The Sea Flashcards
What is fetch?
The distance of open sea over which the wind blows
What is swash?
The water that rushes up a beach
What is backwash?
The water that returns back down the beach
What is a constructive wave?
When material is deposited
What is a destructive wave?
When material is eroded
How does compressed air erode?
When waves crash against a rock, air gets trapped in the cracks. When the wave retreats the pressure is suddenly released. The process occurs until the rock shatters
What is longshore drift?
The movement of the load along the coast in a zig-zag motion
What is a sand spit?
A long ridge of sand that stretches across a bay and is connected to one side of the bay
What is a lagoon?
An area of water that has been cut off from the sea by a sand bar
What are tombolos?
A ridge of sand that connects the mainland to an island
What are some positive interactions with the sea?
- Food supply
- Transport
- Recreation
What are some negative interactions with the sea?
- Pollution
- Overfishing
- Oil spillages
What are sea walls?
They are walls that break the power of incoming waves
What are rock armour?
Large boulders used to protect the coastline
What are groynes?
Concrete or wooden structures built at a right angle used to trap sediment
