landforms Flashcards
What are cliffs?
Rock back wall to a beach created by the erosion of the land.
What are wave cut platforms?
A rocky ledge caused by the retreat backwards further inland off a cliff.
What are caves?
A natural hollow within a cliff formed by the continual erosion of a crack.
What are arches?
A continuous hole through a headland, formed by the backwards erosion of two caves on each side; the overburden may later collapse.
What are stacks?
An isolated portion of resistant rock formed by the erosion and collapse of an arch roof.
What are stumps?
The remains of a sea stack after it has become undercut and eroded, usually only visible at low tide.
What are beaches?
A beach is a narrow, gently sloping strip of land that lies along the edge of an ocean, lake, or river.
What is a tombolo?
A spit that joins the mainland to a previously offshore island.
What are Dalmatian coastlines?
Coastline along which rivers and glacial valleys flowed parallel to the coast prior to submergence, as opposed to right angles.
What are sand dunes?
A depositional feature in which sand, blown from a beach by onshore winds, is shaped into mounds and stabilised by plants (e.g. marram grass).
What is an island?
Offshore land rising from the sea, ranging from a few metres in area to whole countries.
What is a fjord?
A glacial valley that has been flooded during sea-level rise.
What is an emergent coastline?
An area that was previously a beach or wave-cut platform but is now positioned above sea level, due to sea level changes.
What is a marine platform?
A shallow sloping (4-5 degrees) rock surface created by successive cliff-collapse events.
What are spits?
Strip of deposited material caused when a coastline changes direction or enters an estuary, but transport continues in the same direction.
