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Physical Geography > Marine Processes & Waves > Flashcards

Marine Processes & Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What creates waves

A

Friction between wind and water which make ripples in the water

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2
Q

Define fetch

A

The uninterrupted distance across water over where winds blows, and therefore the distance of waves grow in size.

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3
Q

Three types of tidal areas

A

Microtidal
Mesotidal
Macrotidal

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4
Q

What are the features of constructive waves

A

weak backwash, strong wash, they push sediment up a beach, and the waves spill onto the coast.

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5
Q

What are the features of destructive waves

A

Strong backwash, strong waves crash against coastline to break up sediment to be taken away, with a steep beach profile also likely.

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6
Q

Beach morphology

A

The shape of the beach, including its width and slope (beach profile). This also includes the type of sediment.

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7
Q

List the types of mechanical weathering

A

Freeze-thaw
Salt crystallisation

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8
Q

List the types of chemical weathering

A

carbonation
hydrolysis
oxidation

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9
Q

List the processes of sediment transport

A

Traction
Saltation
Suspension
Solution

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10
Q

List the processes of Coastal Erosion

A

Hydraulic Action
Abrasion
Attrition
Corrosion (solution)

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11
Q

Explain Hydraulic Action

A

Air trapped in cracks and fissures being compressed by the forces of waves crashing against the cliff face.
The pressure makes cracks open, meaning air is trapped and greater force experience in the next cycle of compression.
This process dislodges blocks of rock from the cliff face.

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12
Q

Explain Abrasion

A

Sediment is picked up by breaking waves & is thrown against the cliff face.

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13
Q

Explain Attrition

A

Already eroded sediment is moved around by waves, and collisions between each other slowly chip fragments off the sediment. This results in sediment becoming smaller & more rounded over time.

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14
Q

Explain Corrosion

A

Carbonate rocks dissolve from weak acids.

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15
Q

Influence of lithology on Hydraulic Action?

A

Heavily jointed / fissured sedimentary rocks are vulnerable. This process may sometimes be the only process able to erode tough igneous rocks (e.g. basalt, granite).

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16
Q

Influence of lithology on Abrasion?

A

Effective on loose sediment, such as single or pebbles. Softer sedimentary rocks are more vulnerable too

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17
Q

Influence of lithology on Attrition?

A

Softer rocks are rapidly reduced in size by attrition

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18
Q

Influence of lithology on Corrosion?

A

Mainly affects limestone, which is vulnerable to solution by weak acids.

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19
Q

What properties of a wave will cause the highest erosion?

A
  1. Large waves influenced by wind & fetch
  2. Waves approaching cliff face at 90 degrees
  3. High ride, propelling waves higher up cliff face.
  4. Little debris acting as a barrier
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19
Q

What sub-arial conditions would cause the highest possible erosion?

A
  1. Heavy rainfall (surface run-off)
20
Q

Explain Traction

A

Sediment rolling along, pushed by waves and currents

21
Q

Explain Saltation

A

Sediment bounces along, either due to force of water or wind.

22
Q

Explain Suspension

A

Sediment is carried along the water column

23
Q

Explain Solution

A

Dissolved materials is carried in the water as solution

24
Q

Define Currents

A

Flows of seawater in a particular direction driven by winds, water salinity, or temperature.

25
Q

Drift-aligned coast

A

when longshore drift moves material down the coast producing a range of partly detached features

26
Q

Swash-aligned

A

wave crests approach parallel to the coast, so there is limited longshore movement of sediment

27
Q

Drift-aligned

A

wave-crests break at an angle to the coast, so there’s consistent longshore drift, and the generation of elongated depositional features.

28
Q

Gravity Settling

A

Energy of transporting water becomes too low to move sediment; large sediment will be deposited first followed by smaller sediment (pebbles, then sand, then silt).

29
Q

Flocculation

A

depositional process that are important for very small particles (e.g. clay) so they suspend in water. The clay particles clump together due to electrical or chemical attraction, and become large enough to sink

30
Q

Longshore drift

A

movement of material along a coast by waves

31
Q

What is a spit

A

Sand or shingle extending beyond the turn of coastline. Longshore drift currents spread out and lose energy leading to deposition.

32
Q

What determines a spit

A

the existence of secondary currents causing erosion, either the flow of a river or wave action which limits its growth.

33
Q

Bayhead Beach

A

swash-aligned feature, where waves break at 90 degrees to the shoreline and move sediment into the bay, forming a beach. Wave refraction helps concentrate erosion at headlands, leaving the bay as an area of decomposition.

34
Q

Tombolo

A

Sand or shingle bat that attaches the coastline to an offshore island. They form due to wave refraction from calm water around an offshore island, allowing for sediment to be deposited.

35
Q

Barrier Beach / Bar

A

Sand or single beach connecting two areas of land with a shallow water lagoon behind. This occurs when a spit grows so long it extends across a bay.

36
Q

Hooked spit

A

A spit whose end is curved landwards, into a bay or inlet. This may be pronounced by waves from a secondary direction.

37
Q

Mass Movement

A

The downslope movement of soil and rock. It’s a widespread word including rockfall, landslides, and rotational slides.

38
Q

List the 5 mass movement types

A

Fall
Topple
Translational Slide
Rotational slide / slumping
Flow

39
Q

Define a rotational slide

A

Mass movement along a curved surface with huge masses of material rotating downslope over periods of time.

40
Q

Define a flow

A

Weak rocks such as clay or unconsolidated sands. They lose their cohesion and slow downslope, often triggered by high tides and rainfall.

41
Q

Define a transactional slide

A

Low angle seaward dip in strata prevents falls, with material tending to slide down a dipslope towards the sea.

42
Q

Define a topple

A

Where rock strata have a very deep seaward dip, undercutting by erosion will quickly lea to instability and blocks of material toppling seaward.

43
Q

Define a fall

A

rockfalls from rapid mass movement. Rocks on coasts can be dislodged by mechanical weathering by hydraulic action.

44
Q

Accretion

A

When sediment is added to a landform such as a river delta by decomposition. It can build up to form new land, allowing a delta to grow out to the sea.

45
Q

Isostatic adjustment

A

Post glacial uplift experience by land following the removal of the weight from ice sheets.

46
Q

Submergent Coasts features

A

Ria
Barrier Islands

47
Q

Define a ria

A

A drowned river valley in unglaciated area caused by sea level rises, which flooded a river valley.

48
Q

Define a barrier island

A

Offshore sediment bars usually sand dune covered, but they are not attached to the coast.

Physical Geography (6 decks)

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