Sediment cells

Question 1

Sediment cells maintain a state of ….?

Answer 1

Dynamic equilibrium

Question 2

What can human impacts on the sediment cell lead to?

Answer 2

Disequilibrium

Question 3

What is a sediment cell?

Answer 3

The coast is naturally divided into sediment cells which are zones where the processes of erosion, transport and deposition largely operate in isolation from neighbouring areas of the coastline

Question 4

What are sediment sub-cells?

Answer 4

Sediment sub-cells are effectively small scale sediment cells but with the key difference of small amounts of sand and shingle may be transferred to and from neighbouring cells

Question 5

What is negative feedback?

Answer 5

Negative feedback allows the sediment budget to regain equilibrium

Question 6

When does negative feedback occur?

Answer 6

Negative feedback occurs when a change creates conditions which reduce the original change returning a system to balance

Question 7

When does positive feedback occur?

Answer 7

Positive feedback occurs when a change creates conditions which increase the original change accelerating a systems loss of balance