The Coastal System

Question 1

What type of system is the coast?

Answer 1

An open system.

Material and energy can pass through a coastal system.

Question 2

Where can these systems operate? air etc…

What other cycles can these include?

Answer 2

Terrestrial, atmospheric, oceanic.

Can include rock, water and carbon cycles.

Question 3

How many sediment (littoral) cells are around the UK?

Answer 3

11

Question 4

How can dynamic equilibrium in sediment cells be upset in the SHORT TERM?

How can they be upset in the LONG TERM?

Answer 4

SHORT TERM:
Human intervention.

LONG TERM:
Natural variations.

Question 5

Inputs into a coastal system are categorised into 3 main areas and may be MATERIAL OR ENERGY. What are these areas?

Answer 5

Marine

Atmosphere

Humans

Question 6

List 2 marine inputs

Answer 6

Tides, salt spray.

Question 7

List 3 inputs from the atmosphere.

Answer 7

Sun
Air pressure
Wind speed and direction.

Question 8

List 4 human inputs

Answer 8

Pollution
Recreation
Settlement
Defences.

Question 9

Give 4 outputs from coastal systems. This refers to material and energy outputs.

Answer 9

Ocean currents,
rip tides,
sediment transfer, evaporation.

Question 10

What are examples of transfers and flows?

Answer 10

wind-blown sand
mass-movement processes
Longshore drift
weathering
erosion
transportation
Deposition

Question 11

Name 4 erosional processes and define them

Answer 11

Hydraulic action
Corrosion
Attrition
Abrasion

Question 12

Give 4 transportational processes:

Answer 12

Bedload
In suspension
Traction
In solution

Question 13

Give 2 depositional processes

Answer 13

Gravity settling
Flocculation

Question 14

what is dynamic equilibrium?

Answer 14

A lack of change in a system as inputs and outputs are balanced.
An example of dynamic equilibrium on the earth is the glacial and interglacial periods.

Question 15

what is another name for a sediment cell?

Answer 15

A littoral cell

Question 16

What are the 4 aspects of a system?

Answer 16

Inputs, outputs, stores and flows.

Question 17

What are geomorphological processes?

Answer 17

Weathering, mass movement, erosion, transportation and deposition

Question 18

Define hydraulic action

Answer 18

the force of fast-flowing water hits the bed and banks and forces water and air into cracks in the bedrock

Question 19

What is corrasion/abrasion?

Answer 19

The action of rock being thrown against a landform, causing the landform to breakdown. It is powered by wave energy.

Question 20

Outline cavitation

Answer 20

Water fills a cavity within the rock at a very high pressure. As the water retreats. Effervescence occurs, causing further damage to the rock.

Question 21

What is attrition?

Answer 21

Attrition = two stones hitting each other, causing sections to break off.

Question 22

What is traction?

Answer 22

Rolling or dragging large stones along sea bed.

Question 23

What is sub-aerial weathering?

Answer 23

Land based processes - occur above the waterline.
E.g - mass movement.

Question 24

Give 2 hydraulic processes

Answer 24

WAVE QUARRYING (Removal of rocks from cliff or wave cut platform, hydraulic pressure on join lines in rock)

CAVITATION (Wave exterts force on crevices in rock face- compresses air bubbles. Bubbles fizz (effervesce) when wave pressure recedes
Small explosion - cracks in rock get larger.)