Basics of coastal landscapes

What is a coastal system?

A dynamic environment where landscapes are shaped by the interaction of winds, waves, currents, and sediments

What are the two main causes of coastal landform development?

Energy and sediment.

What is the sediment budget?

The balance of sediment input, storage, and output within a coastal section.

What are sediment cells?

Stretches of coastline where sediment movement is self-contained and uniform.

What is dynamic equilibrium in coasts?

A balance within a changing system, like beaches adapting to wave conditions.

What is positive feedback in coastal systems?

A process that amplifies change, like storm waves breaching dunes, making further erosion more likely.

What causes tides?

The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.

What are spring tides?

Tides with the greatest height difference, occurring when the sun and moon are aligned.

What are neap tides?

Tides with the least height difference, when the sun and moon are at right angles.

What is tidal range?

The vertical difference between high and low tide.

What are high energy coastal environments?

Areas with strong winds, destructive waves, and dominant erosion.

What are low energy coastal environments?

Areas with weak winds, constructive waves, and dominant deposition.

What type of landforms are found at high energy coasts?

Cliffs, headlands, and wave-cut platforms (erosional).

What landforms are typical of low energy coasts?

Beaches, spits, dunes, and mud flats (depositional).

What is fetch?

The distance over water that wind blows to generate waves.

What is wave refraction?

The bending of waves as they approach the shore, concentrating energy on headlands.

What is wave reflection (clapotis effect)?

When waves bounce off steep cliffs or walls, interacting with incoming waves.

What types of rock are more resistant to erosion?

Igneous and metamorphic rocks.

What is hydrolysis in weathering?

A chemical reaction between water and minerals like feldspar, weakening the rock.

What is oxidation in weathering?

The reaction of oxygen with minerals (e.g. iron), causing rusting and breakdown.

What is mass movement?

The downslope movement of material under gravity.

What is creep in mass movement?

Extremely slow movement of soil and debris.

What is a rotational slump?

When a section of cliff collapses along a curved slip plane.

What is hydraulic action?

Waves forcing air and water into cracks, weakening rock.

What is abrasion (corrasion)?

The grinding of rock fragments against the coast.

What is corrosion?

The dissolving of soluble rocks like limestone by seawater.

What is longshore drift?

The movement of sediment along the coast by angled swash and straight backwash.

What is flocculation?

Clay particles sticking together to form larger particles that settle faster.

What is a spit?

A narrow landform made of sand or shingle, extending from the coast into the sea.

What is a cuspate foreland?

A triangular deposition of sediment formed by longshore drift from two directions.

What is a bar?

A ridge of sand or shingle across a bay or in front of a lagoon.

What is a tombolo?

A sand or shingle bar that connects an island to the mainland.

What are aeolian processes?

Wind-driven processes of erosion, transport, and deposition.

What is surface creep?

Movement of large sand grains along the ground by wind.

What are tidal flats?

Low-lying areas in estuaries that accumulate fine sediment.

What are salt marshes?

Vegetated tidal areas formed behind spits and bars.

What are mangroves?

Salt-tolerant trees in tropical coastal areas with aerial roots that trap sediment.

What are coral reefs made of?

Calcium carbonate skeletons left behind by coral polyps.

What is the symbiotic relationship in coral reefs?

Corals and zooxanthellae algae, where algae provide energy via photosynthesis.

What happens to coasts in winter?

Increased wave energy leads to greater erosion and offshore sediment transport.

What happens to coasts in summer?

Constructive waves build up beaches by pushing material onshore.

What is eustatic sea level change?

Global changes due to water volume changes or ocean basin shape.

What is isostatic sea level change?

Local changes due to land rising or falling.

What is a ria?

A drowned river valley formed by rising sea levels.

What is a fjord?

A submerged glaciated valley, deep with steep sides.

What is a raised beach?

An old beach now above sea level due to land uplift.

What are the benefits of coastal processes for humans?

Provide land for settlement, tourism, fishing, and transport.

What are the risks of coastal processes for humans?

Erosion, loss of property, infrastructure, and habitats.

What is a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP)?

A strategy for managing each sediment cell of coast sustainably.

What is Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)?

A comprehensive approach considering all factors and stakeholders in coastal management.