Core Theme 1 - Coastal Processes

Question 1

What does the term ‘fetch’ mean?

Answer 1

How far the wave has travelled

Question 2

What are the 2 different types of waves

Answer 2

Constructive and destructive

Question 3

What is a swash

Answer 3

Water flowing towards a beach when a wave breaks

Question 4

What is a backwash

Answer 4

The movement of water down a beach

Question 5

What the characteristics of a constructive wave

Answer 5

Strong swash (brings sediment) and weak backwash (doesn’t remove sediment)

Calmer conditions with gentle wind

Fetch is smaller

The waves are very long and not very tall

Question 6

What the characteristics of a destructive wave

Answer 6

Weak swash (doesn’t bring much sediment) and strong backwash (removes materials from the beach)

The fetch is long and the waves are taller

Occurs in more stormy conditions

Arrive quickly in a high frequency

Question 7

Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks are _____ (contain ______) or _______ (allow _____to pass through).

Answer 7

Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks are porous (contain holes) or permeable (allow water to pass through).

Question 8

How does freeze thaw weathering work?

Answer 8

Water enters cracks in the rock.

When temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands causing the crack to widen.

The ice melts and water makes its way deeper into the cracks.

The process repeats itself until the rock splits entirely.

Question 9

How does biological weathering work?

Answer 9

Plant roots can get into small cracks in the rock.

As the roots grow, the cracks become larger.

This causes small pieces of rock to break away.

Question 10

How does chemical weathering work?

Answer 10

When the climate is warm and wet, carbonic dioxide can dissolve in rain to from carbonic acid

The carbonic dioxide hits the rocks and causes the rock to dissolve if they are made of limestone or chalk

This can also break down the rock

Question 11

What is mass movement?

Answer 11

A large scale downward movement of rocks and material

Question 12

What is rock fall?

Answer 12

Rocks and materials falling down a cliff (crumbling down)

Question 13

What is a slide?

Answer 13

Large blocks of rock become detached and slide down a hill

Question 14

What is a slump?

Answer 14

When a slip plane forms under a cliff. This cliff then SLUMPS down in layers

Question 15

What is long shore drift?

Answer 15

The movement of material along a coastline due to the angled approach of waves.

Question 16

Why do waves approach the coast at an angle?

Answer 16

Because of the direction of the prevailing wind.

Prevailing wind is the wind direction that occurs most often throughout the year in a certain geographical region.

Question 17

Deposition can occur on coastlines that have what type of waves?

Answer 17

That have constructive waves

Question 18

What are 6 factors that affect landforms at the coast?

Answer 18

Geology
Human activity
Angle of slope
Fetch of wave
Amount of vegetation
Weather conditions