The UK’s Evolving Physical Landscape Flashcards
Abrasion
A form of erosion where loose material and sediment ‘sandpapers’ the walls and floors of a river, glacier or cliff
Attrition
When rocks bang against each other chipping away to form smaller smoother rocks
Backshore
The upper back closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes
Beach nourishment
The addition of sand and sediment to an eroding beach by humans.
The new material will be eroded by the sea which saves the cliffs or sand dunes from erosion and recession
Biological weathering
Rocks are broken apart by vegetation and roots, or chemical reactions from animal faeces erodes the rock face
Concordant coast
A coastline where bands of alternate geology run parallel to the coast
Corrasion
A form of mechanical erosion where material and sediment in the sea is flung at the cliff face as waves break against it, this breaks up the rocks making up the cliff.
Chemical weathering
The weak acid in rainwater will dissolve chemical compounds in the rock
Discordant coast
A coastline where bands of alternate geology run perpendicular to the coast
Drainage basin
The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries
Dredging
Rubbish and sediment are dug up from the bottom of the river
Embankments
The banks of the river are built up in brick and concrete, to increase the channel capacity
Estuary
The point at where the river meets an ocean.
Fetch
The length of water over which the wind has travelled
Floodplain
the low lying and wide floor of a river valley.
found in lower course
Overspill for the river when its channel is ful
Floodplain zoning
Controlling where houses and buildings are build relative to the river to reduce their risk of flooding
Freeze thaw
A form of physical sub-aerial weathering where water freezes in the cracks of a rock, expands and enlarges the crack.
This weakens the rock overtime leaving it more open to erosion.
Geology
The physical structure and arrangement of a rock
Groyne
A form of hard engineering. Build out low-lying wooden or concrete walls perpendicular to the seafront and run out to sea.
Trap sediment caused by longshore drift
Hard managing
Using concrete structures to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline
Groynes, sea walls, rock armour
Highlands
Area of land that is at a higher elevation and tends to have a higher relief
Hydraulic action
The pressure of compressed air forced into cracks in a rock face will cause the rock to weaken and break apart.
Igneous rock
Rock that has formed from volcanic activity, often cooled magma on the earths surface
Impermeable
Rock that does not allow water to pass through it
Levee
The banks of the river
Longshore drift
Sediment is is transported along a beach in the direction of the prevailing wind
Lowlands
Areas with small relief, tends to be flat and at low elevation
Mass movement
There there is large downhill movement of material usually from a cliff-face.
Here the rock is often weak due to erosion and the movement is due to gravity
Mechanical weathering
Breakdown of rocks due to forces.
Metamorphic rock
Rock formed under intense pressure and heat. Close to tectonic plate boundaries
Permeable
A rock that allows water to pass through it
Relief
The difference in height of land for a particular region
Rock Armour
Large rocks or concrete blocks, used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs
Saltation
A form of transportation where smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed pushed by currents. The sediment is too heavy to be picked up by the flow of the water
Salt Marsh
In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up.
Sand dune
A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood and accumulate over time
Sea Wall
A concrete wall parallel to the seafront, to redirect the energy of the waves away from sensitive cliffs or the edge of a coastal town
Sedimentary rock
Rocks formed from pre-existing rocks or pieces of once-living organisms
Soft management
The use of natural materials and environmentally friendly sustainable approaches to reduce coastal erosion
Solution
Acidic water dissolves chemicals within a rock face into the water . These chemicals can be transported as chemical compounds in the water
Storm Hydrograph
A graph to show the variation of the river discharge over a short period of time (days)
Suspension
A form of transportation when small rocks are light enough to float and are carried in the water, rather than along the bed
Spit
A long depositional landform when shingle and sand is pushed along by Longshore drift
Thalweg
The path of the fastest water flow in a river
Traction
Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river or sea
