete wall is built parallel to the seafront to redirect the energy of waves away from sensitive cliffs or the edge of a coastal town

37
Q

Sediment cell

A

Sections of the coast borders by prominent headlands, within these sections, movement of sediment is almost contained and the flows fo sediment should act in Dynamic equilibrium

38
Q

Sediment budget

A

Use of inputs, outputs, stores and transfers to assess the gains and losses of sediment within a sediment cell

39
Q

Soft management

A

The use of natural arterials and environmentally sustainable approaches to reduce coastal recession. Include: beach nourishment, managed retreat, sand dune encouragement

40
Q

Spit

A

A long depositional landform formed for sand and shingle

41
Q

Sub aerial processes

A

The combination of mass movement and weathering that affects the coastal land above sea

42
Q

Submergent coast

A

A coast that is sinking relative to the sea level of the time

43
Q

Tombola

A

A spit joining the mainland to an island

44
Q

Wave quarrying

A

When air is trapped and compressed against a cliff which causes rock fragments to break off the cliff over time

45
Q

Wave cut notch

A

Formed by erosional process such as abrasion and hydraulic action. It is a dent in the cliff usually at sea level of high tide

46
Q

Wave cut platform

A

Is the narrow flat are often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay or sea that as been created by erosion

47
Q

Cave

A

Formed where notches and weaknesses are widened and depend on wave where there is a weakness in the cliff face

48
Q

Geo

A

Long narrow gorge like inlet (small arm of sea, lake or river) caused by collapse of a cave roof

49
Q

Blow hole

A

Vertical shafts linked to the sea through caves at the lower end and coming out to the cliff top cause by waves blasting trough lines of the weakeness

50
Q

Arch

A

Formed by wearing away of narrow headlands, especially when there is back to back formation of caves. There are temporary and eventually collapse

51
Q

Stacks

A

Fall isolated pillars, free -standing in the sea occur alone or in groups, result form the collapse of an arch

52
Q

Stump

A

Small rocky platform offshore may be covered at high tides formed by undermining of stacks causing their collapse

53
Q

Differential erosion

A

Different rates of erosion that occur along a coastline du to geological factors such as resistance of rock and structural weaknesses.

54
Q

Adaptation

A

Making changes to lessen the imoact of flooding. This can include building sea wall, building surge storm barriers( Netherlands), reinstating mangrove forets ( Siri Lanka)

55
Q

Mitigation

A

Making effort to reduce the emission of green house gases to reduce impacts of climate change, finding alternatives: renewable energy etc