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Geography Paper 1 > Coasts Key Knowledge > Flashcards

Coasts Key Knowledge Flashcards

1
Q

What factors contribute to the development of coastal zones?

A

Interactions between winds, waves, and currents with geological characteristics like sediments

Coastal zones produce distinctive landscapes such as rocky, sandy, and estuarine coastlines.

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2
Q

What is the littoral zone?

A

The near shore area where sunlight penetrates sediments, allowing aquatic life to flourish

It consists of backshore, nearshore, and offshore areas.

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3
Q

How can coasts be classified?

A

Using geological criteria (e.g., rocky, muddy, sandy) and changes to sea level

Shorter-term processes can also classify coasts based on inputs from rivers, waves, and tides.

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4
Q

What characterizes rocky coasts?

A

Erosional features due to processes like mechanical wave erosion, abrasion, and weathering

These coasts are typically found in high energy environments.

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5
Q

What are concordant coastlines?

A

Coastlines where beds and rocks are folded into ridges parallel to the coast

They usually consist of the same type of rock along their length.

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6
Q

What are discordant coastlines?

A

Coastlines where bands of rock run perpendicular to the shoreline

They feature headlands and bays due to differing erosion resistance between hard and soft rocks.

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7
Q

What determines the erosion rates of bedrock?

A

The type of rocks present (indigenous, sedimentary, metamorphic)

Harder and more impermeable rocks have lower erosion rates.

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8
Q

What are the four main marine erosion processes?

A
  • Hydraulic Action
  • Corrosion
  • Abrasion
  • Attrition

These processes influence beach morphology and sediment profiles.

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9
Q

What is a wave cut notch?

A

A gap created by erosion at the foot of a cliff

It contributes to the formation of wave cut platforms.

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10
Q

What are spits in coastal geography?

A

Beaches that stick out into the sea, formed at sharp bends on coastlines

They are created by longshore drift transporting sand and shingle.

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11
Q

What is a tombolo?

A

A spit connected to the mainland

An example is Chesil Beach.

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12
Q

What are the three types of weathering?

A
  • Mechanical
  • Chemical
  • Biological

Weathering influences coastal recession rates.

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13
Q

What is the difference between eustatic and isostatic sea level changes?

A
  • Eustatic: Changes due to melting ice and thermal expansion
  • Isostatic: Localized changes from land movement

Eustatic changes typically increase sea levels, while isostatic can vary locally.

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14
Q

What is coastal recession?

A

The retreat of the coastline due to erosion and other factors

It can be influenced by physical and human factors, such as dredging.

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15
Q

What are the social implications of coastal flooding?

A

Relocation, livelihood loss, and amenity value loss

This is especially problematic for densely populated coastal areas.

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16
Q

What is hard engineering in coastal management?

A
  • Groynes
  • Sea Walls
  • Rip Rap
  • Revetments
  • Offshore Breakwaters

These approaches directly alter physical processes and systems.

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17
Q

What is beach nourishment?

A

Adding sand and shingle to a beach to increase its width

This technique reduces wave energy and erosive power.

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18
Q

What does Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) aim to achieve?

A

Sustainable management of coastal zones considering all geographical and political aspects

It aims to balance the needs of various stakeholders.

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19
Q

True or False: Melting ice on water contributes to sea level change.

A

False

Melting ice on water does not change sea levels as it displaces the same volume of water.

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20
Q

What type of system is the coast generally considered?

A

Open system

It receives inputs from outside and transfers outputs away.

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21
Q

What are sediment cells?

A

Sections of the coast considered closed systems for sediment

There are eleven sediment cells in England and Wales.

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22
Q

What are the three components of sediment cells?

A
  • Sources
  • Through flows
  • Sinks
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23
Q

What does dynamic equilibrium in a sediment cell mean?

A

Input and outputs of sediment are in a constant state of change but remain in balance.

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24
Q

What is a negative feedback loop?

A

Mechanisms that lessen changes within a system.

