Term 1-Coastal systems and landscapes

Question 1

Define the term ‘Coast’

Answer 1

The coast is a dynamic zone where the land meets the sea. It is an area with distinctive landscapes formed by the interaction of a range of wind,marine and terrestrial processes.

Question 2

What are the inputs of coastal systems?

Answer 2

Energy from:waves,wind,tides and sea currents.
sediment
geology of coastline
sea level change

Question 3

What are the components of coastal systems?

Answer 3

Erosional landforms and landscapes
Depositional landforms and landscapes

Question 4

What are the outputs of coastal systems?

Answer 4

Dissipation of wave energy
Accumulation of sediment above the tidal limit
Sediment removed beyond local sediment cells

Question 5

Define dynamic equilibrium

Answer 5

The state of a reversible reaction in which the rate of the forwards reaction equals the rate of the backwards reaction.Concentrations of reactants and products are the same.

Question 6

Define backshore

Answer 6

The part of the beach lying between the beach face(foreshore) and the coastline.

Question 7

Define foreshore

Answer 7

Area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide.

Question 8

Define inshore

Answer 8

Area between low water mark and the point where the waves cease to have any influence on the land around them.

Question 9

Define offshore

Answer 9

The area of deeper water beyond the point at which waves begin to break.

Question 10

Define Nearshore

Answer 10

Where waves steepen and break and then re-form in their passage to the beach,where they break for the last time and surge up the foreshore.

Question 11

Define swash zone

Answer 11

The area where a turbulent layer of water washes up the beach following a breaking wave.

Question 12

Define Surf zone

Answer 12

The area between the point where a wave breaks,forming a foamy and bubbly surface and where the waves then move up the beach.

Question 13

Define breaker zone

Answer 13

The area where waves approaching the coast begin to break usually in water with a depth of 5-10m.

Question 14

What is an offshore bar?

Answer 14

Ridges of sand or shingle running parallel to the coast in an offshore zone.

Question 15

What is a system?

Answer 15

A series of interacting components linked by flows or transfers of energy and materials.Made up of inputs,stores,processes and outputs.

Question 16

What is an open system?

Answer 16

System which has external inputs and external outputs of energy and matter.
Example=Ocean

Question 17

What is a closed system?

Answer 17

Have transfers of energy into and beyond the system but not the transfer of matter.
Example=Earth

Question 18

What is a cascading system?

Answer 18

The transfer of mass and energy along a chain of component subsystems.The output from one subsystem becomes the input for the adjacent subsystem.

Question 19

Define wave frequency

Answer 19

estimated by counting the number of waves breaking on the shore in 10 minutes

Question 20

Define wave crest

Answer 20

Highest point of a wave

Question 21

Define wave trough

Answer 21

Lowest point of a wave

Question 22

Define wave steepness

Answer 22

Ratio of wave height to wave length

Question 23

Define wave energy

Answer 23

Form of renewable energy that can be utilized from the motion of waves

Question 24

What is a constructive wave?

Answer 24

A wave where the swash is stronger than the backwash.

Question 25

What is a destructive wave?

Answer 25

A wave where the backwash is stronger than the swash.

Question 26

Define swash

Answer 26

When a wave washes up onto the shoreline

Question 27

Define backwash

Answer 27

When the water from a wave retreats back into the sea

Question 28

What is the fetch?

Answer 28

Refers to the distance of the sea over which the wind has traveled.

Question 29

Define wave refraction

Answer 29

The change in direction of waves as they move between materials with different properties.

Question 30

What is a sediment cell?

Answer 30

Distinct areas of coastline which are separated from each other by distinct borders such as headlands or deep stretches of water.
Larger cells can be divided into into smaller sections,sub cells.This allows closer study and management.
There are 11 in the UK

Question 31

What is the coriolis force?

Answer 31

Because the earth rotates on it’s axis,circulating air is deflected towards the right in the northern hemisphere and toward the left in the southern hemisphere.

Question 32

Define wavelength

Answer 32

Distance between two crests

Question 33

Define erosion

Answer 33

Wearing away of the Earth’s surface by the mechanical action of processes of glaciers,wind,rivers and marine waves.

Question 34

What is upwelling?

Answer 34

Winds blow across ocean surface and push water away from an area.Water rises up from beneath the surface to replace the surface water.

Question 35

Define longshore current

Answer 35

Waves approaching the coast at an angle create a current that runs parallel to the coast.

Question 36

Define rip currents

Answer 36

strong currents moving away from shore,developed by water piling up on the coast where two breaking waves meet,this mass of water flows quickly back out to sea.

Question 37

What is a thermohaline current?

Answer 37

driven by differences in the water’s density which is controlled by temp(thermo) and salinity(haline)

Question 38

what is positive and negative feedback

Answer 38

a positive feedback loop increases effect of change and increases instability.
a negative feedback loop reduces effect of change and helps maintain balance.

Question 39

what is coastal morphology

Answer 39

the shape and from of land features

Question 40

define erosion

Answer 40

the wearing away of the earths surface by the mechanical action of processes of glaciers,wind,rivers,marine waves and wind.

Question 41

what is mass movement

Answer 41

the movement of material downhill under influence of gravity but may be assisted by rainfall

Question 42

define weathering

Answer 42

the breakdown and/or decay of rock at or near the earths surface