Coastal Geography Specialist Terms

A vocabulary flashcard deck covering coastal geography specialist terms and definitions from the lecture notes.

abrasion

erosion that involves a 'sandpapering effect' as sediment is dragged up and down or across the shoreline, eroding and smoothing rocky surfaces

accretion

coastal sediment being deposited on a beach making it wider

arch

an arch-shaped rock formation created when two caves join up, or a single cave is eroded through a headland

attrition

the gradual wearing down of rock particles by impact and abrasion, as the pieces of rock are moved by waves, tides and currents

barrier beach (or bar)

where a beach or spit extends across a bay to join two headlands

barrier island

where a beach becomes separated from the mainland

berm

a ridge or plateau on the beach formed by the deposition of beach material by wave action

biological weathering

the breakdown of rocks by organic activity

cave

a chamber in the rock formed when joints and faults are eroded by hydraulic action and abrasion

cavitation

when a wave advances and air becomes trapped and compressed in joints in the rock or between a breaking wave and a cliff

climatic climax community

the 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 'barbs' along it, formed where the transport processes are variable over time