Waves Flashcards
What is the fetch?
The distance the wind blows across the water.
The longer the fetch…
… The more powerful the wave is
How are waves formed?
By the wind blowing over sea. Friction with the surface of the water causes ripples to form and then develops into a wave.
What is swash?
When the water washes up the shore
What is backwash?
When the water washes from the beach to the sea
What are the characteristics of constructive waves?
Small wave height, low crest, shallow trough
What are the characteristics of destructive waves?
Large wave height, high crest, deep trough
What is weathering?
The breakdown of rocks by chemical and physical processes, no transport is involved, this means the weathered rock stays where it is.
What is mass movement?
Where large rocks or soils fall down a cliff
Examples of mass movement
Rockfalls
Slumps
Slides
What is rockfall?
Material breaks up and falls down the slope
What are slumps?
Occasional rapid movements of large amounts of soil or rocks sliding along a concave plane
What are slides?
Slides occur on steep slopes previously weakened by weathering, heavy rain soaks into the soil and percolates (travels) into the rock, this makes the cliff face heavier causing the material to shift in a straight line.
