Marine processes Flashcards
What are marine processes?
Processes associated with the action of waves
What is erosion?
Wearing away of the surface and removal of materials by seawater, wind and rivers
What are the types of erosion?
Hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition, corrasion, wave quarrying, cavitation
What is abrasion?
Rocks and sediment transported by waves smash and grind against other rocks
What is hydraulic action?
Air in cliffs is compressed when waves crash in. Pressure exerted by compressed air breaks off pieces of rock.
What is quarrying?
The energy of a wave as it breaks can detach pieces of rock
What is corrosion?
Soluble rocks are dissolved by the seawater
What is attrition?
Pieces of rock in the water smash against each other and break into smaller pieces.
What factors affect the rate of erosion?
Width, breaking point of waves, aspect, fetch, rock type/geology, wave steepness, coastal configuration, human activity
