Coasts Eq1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the littoral zone

A

Area of shoreline where land is subject to wave action

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2
Q

What is the littoral zone made up of

A

4 zones:
Backshore - only affected during storm events
Foreshore - tidal zone
Nearshore - friction influences sea bed
Offshore - open ocean

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3
Q

What is a coastal plain

A

Low relief, deposition is dominant process, has sand dunes, beaches, salt marshes

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4
Q

What is a rocky coast

A

Resistant rock, erosion is dominant process

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5
Q

What is an emergent coast

A

Sea level is dropping

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6
Q

What is a submergent coast

A

Sea level is rising

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7
Q

What is a low energy coast

A

Area with a smaller wave fetch, constructive waves, deposition, beaches can be found

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8
Q

What is a high energy coast

A

Area with large wave fetch, destructive waves, high erosion, headlands can be found

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9
Q

What is a sediment cell

A

Self contained section of coast where sediment can move, but it cannot move from one cell to another. Each cell is made up of inputs (e.g waves, wind speed and direction), transfers (erosion, deposition) and outputs (e.g beaches, sand dunes)

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10
Q

What is a concordant coast

A

Stripes of alternate resistant and less resistant rock parallel to the coast line

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11
Q

What is a discordant coast

A

Stripes of alternate resistant and less resistant rock perpendicular to coastline

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12
Q

What is a Haff coast

A

Found on southern fringes if baltic sea, long sediment ridges with sand dunes run parallel to the coastline just off the shore, creating lagoons

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13
Q

What is a Dalmatian coast

A

Bands of resistant rock where soft layers have been eroded, producing parallel islands

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14
Q

What is strata

A

Layers of rock, found between sedimentary rock, lines of weakness can be found between layers

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15
Q

What are bedding planes

A

Horizontal cracks between strata, also known as lines of weakness, found in sedimentary rocks

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16
Q

What are joints

A

Vertical cracks in rock caused by either contraction as sediments dry out or by the earth’s movement

17
Q

What are folds

A

Formed by pressure during tectonic activity which causes rock to buckle and crumple

18
Q

What are faults

A

Formed when pressure and stresses that a rock is subject to exceeds it’s internal strength causing it to fracture

19
Q

What is dip and how does it affect the cliff profile

A

Angle at which rock strata lie
Horizontal strata = steep sided vertical cliffs
Seaword dipping strata = shallow cliffs
Landward dipping strata = steep, sometimes overhanging cliffs

20
Q

What is sedimentary rock

A

Formed in strata, can be permeable or porous, not resistant

21
Q

What is igneous rock

A

Crystalline, impermeable, resistant e.g granite

22
Q

What is metamorphic rock

A

Very hard, very resistant, impermeable rock e.g marble

23
Q

What is unconsolidated material

A

Loose and easily eroded, however if compacted the particles can stick together and form and impermeable layer e.g boulder clay

24
Q

How has geology affected the Dorset coastline

A

South coast is concordant, made up of coves where differential erosion occurs e.g lulworth cove

East coast is discordant, made up of bays and headlands e.g Swanage bay, durlstone head

25
Q

How are sand dunes formed (4 steps)

A
  1. Sand gathers around obstacles on the strand line
  2. Plants known as pioneers colonise embryo dunes
  3. These dunes grow into larger fore or yellow dunes as sand accumulates, plant diversity increases
  4. Eventually, climax community is reached, which marks end of succession
26
Q

How is vegetation significant in the creation of sand dunes

A

Xerophytes (adapted to dry conditions) and halophytes (adapted to salty conditions) bind sand particles, forming protective layer over sediment and reducing erosion

27
Q

What are salt marshes

A

Coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by tides
Made up of deep mud and waterlogged decomposing plant matter