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Geography - Coasts and Tectonics > Coasts - Key Terms > Flashcards

Coasts - Key Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

abrasion

A

a process of erosion in which waves chip away at the rock by hurling sand and pebbles at the base of the cliff when they break

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2
Q

arch

A

when two caves are eroded on either side of a headland or a single cave is eroded through a headland, an arch is formed

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3
Q

attrition

A

a process of erosion in which angular rock fragments are smoothed and reduced in size forming pebbles, shingle and sand due to friction

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4
Q

barrier beach / bar

A

a long, narrow ridge of sediment extending across a bay to join two headlands together, forming a lagoon behind it.

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5
Q

barrier island

A

a berried beach that has been separated from the mainland to form a series of islands.

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6
Q

berm

A

a ridge or plateau on a beach marking a high tide line, formed by the deposition of beach material from constructive waves

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7
Q

cave

A

A cliff profile feature is formed when hydraulic action exploits a weakness in the cliff and enlarges and undercuts it.

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8
Q

Coastal morphology

A

the origin and evolution of a coast

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9
Q

compound spit

A

a long, narrow ridge of deposited sediment which is joined to the mainland at one end and sticks out into the sea across an estuary or bay. They have a series of minor spits or recurred ridges along their landward edge, showing their former position.

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10
Q

constructive wave

A

waves that build up the beaches. they are low in height and frequency and long in wavelength. they have a large swash.

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11
Q

destructive wave

A

waves that remove the beach material along the shoreline. they are steep in height, short in frequency and high in energy. They have a short-lived swash and a forceful backwash.

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12
Q

cusp

A

crescent-shaped beach formation with graded sediment on the edge of the lowest berm.

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13
Q

corrasion

A

a process of erosion where as waves advance, they pick up sand and pebbles from the seabed. When they break and the foot of a cliff, the transported material is hurled at the base of the cliff, chipping away at the rock.

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14
Q

high-energy environments

A

a coastal environment that experiences strong waves and winds and has a long fetch. the rate of erosion is larger than the rate of deposition and there is a net transfer of material from coast to sea.

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15
Q

hydraulic action

A

a process of erosion in which waves break against a rock face and compressed air into the cracks, creating pressure within. As the water pulls back there is an explosive effect of the air under pressure being released.

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16
Q

landform

A

individual components of a landscape e.g cliffs, beaches, arches

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17
Q

landscape

A

landscapes are made up of a number of landforms which give them their key characteristics.

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18
Q

low-energy environments

A

a coastal environment with less powerful waves and weak onshore winds. the rate of deposition is greater than the rate of erosion.

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19
Q

mass movement

A

the movement of material downhill under gravity, often assisted by rainfall.

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20
Q

recurred tip

A

where the end of a spit curved round towards the land as wave refraction carries the material round into the more sheltered water behind the spit.

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21
Q

rip currents

A

strong localised underwater currents that occur in some beaches and move water away from the shoreline

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22
Q

runnels

A

the dips in the foreshore area of a beach between ridges. they are drained down by the beach by channels that break the ridges.

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23
Q

saltation

A

a method of transportation where small stones bounce along the seabed and beach. this process is associated with high energy conditions. as the particles land, they may dislodge others.

24
Q

sediment budget

A

the balance between sediment added to and removed from the coastal system.

25
Q

sediment cell

A

a stretch of coastline within which sediment is largely recycled, maintaining a state of relative balance.

26
Q

sediment cell

A

a stretch of coastline within which sediment is largely recycled, maintaining a state of relative balance.

27
Q

solution (corrosion)

A

a process of erosion in which some calcium-based rock e.g chalk and limestone is readily soluble and dissolved minerals can then be removed in solution.

28
Q

spit

A

a long, narrow ridge of deposited sediment which is joined to the mainland at one end and sticks into the sea or across an estuary or bay. A simple spit is either straight or recurred but doesn’t have minor spits or recurred ridges.

29
Q

suspension

A

a method of transportation where very small particles of sand and silt are carried along by the moving water within the flow. suspension is most likely to occur where flow is turbulent.

30
Q

tidal range

A

the relative difference in height between high and low tides

31
Q

tides

A

changes in the water levels of seas and oceans caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and (to a lesser extent) the sun.

32
Q

tombolo

A

a ridge of beach material formed between the island and the mainland

33
Q

traction

A

a method of transportation where large stones and boulders are rolled along the seabed and beach by moving seawater. they are too heavy to be picked up and carried and will only move if energy levels are high enough.

34
Q

wave refraction

A

when waves bend as they approach a coastline that is indented, becoming increasingly parallel to the coastline.

35
Q

isostatic sea-level change

A

a change in the level of the land relative to the sea as a result of the changing level of the land.

36
Q

eustatic sea-level change

A

a rise or fall in the sea level as a result of a change in the actual level of water in the oceans.

37
Q

biological weathering

A

the breakdown of rocks by organic activity, including vegetation and coastal organisms

38
Q

drift-aligned beach

A

a beach formed where the waves approach the coast at an angle.

39
Q

eustatic change

A

when the sea level itself rises or falls

40
Q

isostatic change

A

when the land rises or falls relative to the sea.

41
Q

isostatic recovery

A

when the ice begins to melt at the end of a glacial period, causes the land to readjust and rise due to the reduced weight of the ice

42
Q

isostatic subsidence

A

when the enormous weight of ice sheets makes the land sink during glacial periods

43
Q

offshore bars

A

submerged ridges of sand or coarse sediment created by waves offshore from the coast

44
Q

pioneer species

A

the first colonising plants in a vegetation succession

45
Q

fjord

A

A submergence coastal landform formed when a rise in sea level floods a deep glacial trough

46
Q

raised beach

A

an emergent coastal landform which is the result of isostatic recovery which raises beaches above the present sea level

47
Q

ria

A

a submergence coastal landform composed of shelter winding inlets with irregular shorelines formed from flooded river inlets

48
Q

Dalmatian coast

A

a submergence landscape of ridges and valleys running parallel to the coast

49
Q

saltmarsh

A

coastal ecosystem formed on mudflats largely comprising salt-tolerant plants

50
Q

swash-aligned beach

A

a beach formed in a low-energy environment by waves roughly parallel to the shore

51
Q

mudflow

A

a sudden mass movement where fine particles of mud flow down a slope, saturated by persistent rainfall

52
Q

rockfall

A

a sudden mass movement where fragments of rock break away from a cliff face as a weakness becomes unsupportable, associated with steep cliffs in well-jointed, resistant rock.

53
Q

landslide

A

blocks of rock slide downhill, occurring on cliffs made from softer rocks running parallel to the slide plane

54
Q

slumping

A

whole sections of cliff face moving downward along a concave slide plane, producing a rotational movement

55
Q

soil creep

A

the gradual movement downhill of individual soil particles, resulting in terracettes on slopes

56
Q

longshore drift

A

the movement of material along a coast by waves that approach at an angle to the shore but recede directly away from it.

Geography - Coasts and Tectonics (1 decks)

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