COASTS PT.1 Flashcards
closed system
when things move around inside a system but there’s no inputs or outputs.
open system
has an input and output so can get bigger or smaller
dynamic equilibrium
when a system constantly changes over time and self regulates
equilibrium
when a system’s inputs and outputs are equal eg/ a beach
a sediment cell is an example of a…
closed system
how many sediment cells are there in england and wales
11
what is there no loss of in sediment cells?
no longshore loss of sediment
what r the boundaries of sediment cells determined by?
the topography and shape of the coastline
if the input>output in a sediment budget what happens?
1-more material is added to cell than is removed
2-there’s a positive budget or surplus of sediment on beach
3-so shoreline builds towards sea
if output>input in a sediment budget what happens?
1- more material is removed than added
2-there’s a negative budget or deficit in sediment supply
3- so shoreline retreats landward
what’s the inputs onto a beach?
-cliff erosion
-rivers
-off-shore
-beach replenishment
-LSD
what r the outputs of a beach?
-LSD
-offshore
-dredging
what’s geothermal energy responsible for?
tectonic activity and causes an uplift
what does solar energy power?
hydrological cycle which transfers water from land to coastal systems.
what’s solar energy responsible for?
atmospheric processes such as wind
what does GPE cause?
tides by the pull of the sun and moon
where’s potential energy from
unbroken waves and material on cliff
where’s kinetic energy from?
broken waves and wind
where’s GPE from
sediment on cliffs
where’s thermal energy from?
sun
what’s a sandy beach?
quick to respond to changes in energy
what’s a rocky coastline?
an energy change lasting a few hours will make no difference to the coastline
what’s positive feedback?
reinforces a change
found when humans have affected a system
what is negative feedback?
reduces a change
-resits a change and brings it back to original shape
how are waves formed?
when wind blows over water it creates frictional drag which produces movement in upper parts of water
-water particles move in circular orbit as waves ripple, when water becomes shallower this change to an elliptical shape and the wavelength and velocity decrease and height increases
where r swell waves formed?
in open oceans and can travel huge distances
have a long wavelength
characteristics of constructive waves?
-lower energy level
-long wavelength
-low in height
-strong swash
-weak backwash as it soaks into beach
characteristics of destructive waves?
-short wavelength
-high in height
-little swash
-strong backwash which interferes with swash of next wave
-higher energy levels
what r tides controlled by?
the gravitational pull of the moon
when do spring tides occur ?
when earth, sun and moon align
when do neap tides occur?
when the sun and moon are at right angles
when is tidal range at the lowest?
when the sun and moon are at right angles
when r seas exceptionally high?
when spring tides coenside with on-shore gale
leads to flooding
what can change the input of sediment in a cell?
human activity
what is sediment budget decreases?
then waves will move less sediment and erode areas
what if sediment budget increases in a cell?
more deposition occurs
what is longshore drift?
prevailing wind direction of SW means waves break on to the beach obliquely at an angle of around 45 degrees. The swash moves beach material along the beach and the backwash, under gravity, pulls the material back down the beach at right angles to the coastline. Over time this creates a net shift of material along the coast.
what are the three types of sediment supply?
-offshore supply
-terrestrial supply
-human supply
what is offshore supply?
-constructive waves bring sediment to shore from from offshore locations and deposits it which adds to the sediment budget
-wind blows sediment from other locations
-tides and current being sediment to shore
what it human supply?
-if sediment budget is in deficit beach nourishment can maintain equalibrium
-used to preserve and protect coastlines
-sediment brought by lorry and spread by bulldozers
-sand and water can be pumped onshore by pipeline from offshore
-wind, waves and LSD remove sediment
-sediment gained-sediment lost=sediment budget in surplus deficit or equilibrium
what is terrestrial supply?
-rivers are major sources of sediment input into coastal budget
-sediment delivery can be intermittent mostly occurring during floods
-origin of sediment is erosion of inland areas
-70% from cliff erosion on high energy coastlines
-LSD can supply sediment from one coastal area by moving it along the coast
what is physical weathering
no chemical altering of the rock and it produces smaller fragment’s of the same rock
what is freeze thaw weathering
water enters cracks or joints and expands by 10% when it freezes
-in combines spaces this exerts pressure on the rock causing it to split
what is pressure release?
when overlying rocks are removed by weathering and erosion
-underlying rock expands and fractures parallel to the surface
what’s thermal expansion ?
-rock expands when heated and contracts when cooled
-when exposed to constant temp changes the outer layers may crack and flake off
what is salt crystallisation ?
-solutions of salt can seep into pore spaces in porous rocks
-salts precipitate and form crystals
-creates stress and causes it to disintegrate
what is wetting and drying?
-clay rich rocks expand when wet and contract when dry resulting in cracks which r vulnerable to freeze thaw and salt crystallisation
what is chemical weathering
chemical reactions between moisture and minerals in rocks
-rate of reaction increases with heat
what’s oxidation?
-minerals in rocks react with 02 either in air or water
-iron minerals in rocks turn to rust which weakens the rock and causes it to crack
what’s carbonation
-rainwater combines with dissolved CO2 from the atmosphere to produce weak carbonic acid
-dissolves the rock
what is solution?
-some salts are soluble in water and other ions are only soluble in very acidic waters
-the process where minerals dissolve =solution
what is hydrolysis?
-chemical reaction between rock minerals and water
-silicates combine with water producing secondary minerals