Geography coasts

What is the definition of the coast

Areas where the land meets the sea

What is the definition of the littoral zone

The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore

Briefly, what are the three things the littoral zone

The land lying between high and low tide levels

The upper beach to the base of the cliffs

The shallow waters adjacent to the coast

Name 5 uses of the coast

Tourism

The navy

Agriculture and farming

Trading point

Electricity and power generation

Aquaculture - food sourcing (eg fishing)

Retail

Animal habitats

Transport (eg ferries)

Leisure

Geology - fossil research

Waste disposal

What is the back shore of the littoral zone

The area of the shore lying between the average high-tide mark and the vegetation, affected by waves only during severe storms

What is the foreshore of the littoral zone

The part of the seashore between the Hugh water mark and the low water mark

What is the nearshore of the littoral zone

The area between the low water mark and the point where waves cease to have any influence on the land beneath them

What is the offshore of the littoral zone

The area beyond the point where waves cease to impact upon the sea bed and in which activity is limited to deposition of sediments

Name 4 coastal inputs that affect the coast

Marine

Geology

Atmospheric

People

Explain what is meant by the marine coastal input

Waves (constructive + destructive)

Tides

Currents

Explain what is meant by the geology coastal input

Rock type - igneous / sedimentary / metamorphic

Rock structure

Tectonics

Material from marine deposition, weathering and mass movement

Explain what is meant by the atmospheric coastal input

Climate

Weather

Climate change

Explain what is meant by the people coastal input

Urban planning

Coastal management + defences

Explain one coastal transfer that affects the coast

Long shore drift

What are the two broad coastal outputs

Erosion landforms

Deposition landforms

Name 5 erosional landforms

Cracks

Caves

Arches

Stacks

Stumps

Headlands

Bays

Coves

Wave cut platforms

Blowholes

Name 5 depositional landforms

Beaches

Spits

Tombolos

Sand dunes

Salt marshes

What are the 4 coastal processes that affect the coast

Deposition

Erosion

Weathering

Mass movement

What are the 4 types of erosion

Attrition

Abrasion

Solution

Hydraulic action

Hat are the 3 types of weathering

Chemical

Biological

Mechanical

What does accretion mean

The net accumulation of sediment from deposition leading to the formation of depositional landforms

In dynamic equilibrium of beaches, what is meant by sediment supply

The amount of sand/shingle

In the dynamic equilibrium of beaches, what is meant by wave energy

Whether the waves are constructive or destructive

In the dynamic equilibrium of beaches, what alters the location and shape of the beach

Erosion and deposition

What is meant by dynamic equilibrium in a sediment

Where input and output of sediment are in a constant state of change but remain in balance

Is the coast an open or closed system

What is meant by input in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Material or energy entering the coastal system

What are 3 examples of inputs in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Tide

Wind

Waves

Human activity

What are stores/sinks in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Places where sediment or material is held

What are outputs in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Material or energy leaving the coastal system

Name 2 examples of outputs in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Sediment transfers

Ocean currents

What is meant by transfers/flows in the dynamic equilibrium of beaches

Processes that move material between inputs, stores and outputs

What is the definition of a landform

A stand alone feature

What is the definition of a landscape

Overall view of an area taking in multiple landforms

What is the definition of concordant geology

A coastline where rock strata or bands of rock run parallel to the coast

What is mean by discordant geology

Rock strata that run perpendicular to the coast, meaning alternating bands of soft and hard rock are exposed at right angles

What is the definition of dynamic equilibrium

A state where a system remains in a constant balance despite constant change

What is the definition of a high energy coast

A coastline with powerful wave action that leads to a net rate of erosion greater than deposition

What is the definition of a low energy coast

A type of coastline where wave action is minimal, typically found in sheltered areas with constructive waves

What is the definition of a ria

A coastal landform created when rising sea levels flood an unglaciated river valley, resulting in a drowned river valley

What is the definition of wave refraction

The bending of waves as they approach an irregular coastline at an angle, causing the wave energy to bocce concentrated on headlands and dissipated in bays

What is the definition of a wave cut platform

A flat, gently sloping rocky surface at the base of a cliff, formed by marine erosion between the high and low tide marks

What is meant by dynamic equilibrium in a sediment cell

Where inputs and outputs of a sediment are in a constant state of change but remain in balance

What are 5 features of a rocky/cliffed coastline

Transition from land to sea is abrupt

At low tide foreshore zone is exposed (wave-cut platform)

Cliffs are vertical

Resistant geology

Could be high or low relief

High energy environment

Are rocky/cliffed coastlines found in high or low energy environments

On a rocky/cliffed coastline, what is landform is likely the foreshore zone

A wave-cut platform

Are sandy coastlines found in high or low energy environments

Name 5 features of sandy coastlines

Transition from land to sea is smoother

Sand dunes are evident

Dune vegetation very important in stabilising coast

Low relief

At high tide beach is inundated

Result from supply of sediment

Low energy environment

Are sandy coastlines found at high or low relief

Where are estuarine coastlines found

Mouths of rivers

Name 5 features of estuarine coastlines

Found at mouths of rivers

Mud flats present, exposed at low tide

Nearer back shore, flats have vegetation present

Gradual transition from land to sea

Low relief

Low energy environment

Are estuarine coastlines found in low or high relief areas

Are estuarine coastlines found at low or energy environments

What is meant by a rocky coastline

Clear distinction between the land and sea

What is meant by coastal plains

Blurred boundary as relief is low and sediment comes from various sources (terrestrial and offshore)

