Geography > Coasts > Flashcards

Coasts Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

What are the 5 geomorphic processes?

A

Transportation, deposition, weathering, erosion and mass movement.

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2
Q

What are the different types of transportation?

A

Traction, saltation, solution and suspension

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3
Q

What’s a type of soft engineering?

A

Beach nourishment- adding sediment to the beach.

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4
Q

What’s a type of hard engineering?

A

Groynes and gabions

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5
Q

How many people live within 100km of the coast?

A

3 billion

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6
Q

How many of the world’s largest cities are on the coast?

A

2/3

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7
Q

What does it mean for a coast to be ‘dynamic’?

A

Constantly changing. Affected by marine processes, terrestrial and human processes.

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8
Q

What does it mean for a coast to be ‘fragile’?

A

Conflict between tourism, economy and the natural environment.

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9
Q

Geomorphology

A

The study of the physical features of the surface of the Earth and their relation to its geological structures

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10
Q

Why is a coastal system an open system?

A

Both energy and materials can leave the system

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11
Q

What is a coastal system powered by?

A

Waves, tidal current, heat from the sun and wind

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12
Q

What are the inputs of a coastal system?

A

Kinetic energy from the wind, thermal energy from the sun, potential energy from the position of material on slopes.

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13
Q

Stores- erosional landforms

A

Headlands and bays
Crack, cave, arch, stack, stump
Geos and blowholes

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14
Q

Stores- Depositional landforms

A

Tombolo spits salt marshes sand dunes beaches estuaries onshorebar

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15
Q

Outputs in a coastal system

A

Evaporation, sediment removed by marine and aeolian and (wind) erosion

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16
Q

What is a tombolo?

A

A spit that connects to an island

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17
Q

What is an estuary?

A

Where flavial and marine environments meet

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18
Q

Equilibrium

A

Inputs and outputs are equal

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19
Q

What is dynamic equilibrium?

A

The process of self regulation which restores equilibrium to a system

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20
Q

What is negative feedback?

A

Process of self regulation which restores equilibrium to a system

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21
Q

What is positive feedback?

A

The process by which an initial change in a system is amplified and causes further change

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22
Q

What is backshore?

A

The area between the land and high water mark.

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23
Q

What is foreshore?

A

The area between the highwater mark and low water mark and is often seen as the most important area for marine activity

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24
Q

What is inshore?

Study These Flashcards
A

Area between the low mark and point where waves cease to have any influence on the land around there

25
What is offshore?
The area beyond the point where waves cease to impact the sea bed and in which activity is limited to the deposition of sediments.
26
What is a shoreline?
Where water meets land
27
What is a coastline?
The boundary between the coast and the shore e.g. footof cliffs/dunes
28
What are dunes?
A mound or ridge of sand or other loose sediment formed by the wind
29
What is a low-tide shoreline?
When the line is out, the minimum point the water meets the land.
30
What is a berm?
A level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas
31
What is a high-tide shoreline?
When the tide is in, the maximum point where the water meets the land.
32
What is a sediment cell?
A stretch of coastline within which the movement of coarse sediment is largely self-contained.
33
Is a sediment cell an open or closed system?
Closed
34
What are the boundaries of sediment cells determined by?
The topography and shape of the coastline.
35
What physical features influence and shape the coastal system?
Wind, waves, tides, geology, global ocean currents.
36
What is wind?
The movement of air flowing from high to low pressure areas.
37
What causes the water to move in a circular motion?
The wind causing friction with the water.
38
What does the wind enable waves to do?
To erode, transport and deposit material.
39
What is the Coriolis Effect?
As the Earth spins, the movement of air is deflected.
40
What do waves possess?
Potential energy
41
How are waves created?
By the transfer of energy from the wind blowing over the surface of the sea. Towards shallower water, the frictional drag of the sea bed slows down the front of the wave making it increasingly elliptical in shape. This reduces its wave length and increases wave height until the wave breaks.
42
Spilling waves
Steeper but breaks gently onto sloping beaches. Water spills forward gently.
43
Plunging waves
Moderately steep waves breaking onto steep beaches. Water plunges downwards as the crest curls forward.
44
Surging waves
Low-angle waves breaking onto steep beaches. Waves slides forwards, might not actually break.
45
Constructive waves
Low height Long wavelength Low frequency (6-8 per minute) Usually break as spilling waves Strong swash, weak backwash Backwash returns before next wave breaks
46
Destructive waves
High Shorter wavelength High frequency (12-24 per minute) Break as plunging waves Less forward movement, therefore weak swash Swash doesn't travel far before returning Backwash stronger
47
What are tides?
The rise and fall of sea levels due to the gravitational pull of the moon.
48
What is the highest tide called and how is it caused?
Spring tide Caused when the sun, moon and earth are all aligned.
49
What is the lowest tide called and how is it caused?
Neap tide Caused when the sun, moon and earth are all at right angles to eachother.
50
What is strata?
A single bed of rock/a layer of rock
51
What is lithology?
The physical and chemical characteristics of a rock or the rocks in a particular area.
52
What is nearshore current?
Caused by wave action in and near the breaker zone.
53
Rip currents
Transport sediment. Caused by tidal motion or by waves breaking.
54
What is an onshore bar?
A ridge of sand that joins between two headlands. Behind a bar is a lagoon
55
What is an offshore bar?
Raised area of the seabed found offshore
56
What is a cusp?
Cusps are crescent-shaped features that develop on beaches comprised of a mixture of sand and shingle.
57
How is a wave cut platform formed?
When waves erode the headland This is through hydraulic action Forms a wave cut notch As erosion continues the cliff becomes unsupported and it collapses due to gravity Forms a wave cut platform at and angle of 4-5 degrees This continues and cliff retreats
58
How is a geo and blowhole formed?
Waves erode the headland by hydraulic action As a line of weakness becomes eroded, it enlarges to form a sea cave Surface of roof may be weathered Water inside the cave is directed upwards, eroding the roof of cave. As water moves through the cave water pressure increases creating a blowhole Overtime, the cave may weaken and collapse to form a geo
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