Coastal Systems and Landscapes Revision

These flashcards encompass key vocabulary and definitions related to coastal systems and landscapes as outlined in the lecture notes.

Coastal System

A natural system comprising inputs, outputs, flows/transfers, and stores/components related to coastlines.

Dynamic Equilibrium

A condition in which inputs and outputs in a coastal system are balanced, leading to stability.

Negative Feedback

A process by which a change in a system causes a response that restores balance, such as sediment being deposited after erosion.

Positive Feedback

A process where an initial change causes further changes that enhance the original trend, such as continued growth of a beach.

Backshore

The area of a beach that extends from the limit of high water to the dunes, only affected during exceptional high tides.

Foreshore

The area between the high water mark and low water mark, heavily influenced by marine activity.

Inshore

The area between the low water mark and the point where waves cease to have influence on the land.

Offshore

The zone extending seaward from the low tide point to the outer edge of the continental shelf.

Swash Zone

The zone of water movement on the beach where waves wash up and retreat.

Constructive Waves

Waves characterized by a low frequency and strong swash, which deposit materials on the beach.

Destructive Waves

Waves with a higher frequency and strong backwash that remove material from the beach.

Wave Refraction

The bending of waves due to varying water depths, causing waves to approach the shoreline at an angle.

Tides

Periodic rises and falls of the ocean surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun.

Eustatic Sea Level Change

Global changes in sea level due to alterations in the volume of water or the shape of ocean basins.

Isostatic Sea Level Change

Local changes in sea level caused by vertical movements of the land relative to the sea.

Sediment Budget

The balance between the amount of sediment entering and leaving a coastal system.

Coastal Processes

Processes such as erosion, transportation, and deposition that shape coastal landforms.

Mass Movement

The sudden downwards movement of sediment due to gravity, which can affect coastal areas.

Concordant Coastline

A coastline where bands of hard and soft rock are parallel, with hard rock protecting soft rock from erosion.

Discordant Coastline

A coastline where bands of hard and soft rock are perpendicular, leading to alternating areas of erosion and deposition.