Geography As Key Words

Front 1

Swash

Back 1

Water running up the beach.

More dominant in constructive waves.

Front 2

Backwash

Back 2

Water being drawn back from the beach.

Front 3

Tidal Range

Back 3

The relative difference between high and low tide.

Front 4

Weathering

Back 4

The gradual breakdown of rocks in situ at ground surface.

Front 5

Freeze-thaw

Back 5

A type of weathering involving water percolating into cracks and pores in cliffs and then freezing to form ice. Regular freeze-thaw can lead to some fragments on cliff rock falling off and collecting at the cliff foot in the form of scree.

Front 6

Salt weathering

Back 6

Salt water evaporating and leaving crystals behind. These crystals can grown larger over time and exert stress in the rock causing it to break.

Front 7

Wetting and Drying

Back 7

Clay rich rocks (i.e. shale) expand when they get wet, and contract when they dry. Frequent cycles can cause them to crack and contribute to their break up.

Front 8

Carbonation

Back 8

The slow dissolving of calcium carbonate from limestone and chalk. When it absorbs carbon dioxide, water forms a weak carbonic acid. This acid reacts with the calcium carbonate to form calcium bicarbonate . This is easily dissolved. Cooler water increases the effectiveness of carbonation

Front 9

Biological weathering

Back 9

Can include several types of biological weathering including plants, birds, and marine organisms.

Front 10

Mass movement

Back 10

The downhill movement of rock and soil in response to the fore of gravity. Includes processes of rock falls, landslides, mudflows, rotational slips, and soil creep.

Front 11

Hydraulic Action

Back 11

Waves breaking at the foot of a cliff can cause significant erosion. Air being blasted into cracks loosens rocks that are gradually removed. This can lead to the formation of a wave-cut platform.

Front 12

Corrasion

Back 12

Rocks caught up in surging seawater are hurled at cliff face causing it to be chipped and gouged.

Front 13

Abrasion

Back 13

The sandpapering effect of loose rocks being constantly scarped across bare rock e.g. a wave cut platform. It often causes smoothing and polishing of the rock surface.

Front 14

Attrition

Back 14

When rocks carried by seawater bash against each other gradually making them smaller and smoother

Front 15

Traction

Back 15

The rolling of relatively large and heavy rocks ion the seabed

Front 16

Saltation

Back 16

Slightly smaller and lighter rocks adopting a bouncing motion

Front 17

Suspended

Back 17

sediment floating on top of the water accounting for the slightly murky appearance of the sea and river estuaries.

Front 18

Solution

Back 18

Sediment that has dissolved completely will be transported in this way.

Front 19

Sediment cell

Back 19

A stretch of coastline usually bordered by teo prominent headlands where the movement of sediment tends to be contained.

11 major cells have been identified in England and Wales.

Front 20

Headlands and Bays

Back 20

Headlands are an area of land that protrudes into the sea. The area between headlands are sandy bays.

Front 21

Beach

Back 21

Commonly found in bays. Wave refraction creates a low energy environment that leads to deposition of sediment.

Front 22

Spit

Back 22

Formed on stretches of coast where the beaches are drift aligned. When sand or shingle is transported along a stretch of coast by LSD it may reach a point where the direction of coast changes. At this point sediment will build up and begin to protrude into the sea.

Front 23

Tombolo

Back 23

This is when a spit joins up with an island.

Front 24

Sand dunes

Back 24

Sand deposited by the sea being blown further inland by the wind to form a mound.

Front 25

Bar

Back 25

Sand or shingle can sometimes build up across a bay to form a bar.

Front 26

Thermal expansion

Back 26

Can lead to sea level rise

Front 27

Tectonic Uplift

Back 27

Can have a direct impact on the coast and therefore sea level

Front 28

Submergent coastline

Back 28

A rise in sea level flooding the coast

Front 29

Ria

Back 29

A permanently flooded lower course and estuary of a river as it approaches the sea. Rias are common in the southwest of England.

Front 30

Fjords

Back 30

Formed in mountainous regions (i.e. the coast of Norway). A drowned glacial valley. extremely deep witih dramatic and often sheer rock walls forming their sides.

Front 31

Emergent coastline

Back 31

Caused by a fall in sea level exposing land normally covered by sea water.