COASTS definitions

Question 1

Abrasion

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Backshore

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Bar

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Beach morphology

Answer 4

The surface shape of the beach

Question 5

Beach nourishment

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Coastal recession

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Concordant (parallel ) coastline

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Corrasion

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Corrosion

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Discordant (perpendicular) coast

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Dynamic equilibrium

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Emergent coast

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Estuary

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Fetch

Answer 14

The length of water over which the wind has travelled

Question 15

Foreshore

Answer 15

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 )

Question 16

Freeze thaw

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Geology

Answer 17

The physical structure and arrangement of a rock

Question 18

Glacial Erosion

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Groyne

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Hard management

Answer 20

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

Question 21

High-energy environment

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Hydraulic action

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Impermeable

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Isosatic

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Littoral cell

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Longshore drift

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Low energy environment

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Mass movement

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Nearshore

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Permeable

Answer 30

A rock that allows water to pass through it

Question 31

Plant succession

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Rock armour

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Saltation

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Salt marsh

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Sand dune

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Sea wall

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Sediment cell

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Sediment budget

Answer 38

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

Question 39

Soft management

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Spit

Answer 40

A long depositional landform formed for sand and shingle

Question 41

Sub aerial processes

Answer 41

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

Question 42

Submergent coast

Answer 42

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

Question 43

Tombola

Answer 43

A spit joining the mainland to an island

Question 44

Wave quarrying

Answer 44

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

Question 45

Wave cut notch

Answer 45

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

Question 46

Wave cut platform

Answer 46

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

Question 47

Cave

Answer 47

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

Question 48

Geo

Answer 48

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

Question 49

Blow hole

Answer 49

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

Question 50

Arch

Answer 50

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

Question 51

Stacks

Answer 51

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

Question 52

Stump

Answer 52

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

Question 53

Differential erosion

Answer 53

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

Question 54

Adaptation

Answer 54

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

Question 55

Mitigation

Answer 55

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