Coastal Features

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Attrition
Materials carried by the waves bump into each other and are smoothed and broken down into smaller particles.
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Hydraulic Action
The force of water against the coast.
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Corrosion
Chemical action of sea water.
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Abrasion
Coast is worn down by material carried by waves.
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Sub - aerial processes
Acts on land and weakens cliffs or slopes above the high water mark.
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Biological Weathering
Roots of growing plants can widen cracks in cliff rocks. Burrowing animals and nesting birds on cliff faces can also cause weakening of cliffs.
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Chemical
Rain water is slightly acidic. When rain falls, a chemical reaction occurs, causing the rock to weaken and break down when it's dissolved.
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Mechanical (Freeze Thaw)
Cold climates, freezing and thawing of water takes place in cracks or holes. When the ice melts, water seeps deeper and eventually rock breaks off. In warmer climates, as water dries, crystals of salt form. When expanded, they break the rock.
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Rock falls (Mass Movement)
Breaking and tumbling rock.
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Slumping (Mass Movement)
Cliff face slumps down.
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Sliding (Mass Movement)
Large amounts of soil and rock move down slopes rapidly.
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Discordant Coastline
Occurs where bands of different rock type run at a right angle to the coast. The erosion leads to the formation of headlands and bays.
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Concordant Coastline
Occurs where layers of different rock are parallel to the coast. The erosion leads to the formation of a cove.
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Spring Tide
Occur when the moon (either new or full), the sun and the Earth are aligned. Their collected gravitational pull on the Earth's water is strengthened.
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Neap Tide
Occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least. The gravitational pull on the Earth's water is weakened because it comes from two different directions.
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Fetch
The distance travelled by wind or waves across open water.
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Backwash
The motion of receding waves.
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Swash
The rush of seawater up the beach after the breaking of a wave.
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Costructive
The strong swash and a weak backwash means the waves deposit more material on a beach than they remove.
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Destructive
The weak swash but powerful backwash means more material is removed than deposited.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The force of water against the coast.

Back

Hydraulic Action

Card 3

Front

Chemical action of sea water.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Coast is worn down by material carried by waves.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Acts on land and weakens cliffs or slopes above the high water mark.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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