Geography - Theme 1 - Coastal and landform processes

Backwash

The flow of water back into the sea after a wave has broken on a beach

Break in slope

A line on a slope where the gradient changes

Faults

Major cracks in rocks caused by earth movements

Fetch

The distance over which wind has blown to create waves on the sea - the greater the fetch the bigger the wave

Landslide

The sudden collapse of a hillside under it’s own weight

Longshore Drift

a process where beach material is moved across the coast

Offshore bar

Feature on the sea bed, formed by deposition of sand

Sea arches

Natural arch shape features of cliffs on the coastline that are formed by the erosion of a cave in a headline

Slumping

The gradual collapse of a hillside under it’s own weight - unconsolidated rocks slide over permeable rocks

Spit

A coastal landform formed by the deposition of sediment in a low mound where the coastline changes direction

Stacks

Natural features of an eroded cliff landscape - formed by collapse of sea arch

Swash

The flow of water up the beach as a wave breaks on the shore

Unconsolidated

Deposits that are only loosely compacted and which are not properly glued together

Wave-cut notch

A slot with overhanging rocks that have been cut into the bottom of a cliff by wave action

Wave-cut platform

A coastal landform made of a rocky shelf infront of a cliff - caused by erosion and left by retreat of cliff