Coastal Systems and Landscapes Glossary

Flashcards covering key terms related to coastal systems and landscapes from the provided glossary and notable absentees.

What is the definition of tidal range?

The relative difference in height between high and low tides.

What causes the changes in water level of seas and oceans known as tides?

The gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun.

What is a tombolo?

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

Describe the process of traction in coastal transportation.

The rolling of coarse sediment along the sea bed that is too heavy to be picked up and carried by the sea.

What is vegetation succession?

The sequence of changes that take place as plant life colonises bare rock, sand, water or salty areas.

What is wave quarrying?

The action of waves breaking against unconsolidated material such as sands and gravels.

What is wave refraction and its effect on an indented shoreline?

The distortion of wave fronts as they approach an indented shoreline, causing wave energy to be dissipated in a bay and focused on headlands.

How is a wave-cut notch formed and what is its impact on a cliff?

A notch in the rock created by erosion as waves break against the foot of a cliff, which gets bigger causing the cliff to be undercut.

How is a wave-cut platform created?

A largely-flat stretch of rock created by repeated erosional processes causing a wave-cut notch to migrate inland and the cliff to retreat.

What is a concordant coastline?

A coastline where bands of rock are parallel to the coastline.

What is a discordant coastline?

A coastline where bands of rock are perpendicular to the coastline.

What type of environment does a halosere succession occur in?

A saline (salty) environment.

What type of environment does a psammosere succession occur in?

A sandy environment.

What is thermal expansion in the context of sea levels?

Water expanding as it warms up, leading to rising sea levels.