coasts eq1 (2) Flashcards
littoral zone
the area of the coast where the land is subject to wave action
short term factors
why the littoral zone is consistantly changing?
- poeple
- storms
- tides
long term factors
why the littoral zone is consistantly changing?
- coastal management
- climate change (sea level rise)
backshore
the area above high tide and only affected by exceptionally high tides
foreshore
land where most wave patterns occur
offshore
open sea
What did Valentin classify coasts into?
advancing and retreating
concordant coasts
form when bands of hard and soft rock run parallel to the sea
forms:
- coves
- dalmations
- haff
discordant coasts
forms when bands of hard and soft rock run perpendicular to the sea
forms:
- headlands
- bays
strata
different layers of rock within an area and how they relate to each other
deformation
the degree to which rock units have been deformed (tilted or folded) by tectonic activity
faulting
the presence of major fractures that have moved rocks from their origional positions
dip
refers to the angle at which rock strata lie
syncline
when it drops
anticline
when it goes up
lithology
the physical characteristics of a rock
horizontal dip
verticle profile with notches reflecting strata that are more easily eroded
seaward dip, high angle
sloping, low angle profile with one rock laying facing the sea; vulnerable to rock slides
seaward dip, low angle
profile may exceed 90 degrees producing areas of overhanging rock; rock falls
landward dip
steep profiles of 70-80 degrees producing a very stable cliff ith reduced rock falls
rock
aggregate combination of minerals
igneous
forms from molten state (magma)
sedimentary
the remains of living organisms that have been deposited
metamorphic
rock exposed to heat and pressure
what increases coatal recession?
- rock type
- rising sea levels
- geology and lithology
- human activities
- permeable rock
- absence of a beach
- strata
- weathering and mass movement
- type of dip
- wave energy
vegetation
can stabilise unconsolidated sediment and protect it from erosion
increases the rate of sediment accumulation
halophytic
salt tolerant species eg glasswort
xerophytic
species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water
psammosere
characteristic plant succession that develops on a new sand dune ecosystem and achieves a climax community
saltmarsh
areas of flat, silty sediments that accumulate near estuaries, lagoons and behind spits
sand dune
a hill of loose sand formed by wind or water, these can be stabilised by vegetation
