KEY IDEA - coastal landscape systems are influenced by a range of physical factors Flashcards
What physical factors influence the development of coastal landscapes ?
- winds, waves, tides and geology
What is the source of energy for coastal erosion and sediment transport?
Wave action
How is wave energy generated?
This wave energy is generated by the frictional drag of winds moving across the ocean surface.
How are waves created?
Waves are created by wind blowing over the surface of the sea
Define what ‘fetch’ is ?
Length of water which the end has blown without obstruction
What causes larger waves ?
The higher the wind speed and longer the fetch, the larger the waves and energy they possess
What are onshore winds ?
Wind that blows from the sea towards land
- effective at driving waves towards the coast
What happens if wind blows at an oblique angle?
If winds blow obliquely, the resultant waves will also blow obliquely and generate longshore drift
What Aeolian processes contribute to shaping many coastal landscapes ?
Wind is a moving force and is able to carry out erosion, transportation and deposition itself.
What is transportation?
The movement of material by the kinetic energy of water, wind or ice
What is deposition ?
The laying down of sediment by the flowing water, wind, the sea or ice
What is Aeolian ?
Erosional, transportation and depositional processes by the wind
