lesson 8+9- mudflats, salt marshes + coastlines Flashcards
what is flocculation
the process where particles of clay aggregate into clot like masses or into small lumps
what is a halosere
a succession in a saline environment
e.g. salt marsh
what are pioneer plants
hardy species which are the first to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems, beginning a chain of ecological succession that ultimately leads to a more biodiverse ecosystem
what are halophytes
a plant adapted to growing in saline conditions
what is eustatic change
sea level changes due to an alteration in the volume of water, or a change in the shape of a oceans basin
-global effect
what is a fjord
a long, narrow deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs
-drowned glacial valleys
-glacier ground the valley into a U shape
-end of the glacier deposited material at the sea, so the mouth is usually shallow
-e.g. Norway
what is isostatic change
land rises out of the sea due to tectonic activity. Occurs when a great weight is removed
what is Eustatic change
dropping or rising of sea levels when water is locked away as ice or released when it melts
what are raised beaches
a former beach now lying above water level
what is a ria
a long narrow inlet formed by the partial submergence of a river valley
-rising sea levels drown a river valley, causing the river floodplain to disappear.
-deepest at the mouth
what is a dalmatian coast
long, narrow islands running parallel to the coastline and separated from the coast by narrow sea channels
