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GCSE Coastal Zone Flashcards

1
Q

What factors shape our coastline

A

Waves
Rock type
Land processes
Marine Processes

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2
Q

What are the land processes shaping the coastline

A

Weathering

Mass movement

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3
Q

What are the marine processes shaping the coastline

A

Transportation
Deposition
Erosion

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4
Q

What is the fetch

A

The distance the wind has blown

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5
Q

What depends on the fetch

A

Size and strength of wave

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6
Q

Larger wave means

A

Greater fetch, stronger wind

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7
Q

Waves strongest from

A

South West Britain

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8
Q

Why do waves break

A

Waves slow at beaches because of FRICTION between wave and beach– causes it to break

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9
Q

Define swash

A

Forward movement of a wave UP a beach

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10
Q

Define backwash

A

Movement of a wave back DOWN a beach after the wave broken

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11
Q

Swash/Backwash transfer of energy

A

Transfers energy UP/DOWN a beach

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12
Q

Types of waves

A

Constructive, destructive

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13
Q

Characteristics of constructive

A
  • builds beaches
  • low waves
  • carries material up the beach
  • most common in summer
  • material deposited when backwash soaks into sand/slowly drains away
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14
Q

Characteristics of destructive

A
  • destroys beaches
  • high and frequent waves
  • strong backwash pulls material out to sea
  • most common in winter
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15
Q

What affects height and shape of coastal scenery

A

Resistance, permeability, structure of rock

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16
Q

What is resistance

A

Rocks can be hard (granite) and soft (clay)

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17
Q

What is permeability

A

Rocks can be porous (chalk), permeable (limestone) and impermeable (granite)

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18
Q

What is structure

A

Rocks can have interlocking crystals, joints, faults and bedding planes

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19
Q

Weathering and mass movement are…

A

SUB-AERIAL PROCESSES/land processes

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20
Q

Define mass movement

A

Downhill shifting of rocks and loose material under the influence of GRAVITY which is greater than the force supporting it

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21
Q

What is slumping

A

Common when cliffs are of clay. During heavy rainfall- becomes saturated+heavy and oozes towards sea as part of a MUD or DEBRIS flow
(mudflow, rotational slip)

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22
Q

What is sliding

A

When large chunks of rock slide downslope quickly without warning
(landslide, rockfall)

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23
Q

Rotational slip

A

Rotational movement on a concave slide plane. Weak rock (clay)/soil becomes saturated- in response to GRAVITY simply collapses

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24
Q

Mudflow

A

Weak rock (clay, volcanic ash)/soil becomes saturated and FLOWS downhill. Can be slow/rapid. If mixed with melted snow/ice/ash from volcanoes– become lahars (deadly)