What are the two levels of energy when categorising coasts

High and low

What makes a low energy coastline

Not powerful waves

Sheltered

Rate of erosion is less than rate of deposition

What is meant by a high energy coastline

Powerful waves

Exposed and face large oceans

Rate of erosion is higher than rate of deposition

Name two example locations of low energy coasts

Mediterranean se coasts, east Anglian coast

Name two example locations of high energy coastlines

Atlantic coasts of Norway and Scotland, pacific coasts of Canada and Alaska

Name 3 characteristics of the waves on low energy coastlines

Less powerful (constructive) waves

Short fetches

Calmer conditions

Name 3 characteristics of waves on high energy coastlines

More powerful (destructive) waves Short fetches

Longer fetches

Storm conditions

Name 3 processes that take place on low energy coastlines

Deposition and transport

Longshore drift

Nearshore currents

Name 3 processes that take place on high energy coastlines

Erosion and transport

Mass movement ad weathering

Offshore currents

Name 5 landforms found on low energy coastlines

Beaches

Spits

Salt marshes

Sand dunes

Mudflats

Name 5 landforms found on high energy coastlines

Cliffs

Wave-cut platforms

Arches

Sea caves

Stacks

Who created the classification system used by geographers for coasts

Valentin

What is the direction of the UK’s prevailing wind

South - west

In the UK, where are high energy coastlines found

The west coast of Ireland

The west coast of Scotland

The south west coast of wales and Cornwall

In the UK, where are low energy coastlines found

The east coast of England

The east coast of Ireland

The west coast of northern England

What is the definition of geology

The study of the earth, including the materials that make it up and the process that change it over time

What is the definition of lithology

The study of rocks and their physical properties, such as their composition, texture, structure and hardness/resistance

What is the definition of consolidated sediment

Sediment or rock that has been compacted and cemented over time, forming a solid, coherent mass

What is the definition of unconsolidated sediment

Material ugh as sand, gravel, clay and silt that has not been compacted and cemented to become sedimentary rock

What is the definition of a concord ant coastline

One where beds, layer and rocks are folded into ridges that ru parallel to the coast

What is the definition of morphology

The shape of landscape features, and is influenced by geological structures

What is meant by a discordant coastline

One where geology alternates between strata of hard and soft rock

What is meant by wave refraction

As waves approach the shallower water thy slow down and wave height increases

Waves diverge from the headlands and therefore energy decreases as they enter the bays

Name 3 examples of igneous rock

Granite

Basalt

Dolerite

Name 3 examples of metamorphic rocks

Slate

Schist

Marble

Name 3 examples of sedimentary rock

Sandstone

Limestone

Shale

Name 1 example of unsolidated sediment

Boulder clay

What 2 reasons mean igneous rock erodes very slowly

Igneous rocks are crystalline - the interlocking crystals make for strong, hard erosion resistant rock

Igneous rocks such as granite often have few joints, so there are limited weaknesses that erosion can exploit

What 3 reasons mean metamorphic rock erodes slowly

Crystalline metamorphic rocks are resistant to erosion

Many metamorphic rocks exhibit a feature called foliage on, where crystals are all orientated in one direction which produces weaknesses

Metamorphic rocks are often folded and heavily fractured, which are weaknesses that erosion can exploit

What is meant by clastic

Sedimentary rocks and other sediments composed of pre-existing rock fragments or coasts

What 3 reasons mean sedimentary rocks erode moderate to fast

Most sedimentary rocks are clastic and erode faster than crystalline igneous and sedimentary rocks

The age of sedimentary rocks is important - geologically young rocks tend to be weaker

Rocks with many bedding places and fractures, such as shale, are often most vulnerable to erosion

What 1 reasons means unconsolidated sediment erodes very fast

Material such as sand, gravel, clay and silt that has not been compacted and cemented to become sedimentary is very exposed and unresistant

Wave refraction - when waves approach headlands, what do they do

Converge

Wave refraction - when waves converge towards headlands, do they increase or decrease in height?

Does this mean they have greater or lower erosion? Why

Increase

Greater - wave energy is concentrated

Wave refraction - does more erosion occur at headlands or bays

Wave refraction - when waves approach bays, what do they do

Diverge

Wave refraction - does more deposition occur at headlands or bays

Wave refraction - when waves approach bays does their height increase or decrease?

Does this mean they have greater or lower erosion? Why

Decrease

Lower - wave energy is more spread out

Are rias found on discordant or concordant coastlines

Discordant

What are rias

Long narrow bays

Drowned river valleys

When did rias become drowned

The last ice age

Why did rias become drowned

During the last ice age, there was a rise in sea level

When wave refraction occurs, where is wave energy most concentrated

On both sides of the headland

What is the definition of differential erosion

A geographical process where areas of varying rock resistance erode at different rates, leading to specific landforms

What is the definition of scree

An accumulation of broken rock fragments usually found on the slopes of mountains or at the base of cliffs