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coasts revision cards Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the three stages in a sediment cycle?

A

Inputs (where sediment comes from)
transfers (the processes)
outputs eg spits and beaches

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2
Q

name the four parts of the littoral zone in order

A

backshore
foreshore
nearshore
offshore

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3
Q

what are the short term factors effecting the Littoral zone?

A

tides and storm surges

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4
Q

what are the long term factors affecting the Littoral zone?

A

changes in sea level

climate change

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5
Q

what are the three tides

A

low
high
spring tides

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6
Q

what is abrasion

A

sediment moving along the shoreline causing it to be worn down over time

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7
Q

what is attrition?

A

wave action causes rocks and pebbles to hit against each other, causing rocks to be smaller and more round. Attrition does not cause coastal erosion

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8
Q

what is hydraulic action?

A

A wave crashing into a rock or cliff face forcing air into the cracks, the high air pressure causes the cracks to force apart and widen

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9
Q

when are erosion rates highest?

A

when waves are high and have a long fetch.
waves are perpendicular to the cliff.
heavy rainfall occurs.
Winter waves are more destructive.

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10
Q

rate of erosion by rock type

A

sedimentary highest
metamorphic second
igneous slowest

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11
Q

describe longshore drift.

A

waves hit at an angle determined by the direction of the prevailing wind. The waves push sediment in the direction of the wind in the swash. Due to gravity, the wave then carries sediment back down the beach in the backwash. This moves sediment along the beach over time.

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12
Q

what is traction?

A

large, heavy sediment rolls along the sea bed, being pushed by currents.

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13
Q

what is saltation?

A

smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed, being pushed by currents

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14
Q

what is suspension?

A

small sediment is carried within the water column (a body of water)

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15
Q

what is solution?

A

Dissolved material is carried within the water

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16
Q

what is a swash aligned beach?

A

waves break with no angle so no LSD

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17
Q

what is drift aligned?

A

waves break at an angle so there is LSD

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18
Q

what is deposition?

A

deposition occurs when a wave loses energy meaning the sediment becomes too heavy to carry, deposition is gradual.

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19
Q

what is gravity settling?

A

the waves energy becomes very low and so heavy rocks and boulders are deposited followed by the next heaviest sediment

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20
Q

what is Flocculation?

A

clay particles clamp together due to chemical attraction and then sink due to their high density

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21
Q

name 6 depositional landforms

A 
Tombolo
cuspate forelands 
offshore bars
spits
bars 
sand dunes
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22
Q

name the processes of transportation

A

traction
saltation
suspension
solution

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23
Q

name two depositional processes

A

Flocculation

gravity settling

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24
Q

how is a tombolo formed?

A

formed due to wave refraction off the coastal islands reducing wave velocity

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25
Q

how are cuspate forelands formed?

A

only occurs with triangular shaped headlands. Longshore drift along each side of the headland will create beaches, which where they meet, will form a cuspate foreland

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26
Q

how are offshore bars formed?

A

They can be formed as the wave breaks early, scouring the sea bed and instantly depositing its sediment as a loose-sediment offshore bar

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27
Q

how are sand dunes formed?

A

sand dunes occur when prevailing winds blow sediment to the back of the beach and therefore the formation of dunes requires large quantities of sand and a large tidal range

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28
Q

name the steps of how sand dunes are formed in order?

A 
embryo dunes 
yellow dunes 
grey dunes 
dune slack 
heath and woodland
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29
Q

what happens at the embryo phase?

A

sand starts to accumulate around a small obstacle

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30
Q

what happens at the yellow dune phase?

A

more sand accumulates. vegetation may develop which stabilises the dune

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31
Q

what happens at the grey dune phase?

A

sand develops into soil with lots of moisture and nutrients, as vegetation dies, enabling more varied plant growth

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32
Q

what happens at the dune slack phase?

A

the water table rises closer to the surface, or water is trapped between hollows between dunes during storms, allowing the development of moisture- loving plants

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33
Q

what happens at the heath and woodland phase?

A

greater nutrients develop allowing less brackish plants to thrive. Trees grow and act as a natural windbreak

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34
Q

name 3 weathering processes

A

freeze thaw
salt Crystallisation
wetting and drying

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35
Q

what is freeze thaw?

A

water enters the cracks in the rocks and when it freezes it expands which increases the pressure acting on the rock causing it to eventually break

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36
Q

what is salt Crystallisation?

A

as sea water evaporates, salt is left behind. Salt crystals expand overtime causing more pressure on the rocks, which forces cracks to widen

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37
Q

what is wetting and drying?

A

some rocks expand when wet and contract when dry. This causes rocks to break

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38
Q

examples of chemical weathering?

A

carbonation
oxidation
solution

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39
Q

examples of biological weathering

A

plant roots
birds
rock boring

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40
Q

what does the type of mass movement depend on?

