coasts EQ2 Flashcards
temporal
relating to time
sediment cell
cells within which the movement of sediment is functionally separated and discrete from the next
attrition
the wearing away of material as it collides together continually
hydraulic action
mechanic weathering caused by the force of moving water currents rushing into a crack in the rock face and forcing it apart
recession rate
the rate at which land recedes (usually measured in mm to m per year)
unconsolidated
often loosely formed mass of soil, rock, and other parts that are weak and easy to break (e.g. glacial till)
metamorphic rock
rock formed from other rocks that have been changed due to heat or pressure (e.g. marble)
geomorphology
the study of origins and evolution of the earth’s landforms, and the factors which affect them
proxy records
records or data collected from other sources (e.g. books or paintings)
succession
the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time
longshore drift
the movement of material along a coast by wave action, which approach at an angle to the shore but recede directly away from it
tombolo
a bar of sand or shingle joining an island to the mainland
cuspate forelands
formed due to longshore currents by the accretion of sediment, they extend outwards from the shoreline in a triangular shape
rotational slump
where the slope fails and slides down due to undercutting or weathering of unconsolidated material
mass movement
the geomorphic process by which soil, sand, and rock move downslope typically as a mass, largely under the force of gravity or erosion
talus screes
a mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain due to weathering, they typically have a concave upwards form
rotational scars
the scar left behind due to rotational slump
terraced cliff profiles
where the cliff profile is stepped due to lithology or fractures in the rock
swash
the flow of water up a beach as a wave breaks
backwash
when water runs back down the beach to meet the next incoming wave
beach morphology
the shape of a beach, including its width and slope (the beach profile) and features such as berms, ridges and runnels. It also includes the type of sediment (shingle, sand, mud) found at different locations on the beach.
destructive waves
destructive waves have a large wave height and short wave length
-tall breakers
-high downward force-helps erode beach material and cliffs
-strong backwash- results in narrow beach profiles
-high frequency- 13-15 waves per minute
constructive waves
-flat
-low in height
-long wavelength
-strong swash carries material up the beach, forming a berm
-low frequency- 6-8 waves per minute
–wave energy dissipates over a wide area- results in a weak backwash
