Humanities 6 Flashcards
Define Arches
A natural curved opening through a rock, caused by wave action
Define Aeolian Transport
This is when wind moves the sand. Wind picks up sand particles and carries them in the air until gravity takes them. When a sand particle crashes into the surface, it dislodges other particles allowing the wind to carry them and so continues the process.
Define Backwash
The backwards movement of water and sand down the beach front
Define beach
A deposit of loose eroded material along a coast
Define blowout
A hollow formed in a region of shifting sand by the action of wind OR dune blowouts occur when loose sand is blown from a dune as vegetation has been removed
Define blowhole
The opening of a roof in a sea cave
Define caves
A natural opening formed at the base of a sea cliff
Define deposition
The act or process of depositing, to lay or throw down by a natural process
Define Constructive wave
Flat waves building up a beach
Define destructive waves
Steep, frequent waves that erode a beach
Define erosion
The process in which a surface is worn away by the action of water and wind
Estuary
The inlet of the sea at a lower end of the river
What is a groyne
small walls built along a beach to stabilise the sand supply and stop long shore drift.
Define headlands
Steep, rocky pieces of land jutting out to open sea
Define hydraulic action
Air that is trapped between the headland and the waves that is compressed and forced into cracks in the rock, eroding it
Define lagoon
A pond of water separated from the sea by a strip of land
Define long shore drift
The movement of sand parallel to the beach
Define long term changes
Changes that occur over a relatively long period of time due to contributing factors
Define notch
A deep narrow cut, often at the base of a cliff, formed by wave erosion
Define sand bar
A long narrow sand bank that stores sand off shore
Define Sand dunes
Deposit of wind blown sand at the back of the beach
Define berm
An accumulation of sand at the back of the beach, also known as the sun bathing area
Short term changes
Changes that occur over a relate let short period of time
Define spit
A narrow ridge of sand formed at a river mouth
Define stack
A pillar of resistant rock, a remaining portion of a collapsed arch
Define swash
Sand and water coming up onto the beach
Define tombolo
A sand bar linking and island to the mainland
Define vegetation
The plant life of the beach
Define wave cut platform
A platform at the base of a cliff, caused by wave action as the headland has retreated
Define waves
A disturbance on the surface of the sea forming a moving ridge
Define wave erosion
Wearing away land at the base of cliffs caused by waves
Define wind
Air that moves horizontally in a natural motion
Define cliff
Steep wall of rock facing the sea
Define Ria
A long narrow inlet caused by the partial submergence of a river valley
Define Fjord
A steep sided drowned valey
Define raised beach
An ancient beach that is stranded above the current sea level
Define Corrosion
Dried sea water that leaves salt on the rocks that then weakens them leaving them brittle and more easily eroded by future waves
Define Corrasion
Eroded material already removed from the headland that acts as an abrasive when the waves hit he rock so to wear it away
What are sea walls
Walls constructed along a beach usually where dunes were or where erosion is likely to occur. They are designed to protect property and areas of the foreshore from wave attack and erosion
What are off shore break waters?
Large concrete blocks and boulders located off shore often to protect boats and harbours from large waves
