Coastal Environments - Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering coastal environments, processes, landforms, human impact, and management strategies.

The coast is the zone between land and sea, influenced by marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric processes.

transition

Waves are generated by and are the primary force shaping coasts through erosion, transport, and deposition.

wind

Constructive waves have a stronger , leading to deposition.

swash

Destructive waves have a stronger , leading to erosion.

backwash

The movement of sediment along the coast by waves is known as .

longshore drift

is the breakdown of rocks by physical, chemical, and biological processes.

Weathering

is the wearing away of rocks by wind, water, and ice.

Erosion

Cliffs, caves, arches, stacks, and stumps are examples of landforms.

erosion

Beaches, spits, and bars are examples of landforms.

deposition

is the distance over which wind blows across the sea, influencing wave size.

Fetch

is the force of waves compressing air in cracks, causing rocks to break.

Hydraulic Action

is the wearing away of rocks by sediment carried by waves.

Abrasion

is when sediments break apart to become smaller and rounded.

Attrition

is the dissolving of rocks by seawater that is slightly acidic.

Solution

Headlands and Bays are formed by the of resistant and less resistant rock types.

differential erosion

coasts have rocks parallel to the coastline, while coasts have rocks at right angles.

Concordant, discordant

A _ is formed at the base of a cliff by undercutting, leading to cliff collapse and the formation of a wave-cut platform.

wave-cut notch

are formed by constructive waves and longshore drift.

Beaches

are spits that join two headlands, forming a lagoon.

Bars

are spits that connect the mainland to an offshore island.

Tombolos

are triangular-shaped landforms formed by the collision of longshore drift from two directions.

Cuspate Forelands

are formed by wind-blown sand from beaches, stabilized by vegetation.

Sand Dunes

waves have a strong backwash, leading to erosion.

Destructive

waves have a strong swash, leading to deposition.

Constructive

areas are densely populated, leading to development and environmental impacts.

Coastal

Coastal management aims to control coastal and _.

erosion, deposition

Coral Reefs require specific conditions: warm water temperatures, shallow water, sunlight, well water, clear water and strong wave action.

oxygenated

Coral Reefs are found in tropic of and .

cancer, capricorn

plants have adaptations to tolerate salt and changing water levels, such as salt-filtering mechanisms and specialized root systems.

Salt Marsh

Coastal ecosystems, like terrestrial ones, rely on nutrient cycling for survival.

Nutrient Cycling

Mangrove loss leads to reduced , coastal erosion, and less protection from storms.

biodiversity

Storm Surges are caused by low and strong onshore winds, leading to higher tides and increased flooding risk.

air pressure

are large waves generated by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, capable of causing widespread coastal flooding.

Tsunamis

_ is a gradual increase in sea level due to climate change, increasing the vulnerability of low-lying coastal areas.

Sea-Level Rise

management often focuses on coastal cells, which are sections of the coast with self-contained sediment movement.

Coastal

Some coastlines erode at alarming rates, like the coast in England.

Holderness

Soft-Engineering Management involves working with natural processes, such as , building sand dunes, and restoring coastal ecosystems.

beach replenishment

involves allowing the sea to reclaim land in some areas, rather than trying to hold back the coastline.

Managed Retreat

A coastline is one where alternating bands of hard and soft rock run perpendicular to the direction of the waves.

discordant

Waves erode the _ rock more quickly than the harder rock, and this creates indentations in the coastline called bays.

softer

Formed by the continuous erosion of the base of a cliff by waves is called .

Cliffs

Dunes provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including specialized species adapted to the conditions.

harsh

Sand grains bounce along the ground, also known as .

Saltation