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25
Rockfall
On steepest slopes. Rock fragments/slabs suddenly detach and angular debris falls to base as TALUS/SCREE. Gradual processes- freeze thaw weathering OR sudden and dramatic- earthquakes
26
Landslide
Flat/planar side plane with impermeable bedding plane is lubricated after rainfall- making slope slippery and landslides RAPID and deadly.
27
Landslide
Flat/planar side plane with impermeable bedding plane is lubricated after rainfall- making slope slippery and landslides RAPID and deadly.
28
Define weathering
The breakdown or decay or rocks in their original place (in SITU) or close to the earths surface, mainly caused by weather conditions (change in temp+rainfall e.g.)
29
Factors affecting weathering rate
Climate, vegetation, animals colonising cliffs
30
Erosion-not in situ- caused by
Movement of water, ice and wind
31
Types of weathering
Biological, chemical, mechanical
32
Biological weathering (all)
PLANTS- tree roots grow into cracks and widen them | ANIMALS- burrow into weak rocks and force apart
33
What is Chemical weathering
Breakdown by changing its chemical composition and causing rot and decay. Warm and wet climates Carbonation, solution
34
What is Mechanical weathering
Breakdown of rock w/out changing chemical composition. Common where rock is bare/unprotected from extreme climates. Exfoliation, freeze thaw
35
Carbonation
Rainwater has some CO2 in it making it a weak carbonic acid. It reacts and dissolves rocks e.g. limestone with CACO3. Removed using running water. Forms distinctive landforms
36
Solution
Minerals (eg rock salt) and rocks DISSOLVE in rainwater
37
Exfoliation
Warm climates- In warm day, rock heats and EXPANDS. In cool night rock cools and CONTRACTS. Repeats, wears rock and it peels like an onion
38
Freezethaw
Happens where temp alternates above/below 0C Rainwater in cracks+joints freezes subzero. Expands by 9%, puts PRESSURE on rock. FORCES cracks to widen. Ice thaws and melts and contracts above 0C, PRESSURE RELEASED. Repeat, causes rock to break apart and form scree
39
Define coastal erosion
Wearing away of the land by the action of waves. When a wave smashes down on a beach/against a cliff- it carries out erosion. (hydraulic action, abrasion, corrasion, attrition, solution)
40
Hydraulic action
Sheer power of waves. Waves smash against a cliff- trapped air is compressed and blasted through cracks+holes causing rock to fall apart. Cavitation is the explosive force of trapped air in a cliff
41
Abrasion
Sandpapering effect causing rocks to smoothen and become smaller after dragged, scraped and rubbed along a rocky surface
42
Corrasion
Sea throws fragments of rock against a cliff face, causing it to scrape+gouge the rock
43
Attrition
Rock fragments in the sea bash against each other so become more rounded and smaller as they break into smaller fragments
44
Solution
Small, weak and vulnerable rocks e.g. limestone and chalk dissolve in seawater
45
Methods of transportation
LSD, traction, saltation, suspension, solution
46
Traction
Large heavy rocks ROLLED along the seabed by FORCE of the seawater
47
Saltation
Small rocks and pebbles and sand grains BOUNCE along the seabed by FORCE of seawater
48
Suspension
Small material (e.g. sand, silt) is CARRIED within the water
49
Solution
Small, weak and vulnerable soluble rocks are dissolved and are carried along within the water
50
What is Longshore drift
Movement of material along a coast in a zig zag formation
51
Process of LSD
Wave approaches in OBLIQUE angle, following direction of prevailing wind. Swash carries material up the beach after wave has broken. Backwash returns material at a right angle down the beach (shortest route under gravity's influence). Material ZIGZAGS over time across beach.
52
What are the features of erosion?
Headland and bays Cliffs and wave-cut platforms Caves, arches and stacks
53
Where do headlands and bays form?
Discordant coastline- alternating rock types/ erosion resistance is different
54
Define concordant coastline
Coastline with the same type of rock along its length
55
Define headland
A promontory of land jutting out into the sea
56
Define bay
A broad COASTAL INLET often with a beach
57
Formation of Headlands and bays
Cliffs rarely erode at an easy pace. Some types of more rock are more resistant to erosion At discordant coastlines, destructive waves erode the softer rock quicker to form bays and coves (clay) Waves cannot wear away resistant rock as easily so harder rock sticks out as HEADLANDS (sandstone, limestone, chalk)
58
Define a wave-cut platform
A wide, gently sloping rocky surface at the foot of a cliff
59
Define a wave-cut notch
A small indentation cut into a cliff by coastal erosion roughly at the level of high tide
60
How are wave-cut platforms formed?
Waves cause most erosion at the foot of a cliff Concentrated marine erosion causes the waves to undercut the foot of the cliff when wave energy is at its max Erosion continues and the notch enlarges and widens until the unsupported cliff collapses. This is aided by gravity and SA processes. Repeated collapsing causes cliff to retreat, increase in height and leave a rocky platform behind.
61
How are caves, arches and stacks formed.
- lines of weaknesses eg faults, cracks occur in headlands (esp vulnerable rock, chalk, limestone) - Corrasion, hydraulic action erode, widen fault--cave - Cave widened, deepened. Sometimes there's back to back cave - Sea cuts through-- arch - Marine erosion--notches at base of arch - SA processes weaken top+gravity helps towards collapse - Isolated stack attacked by marine processes and gravity - notches form + are undercut-- stump - headland retreats, process repeats

Geography (2 decks)

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