A

The angle of the slope/cliff
The rocks lithology/geology
The vegetation cover on the cliff face
The saturation of the ground/previous weather patterns

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41
Q

What is soil creep?

A

The slowest but continuous form of mass movement involving the movement of soil particles downhill

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42
Q

What is rock fall?

A

Rocks falling

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43
Q

What is slumping?

A

Occur when soil is saturated with water, causing a rotation movement of soft materials (such as clay and sand) forming rotational scars and terraced cliff profiles

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44
Q

What is rock slide?

A

Water between joints and bedding planes (which are parallel to the surface) can reduce friction and lead to more sliding

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45
Q

What is a concordant coast?

A

Rock strata runs parallel to the coast. Concordant coasts can lead to the formation of the Dalmatian coas.

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46
Q

How are Dalmatian coasts formed?

A

Formed where the geology creates valleys parallel to the coast so that when sea levels rise, a series of elongated islands remain offshore

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47
Q

What is a discordant coast?

A

This is when the rock strata runs perpendicular to the sea

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48
Q

How are headlands and bays formed?

A

Headlands and bays are formed by the less resistant rock being eroded away faster than the more resistant rock

49
Q

How does vegetation stabilise soil?

A

Roots of plants bind soil together which helps reduce erosion

50
Q

What is a xerophyte?

A

Plants that are tolerant to dry conditions

51
Q

What are halophytes

A

Plants that are tolerant to salty conditions in water

52
Q

What waves does a high energy coastline have?

A

Powerful destructive waves and a long fetch

53
Q

What does a low energy coast have

A

Weak constructive waves with a short fetch

54
Q

What type of waves is more common in the summer?

A

Constructive waves

55
Q

What type of wave is more common in the winter?

A

Destructive

56
Q

What do storms usually lead to?

A

Storms lead to more destructive waves causing lots of erosion

57
Q

What factors affect sea level change short term?

A

High/low tide
Wind strength and direction
Atmospheric pressure

58
Q

What is isostatic change?

A

The land moving, either subsides or uplifts. Many reasons as to why.

59
Q

Reasons for isostatic change

A

Glaciers

Tectonic activity

60
Q

What is eustatic change?

A

The water changing volume compared to the land.

61
Q

What are things that make storm surges worse?

A

Subsidence of the land due to tectonic activity
Removing natural vegetation eg mangroves
Global warming

62
Q

What are the 4 coastal management strategies?

A

Hold the line
Managed retreat
Advance the line
Do nothing

63
Q

Explain hold the line

A

Defences are built to try and keep the shore where it is

64
Q

Explain managed realignment

A

Coastline moves in land naturally but managed

65
Q

Explain advance the line

A

Defences are built to try and move the shore seawards

66
Q

Explain do nothing

A

No defences are put in place and the coast is allowed to erode

67
Q

What are the factors looked at when deciding which coastal management strategy to use?

A

Value of the land
The technical feasibility of engineering solution
The cultural and ecological value of the land
Pressure from communities
The social value

68
Q

Explain why the value of the land influences the decision

A

Economic assets are protected because they have a higher benefit in the cost benefit analysis

69
Q

Explain why technical feasibility influences the decision

A

It may not be possible to use certain methods at certain locations eg a sea wall might not be possible

70
Q

Explain why the ecological and cultural value of the land influences the decision

A

May be a historical site or a site used for SSSI

71
Q

Explain how pressure from the communities influences the decision

A

Vocal local political campaigning go get an area protected

72
Q

What is cost benefit analysis?

A

A check that uses the pros and cons to weigh up wether/how a site needs to be managed

73
Q

What does the costs in a cost benefit analysis include?

A

Includes construction, demolition maintenance etc. It could weigh up the price too

74
Q

What does the benefits of the cost benefit analysis include?

A

Value of the land, homes and businesses etc

75
Q

What does a place require to be given the all clear in cost benefit analysis?

A

For a project to be given the go ahead the expected benefits have to outweigh the costs

76
Q

What does ICZM stand for?

A

Integrated Coastal Management

77
Q

What must the ICZM involve?

A

The IZCM must involve all stakeholders, plan for the long term and try to work with natural processes not against them

78
Q

How is a sediment cell managed?

A

A sediment cell is managed as a whole and often involves multiple councils

79
Q

What does the ICZM recognise?

A

The ICZM recognises that coastal management must be sustainable whereby economic development is important but this should come at a cost for the environment

80
Q

What does the ICZM do for the people?

A

It recognises their livelihoods

81
Q

What does sustainable coastal management involve?

A

Managing natural resources
Creating alternative livelihoods before people lose existing jobs
Educating communities about the need and how to adapt
Monitoring coastal changes

82
Q

What does policy decisions create?

A

Winners and losers

83
Q

What are winners in coastal management?

A

Winners are the people that benefit economically, socially or environmentally

84
Q

What do coastal managers produce?

A

An SMP (shoreline management plan) for an entire area to see what kind of impacts it may have

85
Q

What is hard engineering?