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25
Provide an example of a negative feedback loop.
* Storm erodes beach * Excess sediment deposited as offshore bar * Bar protects beach from further erosion
26
What is a positive feedback loop?
Mechanisms that exaggerate changes, making the system more unstable.
27
Provide an example of a positive feedback loop.
* Damage to vegetation on sand dunes increases erosion * Erosion leads to further damage and instability
28
What is the littoral zone?
The area of the coast where land is subject to wave action.
29
What are the subzones within the littoral zone?
* Backshore * Foreshore * Offshore
30
What does Valentine's Classification describe?
The range of coastlines that can occur based on land emergence or submergence.
31
What are the main processes of coastal erosion?
* Corrasion * Abrasion * Attrition * Hydraulic Action * Corrosion (Solution) * Wave Quarrying
32
What factors influence erosion rates?
* Wave height * Fetch distance * Wave approach angle * Tidal conditions * Rainfall * Season
33
What determines the vulnerability of a rock to erosion?
* Rock type (clastic vs crystalline) * Presence of cracks and fractures * Lithology
34
What erosional landforms result from marine erosion?
* Caves * Arches * Stacks * Stumps
35
What is a wave-cut notch?
A notch of eroded material created by marine erosion at the base of a cliff.
36
What is longshore (littoral) drift?
The process of sediment being transported along the coast.
37
What are the four processes of sediment transportation?
* Traction * Saltation * Suspension * Solution
38
What conditions lead to deposition?
When a wave loses energy, causing sediment to become too heavy to carry.
39
What is a spit?
A long narrow strip of land formed by deposition.
40
What is a tombolo?
A bar or beach that connects the mainland to an offshore island.
41
What are sand dunes?
Dunes formed by wind blowing sediment to the back of the beach.
42
What are the stages of dune succession?
* Embryo dunes * Yellow dunes * Grey dunes * Dune slack * Heath and woodland
43
What is mechanical (physical) weathering?
The breakdown of rocks due to physical forces without chemical changes.
44
What is freeze-thaw weathering?
Water enters cracks in rocks, freezes, and expands, causing cracks to grow.
45
What is salt crystallization?
Salt crystals grow in rocks as seawater evaporates, exerting pressure and widening cracks.
46
What is Frost-Shattering?
Water enters cracks in rocks and freezes, causing expansion which increases pressure on the rock, leading to the development of cracks.
47
What happens during Salt Crystallisation?
As seawater evaporates, salt crystals grow and exert pressure on rocks, widening cracks and potentially corroding ferrous rocks.
48
How does Wetting and Drying affect rocks?
Rocks such as clay expand when wet and contract when drying, leading to potential breakage of rocks and cliffs.
49
Define Chemical Weathering.
The breakdown of rocks through chemical reactions.
50
What is Carbonation in the context of weathering?
Rainwater absorbs CO2, forming carbonic acid that reacts with calcium carbonate in rocks, leading to erosion.
51
What occurs during Oxidation?
Minerals exposed to air become oxidised, increasing volume and causing the rock to crumble.
52
What is the Solution process in weathering?
The dissolution of rock minerals, such as rock salt.
53
What is Biological Weathering?
The breakdown of rocks due to the actions of plants, bacteria, and animals.
54
How do Plant Roots contribute to weathering?
Roots grow into cracks of rocks, exerting pressure and eventually splitting the rocks.
55
What role do birds play in weathering?
Some birds, like Puffins, dig burrows into cliffs, weakening them and increasing erosion likelihood.
56
What is Soil creep?
The slowest form of mass movement involving the continuous downhill movement of soil particles.
57
What is Solifluction?
Occurs in tundra areas where thawing surface layers flow over frozen layers due to permafrost.
58
Define Mudflows.
An increase in water content of soil reduces friction, causing earth and mud to flow over bedrock.
59
What characterizes Rock Falls?
Occurs on steep cliffs when mechanical weathering exposes rocks.
60
What are Slumps?
Occurs when saturated soil rotates, forming rotational scars and terraced cliff profiles.
61
What influences the type of mass movement?
Factors include slope angle, rock lithology, vegetation cover, and ground saturation.
62
What are Concordant Coastlines?
Where rock strata run parallel to the coast, consisting of more resistant and less resistant rock bands.
63
What is a Dalmatian coastline?
Formed by a rise in sea levels that floods river valleys between tall headlands, creating islands.
64
Define Discordant Coastlines.
Where rock strata run perpendicular to the sea, leading to the formation of headlands and bays.
65
What is Wave Refraction?
The process by which waves turn and lose energy around headlands on uneven coastlines.
66
What role does coastal vegetation play?
Vegetation stabilizes landforms, reduces erosion, and binds soil together.
67
What are Xerophytes?
Plants that are tolerant of dry conditions.
68
What are Halophytes?
Plants that are tolerant of salty conditions.
69
What is Plant Succession?
A long-term change in a plant community, where pioneer plants grow in bare sediment and evolve over time.
70
What characterizes the Algal Stage in Salt Marsh Succession?
Gut weed and Blue green algae establish on bare mud, helping to bind it together.
71
What occurs in the Pioneer Stage of Salt Marsh Succession?
Cord grass and Glasswort grow, stabilizing the mud and allowing estuarine growth.
72
What defines High-Energy Coastlines?
Coastlines with powerful waves, often eroding due to destructive waves.
73
