UK Physical Landscape: Coasts Flashcards
Relief
Physical features of landscapes (steepness, height above sea level)
Fetch
The distance over which wind has blown
Constructive Waves
Build a beach
Strong swash
Wave crests far apart
Destructive Waves
Destroy a beach
Strong backwash
Wave crest close together
Mechanical Weathering
The breaking of rocks at the base of the cliff
Chemical Weathering
Acidic rainwater dissolving rock
Biological Weathering
Plant roots grow into rocks, animals burrow into rocks
Rockfall
Fragments of rock break away from cliff face
Landslide
Blocks of rocks slide downhill
Mud flow
Saturated soil and weak rock flows down a slope
Rotational slip
Saturated soil and weak rock flow along a curved surface
Hydraulic action
Power of waves as they smash into rocks
Abrasion
Pebbles grinding over a rocky platform, making it smooth
Attrition
Rock fragments knocking against one and other, therefore smaller and rounded.
Solution (erosion)
The dissolving of soluble chemicals in rocks
Suspension
Particles suspended in water
Traction
Large pebbles rolled along the seabed