geography 🪨 🌊 🇮🇳 🇬🇧 > coasts > Flashcards

coasts Flashcards

(55 cards)

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1
Q

geology meaning

A

study of rocks and processes that act upon them - 4.6 billion yrs of earth history

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2
Q

sedimentary rocks

A

recycled rocks - formed by the deposition of fragments of material that have been eroded and weathered (from other rocks)
often consist of sand, pebbles, minerals and mud removed erosion - carried by rivers or blown by wind, and eventually deposited
usually in layers and with fossils

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3
Q

igneous rock

A

formed by the cooling of magma - which originates from deep inside the earth.
two categories of it: extrusive or intrusive
magma can reach earths surface through vents or fissures, is now known as lava
due to exposure to air + water it cools quickly , so the crystals that make it up are very small (fine grained)
if it cools below ground, it’s a slow process so crystals have time to grow larger

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4
Q

metamorphic rock

A

originally a sedimentary, igneous or even metamorphic rock
rocks that are buried very deeply underground can become subject to very high temperatures and intense pressure
when limestone is subject to metamorphism, it becomes harder, more crystalline + changes into marble
when a shale (clay) rock is subjected to metamorphism it may change into slate

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5
Q

example of sedimentary rock

A

limestone and chalk

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6
Q

describe geology of the uk + northern island

A

1/25
the geology of the uk + Northern island is varied.
Igneous + metamorphic are generally older + the hardest.
sedimentary is softest and usually youngest
hardest = north west
softest = south east

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7
Q

what’s a batholith

A

very large, intrusive igneous rock (typically granite) underground mass

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8
Q

why do tors expand

A

freeze thaw weathering

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9
Q

why are limestone landscapes distinctive

A

over millions of years they’ve undergone many physical processes - like water movement- which eroded them down. they also have limestone pavements, which are created from rainwater causing joints, they are enlarged by a chemical reaction, causing grykes, which expose blocks of limestone, making the pavement

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10
Q

limestone characteristics

A

golden yellow or grey
sedimentary
in warm/tropical ocean with shells
rich in calcium carbonate = dissolves ok weathering
fossils
permeable

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11
Q

structure of limestone

A

like building blocks, with joints (vertical) + bedding planes (horizontal) separating the blocks.
limestone is permeable so water drains through it and seeps underground til it meets an area of impermeable rock
this causes the water to travel along the joints + bedding planes and appear as springs - this is known as resurgence

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12
Q

how are limestone pavements formed

A

when the calcium carbonate in the rock dissolved due to a reaction with water
water seeps through rock as its permeable and gets into cracks + joints
forms features like caves or stalactites underground
but on top we can see the wide and deep cracks + joints - known as grykes, made from weathering, which exposes the blocks of limestone known as clints

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13
Q

what are the South Downs

A

the Downs are areas of Cretaceous aged rock formed 75 mil yrs ago in warm tropical seas
rock is predominantly chalk, overlying sandstones + clays
erosion has removed part of chalk, exposing underlying sediments forming the High + Low Weald
North and South downs are formed f the remaining chalk
the south downs escarpments consists of a scarp slope + dip slope
We would recognise these bc they are gently rolling hills
characteristics of the downs include dry valleys, distinct hilltops + ridges

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14
Q

advantages of human activities on distinctive landscapes of the South Downs

A

arable farm management can support rare birds like stone curlews and skylarks
income generated from farms support the local economy and provides around 6% of jobs in the South Downs
area has a strong economy due to population size and the range of jobs available in places like nearby Brighton or even London

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15
Q

disadvantages of human activity on distinctive landscapes of the south downs

A

changes in farming practices have reduced biodiversity and native plants have been lost
community facilities and services like village post offices or schools have closed as people travel to larger towns by car

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16
Q

what are the four key processes

A

weathering
erosion
transportation
deposition

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17
Q

weathering

A

breakdown of weakening rocks at or near the surface by elements of the weather

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18
Q

when does erosion happen

A

usually occurs when the river or sea has lots of energy from the power of destructive waves or flood waters

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19
Q

transportation

A

movement of eroded material up, down + along the coasts or river

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20
Q

deposition

A

when the sea or river loses energy, it drops the sand, rock particles + pebbles that it has been carrying, - depositing them

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21
Q

what affects how a wave is formed

A

wind forms waves
- fetch - distance the wind blows over
- wind duration
- wind strength or speed

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22
Q

how does a long fetch affect waves

A

longer fetch = stronger winds = bigger waves

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23
Q

how are waves formed

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A

waves start out at sea and have a circular orbit
as waves approach the shore friction (shore is rough) slows the base of the wave
this causes the orbit to become elliptical
until the top of the waves breaks over
water swashes up the beach
water from a previous wave returns to the sea as backwash

