Topic 4 Uk Coasts

Question 1

What is weathering

Answer 1

The breakdown of rocks from where they are

Question 2

What is erosion

Answer 2

When the rocks are broken down and carried away by something

Question 3

What is mechanical weathering

Answer 3

The breakdown of rock without changing its chemical composition

Question 4

What is salt weathering (mechanical weathering)

Answer 4

Sea water gets into cracks in the rock, when the water evaporates salt crystals form. As the salt crystals forms it expands ans puts pressure on the rock. Repetition of this process widens the cracks and causes the rock to break

Question 5

What is chemical weathering

Answer 5

The breakdown of rock by changing its chemical compostion

Question 6

What is carbonation weathering (chemical weathering)

Answer 6

Seawater and rainwater have carbon dioxide dissolved in them which makes them weak carbonic acids. When carbonic acids reacts with rock that contains calcium carbonate, in warm and wet conditions, rocks are dissolved.

Question 7

What is biological weathering

Answer 7

The breakdown of rock by living things

Question 8

Give an example of biological weathering

Answer 8

Plant roots break down rocks by growing into cracks pushing them apart

Question 9

What is mass movement

Answer 9

The shifting of rocks and loose material down a slope

Question 10

What are the three types of mass movement

Answer 10

Slides
Slumps
Rockfalls

Question 11

What is hydraulic action

Answer 11

Waves crashing against rock and compress the air in the cracks. Repeated compression puts pressure and widens the cracks making bits of rock fall off.

Question 12

What is abrasion

Answer 12

Eroded particles in the water scrape and rub against rocks removing small pieces of rock.

Question 13

What is attrition

Answer 13

Eroded particles in the water smash into each other and break into smaller fragments. Their edges get rounded off as they rub together

Question 14

What are the two types of coastlines

Answer 14

Concordant
Discordant

Question 15

What are joints and faults

Answer 15

Cracks and weeknesses in the rock

Question 16

What are discordant coast lines

Answer 16

Alternating bands of hard and soft rock that face the rock

Question 17

What are concordant coast lines

Answer 17

Alternating bands of hard and soft rock parallel to the coast

Question 18

What erosional landforms at discordant coastlines are commen

Answer 18

Bays and headlands because the bands of rock are being eroded at different rates

Question 19

What erosional landforms are common concordant coastlines

Answer 19

Concordant coastlines erode at the same rate so there are less erosional landforms

Question 20

What are 5 charactaristics of destructive waves

Answer 20

Destructive waves are high, steep, stronger backwash, weaker swash and have a high frequency

Question 21

How does a bay and headland noccur

Answer 21

The less resistent rock (soft rock) is eroded quickly creating a bay whilst the more resistent rock (hard rock) is eroded slower and is left jotting out forming a headland

Question 22

Explain the process of cracks,cave,arch to stack.

Answer 22

Hydraulic action and abrasion occur creating cracks, repeated erosion and enlargment of the cracks cause a cave to form, more erosion deepens the cave until it breaks through the headland creating an arch. Erosion continuos to wear away the rock untill it eventually collapses forming a stack.

Question 23

Explain the process of longshore drift

Answer 23

The swash carries materiel up the beach, the same direction as the waves. The backwash carries the material down the beach at rught angles towards the sea creating zig zags down the shore

Question 24

What is deposition

Answer 24

When material being carried by the sea water slows down so is dropped on the coast but not collected back by the backwash

Question 25

What are constructive waves

Answer 25

Waves thta deposit more material than they erode

Question 26

Give 5 characteristics of constructive waves

Answer 26

They are low, long,low frequency, stronger swash, weeker backwash

Question 27

What are spits

Answer 27

They form at sharp bends on the coastline. Longshore drift transports sand and shingle past the bend. The material builds up forming the spit. Strong winds and waves curvee the end of the spit creating a recurved end. The sheltered area on the other side of the spit is protected and lots of material gets accumulated meaning plants can grow there.

Question 28

What is a bar

Answer 28

When a spit joins two headlands together. A lagoon is formed behind the bar.

Question 29

What are direct effects on the coast

Answer 29

The immediate result of human activities . Building coastal defences will prevent erosion.

Question 30

What are indirect effects on the coast

Answer 30

They happen as a resultbof direct effects. For exampple building coastal defences will stop erosion in one place but it can increase erosion further along the coast

Question 31

Explain one way agriculture has an effect on coastal landscapes

Answer 31

Agricultural land has a low economic value and therefore is usually left unprotected.

Question 32

Explain one way development has an effect on coastal landscapes

Answer 32

Coastal areas are popular places to live and work so they often have lots of development and may have more coastal defences than other places because people want to protect their homes and buisnesses.

Question 33

Explain one way industry has effect on coastal landscapes

Answer 33

Gravel has been extracted from some beaches for use in the construction industry. This has removed material from the coast and increased risk of erosion due to less protection

Question 34

Explain one way coastal managment has an effect on the coastal landscape

Answer 34

Some managment strategies alter sediment movement which reduces the amount of protective beach material further down the coast which increases erosion

Question 35

What is the impact of rising sea levals

Answer 35

They pose a threat to low lying and coastal areas. They can cause higher tides that will cause floods, remove large amount of material from beaches meaning they become more vunerable to erosion.

Question 36

What is the impact of storm frequency

Answer 36

Storm give the sea more erosional power therefore rock will be more vulnerable to erosion. The sea will also have more energy to transport material starving some areas of material leading to them being vulnereable to flooding.

Question 37

How can low coasts impact people

Answer 37

Coastal industries may need to shut down due to floods. A risk of damaged infustructure like roads and rail networks.

Question 38

How can high coasts cause threats to the environments

Answer 38

Ecosystems will be affected because sea water has a high salt content. This can damage or kill organisms in an ecosyste. The flood water can drown some plants and trees.

Question 39

What is hard-engineering

Answer 39

Man-made structures built to reduce flooding and erosion

Question 40

Soft engineering

Answer 40

Schemes set up to reduce the effects of flooding and erosion

Question 41

What is a sea wall and its benefits and costs

Answer 41

A wall made out of hard material that reflects waves back to the sea. It prevents erosion to the coast and can act as a barrier to prevent flooding. Sea walls are very expensive to build and maintain.

Question 42

What are groynes and what are their benefits and costs

Answer 42

Wooden or stone fences that are built at right angles to the coast. They trap material transported by longshore drift. They create wider beaches and slows waves giving greater protection from flooding and erosion. They are fairly cheap. They starbe beaches down the shore making them narrow and vunerable to erosion.

Question 43

What is beach replenishment and benefits and costs

Answer 43

Sand and shingle from one part of the beach added to another part of the beach. It creates wider beaches which slow the waves preventing flooding and erosion. Taking material from the seabed can kill organisms and very expensive due to the repetition needed for the defence.

Question 44

What is slope stabalisation and what are its benefits and costs

Answer 44

Slopes are reinforced by covering the slope with metal netting. It prevents mass movement by increasing the strength of the slope. Slope stabalisation is very expensive and can be very difficult to install