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IGCSE Geography population > Coasts (Summary of Summary Slides) > Flashcards

Coasts (Summary of Summary Slides) Flashcards

1
Q

What is the fetch in wave formation?

A

The distance over which the wave has traveled

Fetch is a critical factor affecting wave size and energy.

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2
Q

What are the two types of waves?

A
  • Constructive
  • Destructive
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3
Q

What is the swash?

A

The water that rushes up the beach

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4
Q

What is the backwash?

A

The water that flows back towards the sea

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5
Q

What is erosion?

A

The wearing away of rock along the coastline

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6
Q

Which type of waves are responsible for coastal erosion?

A

Destructive waves

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7
Q

What are the four types of erosion?

A
  • Hydraulic action
  • Abrasion
  • Attrition
  • Solution
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8
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

The sheer power of waves smashing against the cliff

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9
Q

What is abrasion in coastal processes?

A

When pebbles grind along a rock platform

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10
Q

What is attrition?

A

When rocks knock against each other and break apart

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11
Q

What is solution in erosion?

A

When seawater dissolves certain types of rocks

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12
Q

What are the four methods of transportation for beach material?

A
  • Solution
  • Suspension
  • Saltation
  • Traction
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13
Q

What is longshore drift?

A

The movement of sediment along the coastline

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14
Q

What leads to deposition along coastlines?

A

When the sea loses energy and drops the material it has been carrying

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15
Q

What are the factors leading to deposition?

A
  • Waves slowing down
  • Shallow water
  • Sheltered areas
  • Little or no wind
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16
Q

How are cliffs shaped?

A

Through erosion and weathering

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17
Q

What is a wave-cut platform?

A

A gently-sloping surface at the foot of a cliff

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18
Q

What forms a wave-cut notch?

A

Erosional processes such as abrasion and hydraulic action

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19
Q

What are beaches made up of?

A

Eroded material that has been transported and deposited by the sea

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20
Q

What type of waves build up beaches?

A

Constructive waves

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21
Q

What is a beach profile?

A

The cross-profile of a beach

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22
Q

What are berms?

A

Ridges on the beach profile showing high tide and storm tide lines

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23
Q

What are headlands?

A

Sections of land that jut out into the sea

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24
Q

What is a bay?

A

An inlet of the sea where the land curves inwards

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25
What are caves, arches, stacks, and stumps?
Erosional features commonly found on a headland
26
How is a cave formed?
By widening cracks in the headland through erosion
27
What happens to an arch when its roof collapses?
It leaves a stack, which can eventually erode to form a stump
28
What are discordant coastlines?
Coastlines with alternating bands of hard and soft rock
29
What is a spit?
An extended stretch of sand or shingle jutting out into the sea
30
What is a bar in coastal geography?
A landform that traps shallow lakes behind it
31
What is a tombolo?
A spit that connects the mainland coast to an island
32
What conditions are necessary for the formation of sand dunes?
* Large sand beach * Strong onshore wind * An obstruction at the top of the beach
33
What is an embryo dune?
The amount of sand deposited at the front of the sand dune system
34
What are pioneer plants in sand dune formation?
Tough plants like Marram grass that help stabilize sand
35
What is climatic climax vegetation?
The final stage of plant succession, which in the UK would be forest
36
What is a coral reef?
A ridge of rock near the surface of the sea, formed by the growth and deposit of coral (calcium carbonate).
37
What are coral polyps?
Tiny (1-3mm in diameter), soft-bodied organisms related to sea anemones and jellyfish that secrete calcium carbonate to form coral reefs.
38
What do coral polyps feed on?
They feed with tentacles and host algae that provide 98% of their food.
39
What is plankton?
The small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water.
40
Define Elkhorn.
A reef-building branching coral.
41
Where are coral reefs typically found?
In tropical and sub-tropical seas between 30 degrees N & S of the Equator.
42
What are the three types of coral reefs?
* Fringing reefs * Barrier reefs * Atolls
43
What is a fringing reef?
Coral platforms that grow out to sea attached to the mainland with a shallow lagoon above them.
44
What characterizes a barrier reef?
Coral grows in shallower areas away from the mainland, forming a lagoon due to deeper water in between.
45
How do atolls form?
They develop around islands with fringing reefs growing in a circle, eventually replacing the island with a lagoon.
46
What are the eight limiting factors for coral reef development?
* Temperature * Depth of water * Light * Salinity * Sediment * Wave action * Exposure to air * Plentiful supply of nutrients
47
What is the ideal mean annual temperature for coral reefs?
Over 18 degrees Celsius, ideally between 18-32 degrees Celsius.
48
What depth of water can coral reefs grow in?
Less than 25 meters.
49
What type of light is necessary for coral reefs?
Shallow water light for photosynthesizing algae.
50
What is the preferred salinity for coral reefs?
Seawater with a pH of 8 or above, but not high salinity.
51
How does sediment affect coral reefs?
It clogs feeding structures and reduces light penetration, impacting photosynthesis.
52
Why is wave action important for coral reefs?
It ensures freshly oxygenated water, although too strong waves can destroy them.
53
What is the significance of tidal exposure for corals?
Corals die if exposed to air for too long and can only survive at the level of the lowest tides.
54
What is the first step in the formation of coral reefs?
A free-swimming coral larva called a 'planula' settles and attaches to a hard surface.
55
How do coral polyps reproduce?
They multiply by budding (asexual reproduction).
56
What is a mangrove swamp?
Tidal swamps dominated by mangroves, which are small trees with tangled roots above ground.
57
Where are mangrove swamps typically found?
In the inter-tidal zone along sheltered coastlines and estuaries in tropical and subtropical climates.
58
What are the benefits of mangroves?
* Coastal protection * Breeding ground and nursery * Source of food, medicine, and raw materials * Carbon sink * Water filtration
59
How have red mangroves adapted to low oxygen conditions?
By propping themselves above water with stilt roots to absorb air through lenticels.
60
What are pneumatophores?
Roots that stick out of the water like straws for breathing, found in black mangroves.
61
How do mangroves avoid salt intake?
Through a waterproof membrane in their roots and by restricting stomata opening.
62
What are cable roots?
Roots that spread out from the trunk to ensure a stable platform.
63
What is the temperature range that mangroves prefer?
Tropical temperatures of 20°C or above.
64
What role do tidal fluctuations play in mangrove communities?
They reduce competition from other plant species and supply nutrients while removing waste products.
65
What are some coastal opportunities?
* Global productivity * Urban development * Trade ports * Manufacturing industries * Fishing * Tourism * Energy resources
66
What are some coastal hazards?
* Severe weather * Natural hazards * Climate change * Land height and distance from the coast * Rock type (geology)
67
What is rapid coastal erosion?
Creates rock slides with boulders and can lead to housing destruction and decreased land value.
68
What causes tidal surges?
Strong winds and low pressure that increase water surface and storm surges.
69
What are the impacts of tsunamis?
* Fast and high impact * Prevent transport * Massive loss of lives * Huge rebuilding costs
70
What are the characteristics of hurricanes?
* High precipitation * Flooding * Deep low pressure systems * Swirling air

IGCSE Geography population (3 decks)

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