Coasts

Question 1

Abrasion

Answer 1

• A form of erosion where loose material and sediment ‘sandpapers’ the walls and floors
  of the river, cliff or glacier. Also known as attrition.

Question 2

Backshore

Answer 2

The upper beach closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes.

Question 3

Bar -

Answer 3

• A section of sand caused by deposition. They join two sides of a bay together, creating a
  lagoon behind the bar.

Question 4

Beach Morphology -

Answer 4

The surface shape of the beach

Question 5

Beach Nourishment

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

Coastal Recession

Answer 6

The retreat of a coastline due to erosion, sea-level rise or submergence

Question 7

Concordant Coast

Answer 7

• A coastline where bands of alternate geology run parallel to the coast.

Question 8

Corrasion

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Corrosion

Answer 9

The weak acid in seawater and some types of seaweed react with particular rock
minerals, causing erosion and weakening.

Question 10

Dalmatian Coast -

Answer 10

• A concordant coastline with several river valleys running perpendicular to the
  coast. These valleys become flooded due to sea levels rising and produce long islands and inlets.

Question 11

DEFRA’s 1:1 Cost-Benefit Analysis

Answer 11

• The evaluation of a coastal town’s economic value
  compared to the cost of the management required

Question 12

Discordant Coast -

Answer 12

A coastline where bands of alternate geology run perpendicular to the shore

Question 12

Dynamic Equilibrium

Answer 12

• A system where its inputs and outputs are in balance. Short term changes
  can affect this balance, negative feedback loops help to take the system back to dynamic
  equilibrium.

Question 13

Emergent Coast

Answer 13

A coastline that is advancing relative to the sea level at the time.

Question 14

Estuary

Answer 14

• The point at where the river meets an ocean, often muddy or silty. Sometimes estuaries
  become exposed at low tide or hazardous to traverse in a boat due to sandbanks.

Question 15

Fetch -

Answer 15

The length of water over which the wind has travelled

Question 16

Eustatic

Answer 16

Global changes to sea levels

Question 17

Fjord

Answer 17

Long narrow inlet of sea water which is between steep mountains. They are created when
sea levels rise relative to the land, flooding coastal glacial valleys.

Question 18

Foreshore

Answer 18

• The lower part of the beach covered twice a day at high tide (the part of the beach
  that receives the most regular wave action).

Question 19

Freeze Thaw

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Geology

Answer 20

The physical structure and arrangement of a rock

Question 21

Glacial Erosion

Answer 21

• The removal of loose material by glacier ice, involving plucking, abrasion,
  crushing and basal meltwater. (necessary in the formation of Fjords).

Question 22

Grading -

Answer 22

The layering of sediments based on their size.

Question 23

Groyne

Answer 23

• A form of hard-engineering. Low-lying concrete or wooden walls, constructed
  perpendicular to the seafront and run out to sea. They encourage the trapping of sediment to
  reduce erosion caused by longshore drift or by winds.

Question 24

Hard Management -

Answer 24

- The use of concrete structures to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline. Includes: Groynes, Sea Walls, Rock Armour.

Question 25

High-energy Environment -

Answer 25

A coast where wave action is predominantly large destructive waves, causing much erosion.

Question 26

Impermeable

Answer 26

A rock that does not allow water to pass through it.

Question 26

Hydraulic Action

Answer 26

The pressure of compressed air forced into cracks in a rock face will cause the rock to weaken and break apart.

Question 27

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) -

Answer 27

Large sections of coastline (often sediment cells) are managed with one integrated strategy and management occurs between different political boundaries. It usually follows a holistic approach and takes into consideration different players.

Question 28

Isostatic

Answer 28

- A local change in sea level due to a change in local coastline or land height.

Question 29

Littoral Cell -

Answer 29

An area of coastline which has all sediment processes occurring sources, transport and sinks. A littoral cell is not a closed system.

Question 30

Longshore Drift

Answer 30

The transportation of sediment along a beach. Longshore Drift is determined by the direction of the prevailing wind.

Question 31

Low-energy Environment -

Answer 31

- A coast where wave action is predominantly small constructive waves. Deposition usually takes place leading to beach accretion.

Question 32

Nearshore

Answer 32

- The area before the shore where the wave steepness and breaks before they reach the shore and then reform before breaking on the beach. It extends from the low-tide zone and then out to sea.

Question 33

Mass Movement -

Answer 33

Where there is a large downhill movement of material usually from a cliff-face. Here, the rock is often weak due to erosion and the movement is caused by gravity.

Question 34

Permeable

Answer 34

A rock that allows water to pass through it.

Question 35

Plant Succession

Answer 35

- Change to a plant community over time due to adaptation to changing growing conditions (eg. sand dunes and salt marshes).

Question 36

Ria -

Answer 36

Narrow winding inlet which is deepest at the mouth, formed when sea levels rise causing coastal valleys to flood.

Question 37

Rock Armour

Answer 37

Large rocks or concrete blocks, used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs.

Question 38

Saltation

Answer 38

- A form of transportation where smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed pushed by currents. This sediment is too heavy to be picked up by the flow of the water

Question 39

Salt Marsh

Answer 39

In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up. Vegetation may establish, further stabilising the marsh.

Question 40

Sand Dune

Answer 40

- A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood and accumulate over time

Question 41

Sea Wall -

Answer 41

A hard-management coastal defense, where a concrete wall is built parallel to the seafront, to redirect the energy of waves away from sensitive cliffs or the edge of a coastal town

Question 42

Sediment Cell

Answer 42

Sections of the coast bordered by prominent headlands. Within these sections, the movement of sediment is almost contained and the flows of sediment should act in dynamic equilibrium

Question 43

Sediment Budget

Answer 43

Use data of inputs, outputs, stores and transfers to assess the gains and losses of sediment within a sediment cell.

Question 44

Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)

Answer 44

Identifies all of the activities, both natural and human, which occur within the coastline area of each sediment cell. They use this to recommend a combination of four actions for each stretch of that coastline: Hold the Line, Advance the Line, Managed Realignment and No Active Intervention.

Question 44

Soft Management

Answer 44

The use of natural materials and environmentally sustainable approaches to reduce coastal recession. Includes: Beach Nourishment, Managed Retreat, Sand Dune Encouragement.

Question 45

Spit

Answer 45

A long depositional landform, formed from sand and shingle.

Question 46

Subaerial Processes

Answer 46

The combination of mass movement and weathering that affects the coastal land above sea.

Question 47

Submergent Coast

Answer 47

A coast that is sinking relative to the sea level of the time

Question 48

Till -

Answer 48

Deposits of angular rock fragments in a finer medium.

Question 49

Tombola

Answer 49

A spit joining mainland to an island.

Question 50

Wave Quarrying

Answer 50

When air is trapped and compressed against a cliff which causes rock fragments to break off the cliff over time