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Geography > river landscape and processes > Flashcards

river landscape and processes Flashcards

1
Q

What is abrasion?

A

A form of erosion where loose material, pebbles and sediment ‘sandpaper’ the walls and floors of a river, cliff or glacier.

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2
Q

What is attrition?

A

Rocks and pebbles continuously hit against each other, causing them to break into smaller rocks until they become sediment.

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3
Q

What is backshore?

A

The upper beach closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes.

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4
Q

What is beach nourishment?

A

The addition of sand and sediment to an eroding beach by humans.

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5
Q

What is biological weathering?

A

Rocks are broken apart by growing vegetation and roots, microbes, or chemical reactions from animal faeces.

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6
Q

What is a concordant coast?

A

A coastline where bands of alternate geology run parallel to the coast.

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7
Q

What is corrasion?

A

A form of mechanical erosion where material and sediment in the sea is flung at the cliff-face.

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8
Q

What is chemical weathering?

A

The weak acid in rainwater dissolves chemical compounds in the rock.

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9
Q

What is a discordant coast?

A

A coastline where bands of alternate geology run perpendicular to the shore.

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10
Q

What is fetch?

A

The length of water over which the wind has travelled.

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11
Q

What is freeze thaw?

A

A form of physical sub-aerial weathering where water freezes in the cracks of a rock, expands and enlarges the crack.

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12
Q

What is geology?

A

The physical structure and arrangement of a rock.

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13
Q

What is a groyne?

A

A form of hard-engineering. Low-lying concrete or wooden walls, constructed perpendicular to the seafront.

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14
Q

What is hard management?

A

The use of concrete structures to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline.

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15
Q

What are highlands?

A

An area of land that is at a high elevation and tends to have a larger relief.

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16
Q

What is hydraulic action?

A

The pressure of compressed air forced into the cracks of a rock face causes the rock to weaken and break apart.

17
Q

What is igneous rock?

A

Rock that has formed from volcanic activity, often cooled magma on the Earth’s surface.

18
Q

What is impermeable rock?

A

A rock that does not allow water to pass through it.

19
Q

What is longshore drift?

A

The transportation of sediment along a beach.

20
Q

What are lowlands?

A

An area of land that has a small relief, so tends to be flat and at a low elevation.

21
Q

What is mass movement?

A

A large, downhill movement of material usually from a cliff-face.

22
Q

What is mechanical weathering?

A

The breakdown of rocks due to forces (such as freeze-thaw), not chemical reactions.

23
Q

What is metamorphic rock?

A

Rock formed under intense pressure and heat, often close to tectonic plate boundaries.

24
Q

What is permeable rock?

A

A rock that allows water to pass through it.

25
Q

What is relief?

A

The difference in the height of land for a particular region.

26
Q

What is rock armour?

A

Large rocks or concrete blocks, used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs.

27
Q

What is saltation?

A

A form of sediment transportation where smaller rocks/pebbles are pushed along the seabed by currents.

28
Q

What is a salt marsh?

A

In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up.

29
Q

What is a sand dune?

A

A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood.

30
Q

What is a sea wall?

A

A hard-management coastal defense. A concrete wall is built parallel to the sea front.

31
Q

What is sedimentary rock?

A

Formed from the broken remains of sediment and other rocks that have compressed and cemented together.

32
Q

What is soft management?

A

The use of natural materials and environmentally sustainable approaches to reduce coastal recession.

33
Q

What is solution?

A

Slightly acidic water dissolves chemicals from a rock face (usually limestone).

34
Q

What is suspension?

A

Small rocks that are light enough to float are carried in the water.

35
Q

What is a spit?

A

A long depositional landform, formed from sand and shingle.

36
Q

What is traction?

A

Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river or sea.

Geography (6 decks)

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