Coastal Terminology

Fetch

Distance wind blows over water

Constructive waves

Strong swash, weak backwash, deposition

Destructive waves

Weak swash, strong backwash, erosion

Erosion

Wearing away of rock

Hydraulic action

Air forced into cracks by waves

Abrasion

Rocks scrape against the cliff

Attrition

Rocks collide and become smaller/rounder

Solution

Acidic water dissolves soluble rocks

Weathering

Breakdown of rock in situ (mechanical, chemical, biological)

Mass movement

Movement of rock downhill due to gravity

Longshore drift

Zig-zag movement of sediment along the coast

Rockfall

Steep cliffs, sudden collapse.

Landslide

Saturated soft rock slips downhill.

Slumping

Rotational movement after heavy rainfall.