Coastal Geography Concepts

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts related to coastal geography, aiding in the review and understanding of the subject.

Coastal System Components

Inputs, outputs, energy, stores/components, flows/transfers, feedbacks.

Dynamic Equilibrium

Balance of inputs and outputs maintaining a stable coastal system.

Positive Feedback

Feedback that intensifies change, e.g., erosion increasing wave energy.

Negative Feedback

Feedback that reduces change, e.g., sediment deposition buffering erosion.

Coastal Landform vs. Coastal Landscape

A landform is a specific feature; a landscape is a collection of landforms.

Landform Interaction

Landforms like cliffs, beaches, spits, and dunes combine to form a landscape.

Energy Sources in Coastal Environments

Winds, waves, tides, and currents.

Constructive Waves Characteristics

Low wave height, strong swash, weak backwash, deposition dominant.

Destructive Waves Characteristics

High wave height, weak swash, strong backwash, erosion dominant.

Effects of Currents on Coastal Processes

Currents move sediment and influence longshore drift.

Role of Tides in Coastal Energy

Tides affect water level, energy availability, and sediment movement.

High-Energy Coasts

Exposed to powerful waves and erosion.

Low-Energy Coasts

Sheltered, dominated by deposition.

Sediment Sources in Coastal Systems

River sediment, cliff erosion, offshore deposits, biological sources.

Sediment Cell

A self-contained unit of sediment movement along the coast.

Sediment Budget

Balance between sediment added and removed from a coastal system.

Geomorphological Processes in Coastal Environments

Weathering, mass movement, erosion, transportation, deposition.

Types of Weathering in Coastal Areas

Mechanical, chemical, and biological weathering.

Types of Mass Movement Affecting Coastal Landscapes

Landslides, rockfalls, slumping.

Hydraulic Action

Waves compress air in cracks, weakening rock.

Wave Quarrying

Breaking waves detach rock using pressure.

Corrasion/Abrasion

Rock particles grind against cliff faces.

Cavitation

Air bubbles in water explode and weaken rock.

Solution in Marine Erosion

Chemical reaction dissolves rock minerals.

Attrition

Particles collide and become rounded and smaller.

Transportation Processes Along the Coast

Traction, saltation, suspension, solution.

Longshore Drift

Transport of material along the coast by wave direction.

Coastal Deposition

Occurs when wave energy drops and sediment is deposited.

Sub-Aerial Weathering

Breakdown of rock above high tide line.

Runoff in Coastal Systems

Water running off land carrying sediment.

Cliff and Wave-Cut Platform Formation

Erosion undercuts cliffs forming platforms as cliffs retreat.

Caves, Arches, Stacks, and Stumps Formation

Erosion widens cracks into caves, arches, and eventually collapses into stacks/stumps.

Factors Influencing Cliff Profile Development

Rock type, structure, wave energy, weathering.

Beach Formation Processes

Sediment accumulation by swash and longshore drift.

Simple and Compound Spits Formation

Spits form where longshore drift extends across a bay or river mouth.

Tombolo Formation

Spit that connects the mainland to an island.

Offshore Bars and Barrier Beaches Formation

Sand builds up parallel to shore due to waves and currents.

Barrier Islands

Narrow islands formed by reworked offshore sediment.

Sand Dunes Formation and Development

Wind deposits sand above high tide forming ridges stabilized by vegetation.

Estuarine Mudflats and Saltmarshes

Intertidal mud and vegetation zones formed in estuaries.

Physical Processes in Saltmarshes Creation

Deposition of fine sediment and colonisation by halophytes.

Causes of Eustatic Sea Level Change

Melting ice and thermal expansion of water.

Causes of Isostatic Sea Level Change

Land rising or sinking due to glacial weight changes.

Tectonic Sea Level Change

Land uplift or subsidence from tectonic activity.

Sea Level Changes Over Past 10,000 Years

Sea levels have risen due to post-glacial melt and thermal expansion.

Coastlines of Emergence and Submergence

Emergence = land rising; Submergence = sea level rising over land.

Landforms Associated with Emergent Coastlines

Raised beaches and marine terraces.

Landforms Associated with Submergent Coastlines

Rias, fjords, and Dalmatian coasts.

Ria Definition and Formation

Drowned river valley with gentle slopes.

Fjord Definition and Formation

Drowned glacial valley with steep sides and deep water.

Dalmatian Coast Definition

Drowned parallel valleys running along the coast.

Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Environments

Sea level rise, increased erosion, and flood risk.

Role of Time and Processes in Coastal Landscapes

Landforms evolve through long-term interactions of marine and sub-aerial processes.

Hard Engineering Strategies for Coastal Management

Sea walls, groynes, rip-rap, and revetments.

Soft Engineering Strategies for Coastal Management

Beach nourishment, dune regeneration, and managed retreat.

Shoreline Management Definition

Managing coastlines by identifying and planning for different zones.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Definition

A holistic, sustainable approach involving all stakeholders.

Essential Fieldwork Skills for Coastal Studies

Observation, mapping, measurement, data analysis, GIS.

Purpose of Local Coastal Case Study

To analyze processes, landforms, and management challenges.

Field Data for Local Coastal Case Study

Wave frequency, sediment movement, erosion rates, vegetation.

Purpose of International Coastal Case Study

To evaluate how a contrasting coast is managed under risk.

Risks and Opportunities in Coastal Landscapes

Erosion, flooding, tourism, fishing, and transport links.

Human Responses to Coastal Hazards

Building defenses, relocation, and policy shifts.

Resilience in Coastal Management

Capacity to recover from or absorb impacts.

Mitigation in Coastal Management

Actions taken to reduce risk and long-term impacts.

Adaptation to Changing Coastal Risk

Changing practices to cope with new environmental conditions.