GCSE Coastal Management Definitions Flashcards
Give a definition for the following key words
Rock armour
Large natural boulders, which are placed in front of the cliff
Recurved seawall
Concrete walls built along the coastline with a recurved face, to redirect wave energy back to sea
Groynes
Wood or concrete projections built at 90 degree angle to the beach to trap sand and widen the beach
Rip-raps
Large boulders or concrete tessellated shaped blocks, which are placed in front of the cliff
Gabions
Wire cages filled with stones used to stop waves from hitting the cliff-line
Offshore reef
Concrete blocks, natural boulders or other objects are sunk offshore, dissipating wave energy
Cliff drainage
Adding pipes into a cliff allowing water to drain freely, stopping it from slumping
Beach nourishment
Adding more sand or pebbles onto a beach to make it wider
Cliff regrading
Cutting the cliff back to reduce the angle of slope, stopping it from slumping
Managed retreat
Allowing the sea to flood coastal land or freely erode the cliffs
DEFRA
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, they plan new coastal defenses
Environment Agency
The semi-government agency which build and maintain UK flood protection schemes
Storm surge
Onshore winds which generate high sea levels and a greater risk of coastal flooding
Soft engineering
Coastal management strategies which work with the natural coastal processes
Coastal recession
The process by which a coastline is eroded and moves inland