A

Physical management of the coast attempts to control natural processes such as erosion and longshore drift

86
Q

What is soft engineering?

A

Working with the natural processes and protections to defend areas of the coastline

87
Q

What is cliff regrading?

A

A cliff may be prone to sudden collapses so engineers calculate a stable slope angle based on rock characteristics. They then artificially cut back to the stable angle

88
Q

What are the advantages of cliff regrading?

A

Creates a natural looking slope

Should remain stable if slope is protected from marine erosion

89
Q

What are the disadvantages of cliff regrading?

A

Costs about £1milliom
Property and land could be lost during construction
They could get calculations wrong
They need to also do stabilisation methods

90
Q

When would cliff drainage be used?

A

Where the cliff lithology consists of a permeable layer above an impermeable layer, it may be unstable after rainfall, due to pore pressure

91
Q

How does cliff drainage work?

A

To reduce pore pressure and reduce mass movement, drainage with gravel can be inserted into the cliff to drain water out quickly

92
Q

Advantages of cliff drainage

A

Looks natural once completed

Reduces mass movement

93
Q

Disadvantages to cliff drainage

A

Will not completely prevent mass moving only to some extent

Difficult to implement

94
Q

What is dune stabilisation?

A

Monitoring the sand dunes condition and repairing them with a geofabric or replanting of grasses (marram grass), together with infilling of slacks, will help keep them in place

95
Q

Advantages of dune stabilisation

A

Looks natural
Is an effective barrier to higher sea levels and tides
Provides a natural ecosystem

96
Q

What is managed retreat?

A

Where it is accepted that there is little that can be done to stop high sea levels changing the coast, areas can be set aside to flood or erode

97
Q

Advantages of managed retreat?

A

Allows natural processes to take place

Can extend current ecosystems

98
Q

Disadvantages to managed retreat

A

Needs agreement from land and property owners.
Does not prevent land from being lost.
No compensation for land owners.

99
Q

What is beach nourishment?

A

Replaces beach sediments that may have been eroded or transported by longshore drift. A large beach will absorb wave energy and protect the back shore from erosion

100
Q

Advantages to beach nourishment

A

Looks natural

Supports local tourist industry

101
Q

Disadvantages to beach nourishment

A

Cost about £10 per m3
Doesn’t last long
Could cause imbalances to the sediment cell

102
Q

What are groynes?

A

Wooden walls on a beach at right angles to the coast, to slow down longshore drift

103
Q

What are the advantages of groynes?

A

Maintain the size of the beach, protects the coast at that point
Assists local tourism
Less expensive than sea walls

104
Q

What are the disadvantages to groynes?

A

£1000 per linear m
Maybe be an obstacle to people moving on the beach
Don’t look natural
Reduce sediment supply upsetting the sediment cell

105
Q

What are sea walls?

A

Recurved sea walls use the shape of the wave to direct the water into the following wave, so reducing wave energy

106
Q

What are the advantages to sea walls?

A

Long lasting
Give people confidence
Prevent high water levels from moving inland

107
Q

Disadvantages to sea walls?

A

Most expensive cost of coastal defences
Don’t look natural
Makes accessing the beach difficult
Reduce supply of sediment

108
Q

What is rip rap?

A

Boulders placed to break and absorb wave energy. They can also hold back mass movement on an unstable cliff

109
Q

Advantages to using rip rap?

A

Long lasting

Can be used to aid other defences

110
Q

Disadvantages to rip rap?

A

Cost £50 per m3
Don’t look natural
Dangerous to climb on
Weathering and erosion might still occur

111
Q

What are revetments?

A

Sloped walls made of wood, placed parallel to the backshore but a short distance infront of it. They take the force of waves and let sediment pass through

112
Q

Advantages to revetments?

A 
Absorb wave energy
Trap sediments behind them 
Longshore drift can continue 
Allow linear access along a beach
Cheaper than sea walls
113
Q

What are the disadvantages to revetments?

A

Cost £1500 per linear m
Reduce access along the beach
Look unnatural
May need constant maintenance

114
Q

What are offshore breakwaters?

A

Rock boulders may be dropped and aligned in short lengths in shallow nearshore waters parallel to the shore

115
Q

Advantages of offshore breakwaters?

A

Effective in protecting vulnerable coastal areas
Create sheltered water behind them for tourism
Can be used to protect entrances of harbours

116
Q

Disadvantages of offshore breakwaters?

A

Cost £1-2 million
Don’t look natural
May need other coastal engineering to compliment them
May create increased deposition

117
Q

What are gabions?

A

Pebbles in wire baskets, which when tied together can make a wall where the great surface area absorbs wave energy and breaks up waves

118
Q

Advantages of gabions?

A

Flexible in terms of placement

Relatively cheap and easy to maintain

119
Q

Disadvantages to gabions?

A

Not very strong, not suitable for high energy coasts
Need frequent repair
Don’t look natural

Geography A Level (16 decks)

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