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Physical Geography > Topic 3 - key terms > Flashcards

Topic 3 - key terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Coastal system

A

narrow zone where the land and sea overlap

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2
Q

Wind

A

the movement of air from one place to another

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3
Q

Pressure gradient

A

the difference of pressure between two places

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4
Q

the fetch

A

the distance of open water over which the wind blows, the longer the fetch the stronger the wave

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5
Q

Constructive waves

A

low-surging waves with a long wave length, they have a strong swash and weak backwash resulting in beach gain

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6
Q

Destructive waves

A

high-plunging waves with a short wave length, they have a weak swash and strong backwash resulting in beach loss

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7
Q

tides

A

changes in the water levels of seas due to the gravitational pull of the moon and lesser extent the sun

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8
Q

Tidal range

A

relative difference in height between high and low tide, affected by the relative position of the sun/moon

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9
Q

Neap tide

A

lowest tidal range, the sun and moon are at right angles to the earth

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10
Q

Spring tide

A

highest tidal range, the sun and moon are in line with earth

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11
Q

rip currents

A

a strong, offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach or a lagoon

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12
Q

sandbar

A

ridge of sand built up by currents in coastal waters

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13
Q

Wave refraction

A

distortion of wave fronts as they approach an indented shoreline

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14
Q

sediment

A

naturally occurring material that is broken down by weathering/erosion, transported by wind, water, ice or gravity.

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15
Q

sediment cell

A

a stretch of coastline bordered by two prominent headlands. sediment movement is contained and its flows are in equilibrium

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16
Q

weathering

A

the break-down of rock in situ at/close to the ground surface

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17
Q

Biological weathering

A

the break-down of rock by organic activity

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18
Q

chemical weathering

A

the break-down of rock due to chemical reactions

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19
Q

mechanical weathering

A

the break-down of rock without any chemical changes occurring

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20
Q

Mass movement

A

when rocks loosened by weathering move down slope due to gravity

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21
Q

soil creep

A

slow movement of soil particles down hill

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22
Q

Mudflows

A

mud moving down hill over unconsolidated/weak bedrock like clay, usually after a heavy rainfall event

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23
Q

llandslide

A

block of rock moving rapidly downhill along a slide plane, a bedding roughly parallel to the ground surface.

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24
Q

Landslip

A

block of rock moving rapidly downhill along a curved slide plane

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25
Q

rockfall

A

sudden collapse or breaking away of rock fragments at cliff face.

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26
Q

coastal erosion

A

the manifestation of energy from the sun, converted by power of wind into waves capable of sculpting landforms and eroding sediment

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27
Q

Hydraulic action

A

the sheer force of water as it crashes against a coastline.
as a wave advances air can be compressed into cracks in the cliff
as the wave retreats the compressed air expands
the process repeats causing rock fragments to break off

28
Q

wave quarrying

A

action of waves breaking against unconsolidated material such as gravel/sand
the waves scoop out raw material creating a dip

29
Q

corrasion

A

rocks and pebbles picked up by waves being hurled at cliffs, chipping away fragments of rock

30
Q

abrasion

A

sediment being dragged along the coast eroding rocky surfaces, important in the formation of wave-cut platforms

31
Q

solution

A

weak acids in rock can dissolve rocks like chalk/limestone or the bonds between rocks

32
Q

Attrition

A

wave action causes rocks/pebbles to hit against each other, wearing each other down into smaller/smoother material.
Attrition is a costal process but does not erode the coast itself

33
Q

Traction

A

the rolling of course sediment along seabed that is too heavy to be picked up by the sea

34
Q

saltation

A

sediment bounced along the seabed, light enough to be pick up by too heavy to remain in the flow of water

35
Q

suspension

A

lighter sediment picked up and carried by the flow of water

36
Q

Longshore drift

A

movement of sediment up/down the beach in a zig-zag pattern.
waves advance on the beach at an angle, carrying material up the beach.
back wash them pulls material down the beach at right angles to the shoreline due to gravity.

37
Q

The littoral zone

A

area of land between cliffs/dune on a coast and the offshore area beyond the influence of the waves

38
Q

deposition

A

when the velocity of water/wind falls below a critical value and cant transport a particular particle

39
Q

Landscape

A

all the visible features of an area of land.

in terms of coasts it would be the entirety of the visible sea, coast and countryside

40
Q

Landform

A

an individual component of the landscape eg cliffs or beaches

41
Q

strata

A

layers of rock

42
Q

bedding planes

A

horizontal, natural breaks in the strata, caused by gaps in time of rock formation

43
Q

joints

A

vertical fractures caused by contraction as sediments dry out or earths movement during uplift

44
Q

fold

A

formed by pressure during tectonic activity which makes rocks crumple and buckle

45
Q

faults

A

when pressure exerted on a rock exceeds the rock’s strength causing it to fracture

46
Q

dips

A

angle at which rock strata lie in, either towards the sea or away from it facing inland

47
Q

beach

A

is a depositional landform that stretches from the low tide to high tide line – created when sediment is deposited near the coastline where waves lose their energy

48
Q

Swash aligned beach

A

Wave direction is parallel to the shore
Sediment is transferred up and down the beach, little lateral transfer
Forms bay-head beaches

49
Q

Drift aligned beach

A

Waves approach at the angle of the prevailing wind
Sediment is transferred by LSD, lateral transfer
Forms spits

50
Q

spits

A

long, narrow strip of sand/shingle that extends from the mainland out to sea

51
Q

barrier beach

A

occurs when a beach/spit extends across a bay to join headlands

52
Q

tombolo

A

bar or beach that connects to the mainland

53
Q

offshore bars

A

regions where sand is deposited as waves dont have enough energy to carry it to shore

54
Q

coastal sand-dunes

A

large accumulations of wind-blown sand along low-lying coastlines, above high tide level

develop over time and space

55
Q

estuary

A

tidal mouth of a river where a tide meets the river flow

56
Q

saltmarshes

A

areas of flat, salty sediment that accumulate around estuaries/lagoons

57
Q

sea level

A

level to which sea reaches and defines the coastline, boundary between land and sea

58
Q

Isostatic change

A

when the land rises/falls relative to the sea

59
Q

eustatic change

A

when the sea level itself rises/falls

60
Q

submerging land

A

when land masses have been weighed down due to the ice advance, sinking deeper into the mantle - compression

61
Q

emerging land

A

when ice melted during interglacial periods, resulting in rising land - decompression

62
Q

raised beach

A

when ice melts it releases the downward pressure on land resulting in isostatic uplift

former beaches, wave-cut platforms and cliffs are now found raised above the sea level

63
Q

Ria

A

when valleys in an upland dissected area are flooded

lower parts of rivers and their tributaries are flooded as a result of ice melt

64
Q

fjords

A

formed when deep glacier troughs are flooded by sea level rise, they are deeper than rias and have a U-shape

65
Q

Dalmatian coast

A

form when mountains ridges and valleys run parallel to the coast - they get flooded by sea level rise but the tips remain exposed

Physical Geography (5 decks)

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