coastal systems and landscapes defintions

accretion

coastal sediment being deposited on beach

barrier beach

where a beach extends across a bay to join 2 headlands

barrier island

where a beach becomes separated from the mainland

berm

a ridge formed on the beach by deposition

cavitation

when a eave advances and air becomes trapped in a rock

climatic climax community

final community of species which is adjusted to the climatic conditions of an area

coastal morphology

the origin and evolution of a coast

compound spit

a spit which has a series of babs along it

cost benefit analysis

financial, social and environmental costs are weighed up against the benefits

cusp

crescent shaped beach formations

dalmatian coast

submergent landscape of ridges running parallel to the coast

double spit

2 spits extend from opposite sides of an estuary

drift aligned beach

when beach deposits are transferred along a coastline

emergent coastline

coastline created when a fall in sea level exposes land

environmental refugee

somebody who has been forced to migrate as a result of changes to the environment

eustatic change

variations in sea level

fjord

created when a rise in sea level floods a deep glacial trough

halophyte

salt tolerant plant species

integrated coastal zone management

strategy designed to manage complete sections of the coast

isostatic change

rising or falling of a land mass relative to the sea

isostatic recovery

when land readjusts and rises as a result of the reduced weight of ice

isostatic subsidence

when land sinks during glacial periods

lithology

geographical structure of an area

longshore drift

when different angles of swash and backwash cause a zigzag movement of sediment up and down the beach

mudflat

where the smallest particles drop to the seabed and build up layers of mud

offshore bars

submerged ridges of sand or sediment offshore

pioneer species

first plants that colonise an area usually with special adaptions

raised beach

result of isostatic recovery which raises wave cut platforms and their beaches above sea level

recurved tip

end of a spit that has curved around

ria

sheltered winding inlet with irregular shoreline

rip currents

strong localised underwater currents

runnels

dips in the foreshore area of a beach between ridges

saltmarsh

coastal ecosystem formed on mudflats

sand dune

sand that has been blown off the beach by onshore winds

scree

apron of rock debris caused by weathering and then slow rates of debris removed

sediment budgent

attempt to quantify the various stores and transfers associated with sediment movement

sediment cell

sediment movement from a source through transfers to an output

shoreline management plan

plan that takes into consideration the risks of coastal processes and attempts to identify sustainable coastal defence and management options

solifluction

downhill flow of saturated soil caused when the surface layer thaws out

spit

long narrow feature made of sand that extends from the land to the sea

submergent coastline

coastline created when a rise in sea level floods the coast

swash aligned beach

beach formed in a low energy environment by waved parallel to the shore

tidal range

relative difference in the height between high and low tides

tides

changes in water level of seas by gravitational pull

tombolo

ridge of beach material that has formed between an island and the mainland

vegetation succession

sequence of changes that take place as plant life colonise rock and sand

wave quarrying

action of waves breaking against unconsolidated material

wave refraction

distortion of wave fronts as they approach the shoreline

wave cut notch

notch in the rock created by erosion as waves break against rock

wave cut platform

large flat stretch of rock created by repeated erosional processes causing wave cut notch to migrate inland and the cliff to retreat