24
Q

what’s swash

Study These Flashcards
A

when waves + energy carry materials up the beach

25
what’s backwash
when the water, energy + sediment is carried down the beach + into the sea
26
what does strong swash and backwash do
strong swash builds a beach strong backwash destroys a beach every wave has swash and backwash, balance is what matters
27
explain constructive waves building beaches
each wave is low. as the wave breaks it carries material up the beach in swash. the beach material will then be deposited as the backwash soaks into the sand or slowly drains away. these waves are most common in summer
28
explain destructive waves destroying beaches
waves are usually very high + very frequent. backwash has less time to soak into sand. as waves continue to the hit the beach there is more running water to transport the material out to sea. the waves are most common in winter
29
what wave and geology factors work together to change coastlines
wave energy rock type rock direction
30
discordant coastlines : headlands and bays
rock is in layers going down hard rock is more resistant to erosion, so the coastline is worn away slower leaving a headland sticking out into the sea. where there is softer rock, erosion is quicker and a bay forms headlands often protect bays from erosion (rock is perpendicular to wave direction)
31
concordant coastlines
rocks in layers going down the different rock layer are parallel to the sea, so there aren’t many headlands or bays (as there is only one type of rock at the front). however, when the sea breaks through a layer of harder rock, the soft rock behind erodes quickly, leading to coves
32
how are wave cut platforms formed
- erosion of a cliff is greatest at its base, where large waves break. here hydraulic action actively undercuts the foot of the cliff forming an indent called a wave cut notch, while the cliff face is also affected by abrasion as rock fragments are hurled against the cliff by the breaking waves - undercutting continues and eventually the overhanging cliff collapses downwards as it becomes unstable - process continues and cliff gradually retreats + becomes steeper as sea washes away material from the cliff base - leaves a wave cut platform - flat surface at bottom of cliff, only seen at low tide
33
how are caves, arches and stacks formed
- large crack opened up by hydraulic action - crack grows into a cave by hydraulic action + abrasion, making it longer - cave breaks through headland, forming an arch, which gets eroded and collapses - leaves a tall rock stack, which is eroded, forming a stump
34
what is the most common depositional landform what happens before deposition
a beach erosion, weathering and transportation
35
what is a spit and how is it formed
ridge of sand or shingle (gravel) former by the sea. attached at one end to the land but sticks out across a river mouth and bay Title: 1. A spit is a depositional coastal landform that forms by longshore drift. The prevailing wind pushes constructive waves (carrying sediment) up the beach at an angle as the swash. The waves then travel at a ninety degree angle back down the beach due to gravity as the backwash. 2. Sediment is pushed up and dragged back down the beach in this way through the process of longshore drift. This process continues down the entire beach, leading to mass transportation of sediment, until the coastline ends or changes direction; for example where it meets a river. 3. At this point, sediment is deposited and builds up causing an extension of the coastline out into the sea. This is called a spit. Spits can form a recurve or hook as secondary winds blowing up the river valley cause sediment deposition to occur at a different angle. 4. A salt marsh can form behind a spit as the area is low energy so little erosion or transportation can occur. In this area fine grained sediment is deposited. These low energy areas are a good habitat for wading birds.
36
how is a bay bar formed
same as a spit, but it carries on til it reaches the opposite headland a lagoon is created behind it where water is trapped
37
what’s the hard engineering method
these involve constructing barriers which control the power of the sea. they can be expensive + need maintaining
38
what’s the soft engineering method
these work with the natural environment they may reuse / rework existing materials or leave natural processes to take place
39
beach nourishment
soft sand/shingle is added to a beach to make it higher or wider brady can absorb more wave energy + protect the coastline. sediment is obtained locally so it blends in. easy + cheap to maintain bigger beach = encourages tourism constant maintenance can be expensive work is often undertaken in summer - causes disruption
40
sand dune regeneration purpose pros and cons
soft grasses, bushes + trees are planted to stabilise dunes helps the sand dunes to develop + maintains a natural coastal environment relatively cheap popular with ppl + wildlife areas of beach have to be fenced off, prohibiting access takes time for it to become established
41
groynes
hard wooden/rock structures built along the beach at right angles quick to construct, trap sediment + broaden beach, beach then absorbs wave energy bigger beach = more tourists interrupting the movement of sediment can have an impact further down the coast can be unsightly
42
sea walls purpose pros and cons
hard concrete walls, about 3-5m high, built at the foot of cliffs or the top of a beach, sometimes curved to reflect waves back to sea effective at stopping the sea, often include a walkway or promenade can be obtrusive + unnatural to look at + can restrict access so beach
43
rip rap /rock armour
hard large boulders piled at foot of cliff or top of beach boulders force waves to break, dissipating their energy + protecting the cliffs quickly put in place relatively cheap + easy to maintain boulders are usually from other places, so transport costs are high don’t fit in with local geology impede access to beach
44
what impact does a growing tourist industry have on a spit
increases chance of erosion and flooding
45
what’s bad about coastal defences
they speed up erosion on the coastline further east, defeating the purpose slightly
46
example of igneous rock
granite and basalt
47
where can you find granite, an intrusive igneous rock, in the uk
aberdeen, in NE scotland cornwall in SW england
48
where can you find karst (limestone) landscapes in the uk what can you do there
the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where you can walk across limestone pavements for recreational purposes, or have grazing farming and tourism as economical
49
where can you find caves,arches stumps and stacks in the uk
Durdle Door, Dorset (only arch) Old Harry Rocks, Dorset (caves, arches and stacks)
50
where is the Holderness coast, and how was it formed
yorkshire, side of east coast north of london it has a spit, and is the UK and europes fastest eroding coastline in the ice age, glacial deposits spread over the land, bringing mud and clay with it. as it melted and eventually retreated, it left behind the soft boulder clay. the ice melted, reforming the sea. it’s a discordant coastline.
51
what is dawlish warren spit and how is it used
sand spit, a seaside resort on south coast of devon protects the exe estuary from open sea local nature reserve fishing popular tourist attraction has some homes and small businesses recreational activities
52
concerns and solutions with dawlish warren
continues to change from erosion and deposition about 5m lost from dunes from storms build a 300m long sea wall 300m backbone of rock-filled wire baskets (gabions) beneath sand dunes to hold them in place 18 groynes
53
what is cuckmere haven and where is it
cuckmere river has many meanders, and is called cuckmere haven it’s in east sussex
54
why does a changing population impact the river dee and what solutions were put in place
it doesn’t naturally provide enough water in summer for the increasing population. so reservoirs were built to store water in the winter, and these help control the rivers flow and reduce discharge. also underwent channelisation
55
what physical factors change the river dee
intensity/amount of rainfall periods of drought climate change
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