What characterizes Low-Energy Coastlines?
Coastlines with less powerful waves, typically sandy areas where deposition exceeds erosion.
74
What factors influence wave size?
* Strength of the wind * Duration of wind * Water depth * Distance of fetch
75
What are Constructive Waves?
* Strong swash * Weak backwash * Low wave height * Depositional
76
What defines Destructive Waves?
* Strong backwash * Weak swash * High wave height * Erosional
77
What type of waves dominate during summer?
Constructive waves
78
What type of waves dominate during winter?
Destructive waves
79
What can cause constructive waves to turn into destructive waves?
The beginning of a storm
80
How might climate change affect wave types in the UK?
It may lead to more storms and an increase in destructive waves
81
What role do dams play in coastal erosion?
They prevent sediment transport from rivers to coastal areas, potentially increasing erosion
82
What causes short-term sea level change?
* High tide and low tide * Wind strength and direction * Atmospheric pressure
83
What is isostatic sea level change?
Localized sea level change due to factors like post-glacial adjustment
84
What is the rate of subsidence in Southern England due to post-glacial adjustment?
Around 1mm per year
85
What is eustatic rise?
Global sea level change due to thermal expansion of water
86
What makes predicting sea level changes difficult?
Various factors can affect changes, and the causes are not fully understood
87
What is coastalisation?
The movement of people towards the coast despite high flood risks
88
What can increase environmental vulnerability to flooding?
Coastalisation
89
What is a storm surge?
A short-term change in sea level due to low pressure during a depression or tropical cyclone
90
What factors can exacerbate a storm surge?
* Land subsidence * Removing natural vegetation * Global warming
91
What happens to house and land prices in areas at significant risk of flooding?
They may significantly reduce
92
What is the impact of storm surges on the environment?
They can destroy plant successions and damage coastal landforms
93
How many people globally live on coasts at risk from flooding?
More than 1 billion
94
What is Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)?
Management of a coastal area as a whole, involving multiple political boundaries
95
What are the four strategies for coastal management?
* Hold the line * Managed realignment * Advance the line * Do nothing
96
What does a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) assess?
It compares costs of management with expected benefits
97
What is hard engineering in coastal management?
Traditional man-made structures designed to prevent erosion
98
Name one advantage and disadvantage of offshore breakwaters.
* Advantage: Effective at reducing wave energy * Disadvantage: Visually unappealing
99
What are groynes designed to do?
Trap sediment from longshore drift
100
What is a sea wall?
Concrete structures that absorb and reflect wave energy
101
What is rip rap (rock armour)?
Large rocks that reduce wave energy while allowing water to flow through
102
What is a revetment?
Wooden or concrete ramps that help absorb wave energy
103
What is the main goal of coastal management strategies?
To address erosion and flooding risks effectively
104
What is the primary objective of soft engineering?
To work with and complement the physical environment using natural methods of coastal defence.
105
What is beach nourishment?
Sediment taken from offshore sources to build up the existing beach. ## Footnote It protects cliffs and increases tourist potential.
106
What are the advantages of beach nourishment?
* Builds up beach * Protects cliff * Increases tourist potential * Cost effective * Looks natural
107
What are the disadvantages of beach nourishment?
* Needs constant maintenance * Dredging may have consequences on local coastal habitats
108
What does cliff regrading and drainage aim to achieve?
Reduces the angle of the cliff to help stabilize it.
109
What are the advantages of cliff regrading and drainage?
* Cost effective
110
What are the disadvantages of cliff regrading and drainage?
* Cliff may collapse suddenly * May look unnatural
111
What is dune stabilization?
Planting marram grass to bind the dunes and protect land behind.
112
What are the advantages of dune stabilization?
* Cost effective * Creates an important wildlife habitat
113
What is a disadvantage of dune stabilization?
Planting is time consuming.
114
What is marsh creation?
A type of managed retreat allowing low-lying areas to flood.
115
What are the advantages of marsh creation?
* Creates an important wildlife habitat
116
What is a disadvantage of marsh creation?
Farmers lose land and may need compensation.
117
What are key aspects of sustainable coastal management?
* Managing natural resources * Creating alternative livelihoods * Educating communities * Monitoring coastal changes * Managing flood risk or relocating if needed
118
What are winners in coastal management classified as?
* Benefiting economically * Benefiting environmentally * Benefiting socially
119
What are losers in coastal management classified as?
* Losing property * Losing a job * Having to relocate
120
How has DEFRA funding changed since 2010?
Funding has been reduced by the central government.
121
What is the impact of coastal management on sediment cells?
Any form of intervention will cause some kind of impact.
122
What happens when a sea wall is installed?
It reflects wave energy downdrift, increasing wave energy and erosion elsewhere.
123
What effect do groynes have on sediment transport?
They prevent longshore drift from transporting sediment away from one stretch of coastline.

Geography Paper 1 (9 decks)

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