Coastal Landscapes and change Glossary

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an arch-shaped rock formation created when two caves join
up, or a single cave is eroded through a headland
arch
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the gradual wearing down of rock particles by impact and
abrasion leading to a reduced particle size and rounder,
smoother stones
attrition
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where a beach or spit extends across a bay to join two
headlands
barrier beach
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an area of weaker rock that has been eroded between
headlands of more-resistant rock. When waves enter a bay,
their energy is dissipated leading to deposition and the
formation of a beach
bay
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the breakdown of rocks by organic activity
biological weathering
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a chamber in the rock formed when joints and faults are
eroded by hydraulic action and abrasion
cave
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the breakdown of rocks by chemical activity
chemical weathering
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the shape and characteristics of a cliff, often viewed as a
cross-section
cliff profile
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the final community of species that will be adjusted to the
climatic conditions of an area. I've never heard of this before ngl
climatic climax community
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the shape and form of coastal landscapes and their features
coastal morphology
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an area next to the sea which has low, flat relief
coastal plain
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another term for coastal erosion
coastal recession
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where bands of more-resistant and less-resistant rock run
parallel to the coast
concordant coast
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a low, surging wave with a strong swash that surges up a
beach usually forming a berm
constructive wave
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when material (such as sand and pebbles) that has been
picked up by the waves gets hurled at the cliff foot as the
waves break, thus chipping away at the rock
corrasion
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when weak acids in seawater dissolve either alkaline rock or
an alkaline cement which bonds the rock particles together
corrosion
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a process by which the financial, social and environmental costs are
weighed up against the benefits of a proposal in terms of social
outcomes as well as in terms of profit and loss
cost benefit analysis
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a triangular-shaped headland that extends out from the main
coastline, where a coast is exposed to longshore drift from
opposite directions
cuspate foreland
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a type of concordant coastline formed as a result of a rise in
sea level when valleys flooded leaving the tops of the ridges
above the surface of the sea as offshore islands
dalmatian coasts
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a high, plunging wave that crashes onto a beach and has a
powerful backwash causing sediment to be pulled back
towards the sea
destructive wave
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the angle at which rock strata lie
dip
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an area where the geology alternates between bands of
more-resistant and less-resistant rock, which run at right
angles to the coast
discordant coasts
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when two spits extend from opposites sides of an estuary
double spit
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where sediment is transferred along the coast by longshore
drift producing a pattern of sediment size and roundness
which varies between one location on a beach and another
drift aligned
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when a fall in sea level exposes land previously covered by
the sea
emergent coastline
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a quantitative means of estimating the environmental
changes arising from a proposal
environmental impact assessment
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the tidal mouth of a river
estuary
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when the sea level itself rises or falls, partly as a result of the
growth and decay of ice sheets
eustatic change
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fractures in the rock formed when the stress or pressure to
which a rock is subjected exceeds its internal strength
faults
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created when a rise in sea level floods a deep glacial trough
fjords
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bends in the rock strata formed by pressure during tectonic
activity, which makes rocks buckle and crumple
folds
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a concordant coastline which consists of long spits of sands
and lagoons
haff coast
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an area of more-resistant rock which often contains steep
cliffs, arches and stacks
headland
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coastlines with powerful waves where rates of erosion
exceed rates of deposition
high energy coastline
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when air becomes compressed and expands as a wave
advances and retreats, causing joints and cracks in the cliff
to weaken and pieces of rock to break off
hydraulic action
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rocks that have been created by the cooling of magma
igneous rocks
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a strategy designed to manage complete sections of the
coast, rather than individual towns or villages, by bringing
together all of those involved in the development,
management and use of the coast (ICZM)
integrated coastal zone management
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when the land rises or falls, relative to the sea, often in
response to the melting or accumulation of glacial ice
isostatic change
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vertical cracks in the rock caused either by contraction as
sediments dry out, or by earth movements during uplift
joints
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the physical characteristics of particular rocks
lithology
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the boundary between land and sea which stretches out into
the sea and onto the shore
littoral zone
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the movement of sand and shingle along the coast
longshore drift
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coastlines with waves of relatively low power where rates of
deposition exceed rates of erosion
low energy environments
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rocks that have been changed as a result of exposure to high
levels of heat and/or pressure
metamorphic rocks
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the regulation and reduction of a natural process in order to
try to achieve dynamic equilibrium, a system being dampened
negative feedback
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submerged (or partly exposed) ridges of sand or coarse
sediment created by waves offshore from the coast
offshore bar
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the first colonising plants which begin the process of plant
succession
pioneer species
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enhances and speeds up processes, promoting rapid change, the system being amplified
positive feedback
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the result of isostatic recovery which raises wave-cut
platforms and their beaches above the present sea level
raised beaches
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the end of a spit that has curved round, as wave refraction
carries material round into the more sheltered water behind
the spit
recurved spit
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a sheltered winding inlet with irregular shoreline
ria
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the amount of sediment available within a sediment cell
sediment budget
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a length of coastline and its associated nearshore area within
which the movement of coarse sediment (sand and shingle)
is largely self contained. There are 11 of these around
England and Wales some of which can be divided into subcells
sediment cell
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rocks that have been formed by sediments being deposited
and then compacted
sedimentary rocks
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a plan that takes into consideration the risks of coastal
processes and attempts to identify sustainable coastal
defence and management options, SMP
shoreline management plan
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when clay slides downslope under gravity as a result of rains
entering the cracked clay causing it to become lubricated and
much heavier, has a rotational movement
slumping
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an isolated pillar of rock formed when the top of an arch
collapses, eg old harry rocks
stack
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a low isolated pillar of rock formed when a stack collapses. It
may only appear above the surface at low tide
stump
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the processes of weathering and mass movement
sub aerial processes
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when a rise in sea level floods a previously exposed coast
submergent coastline
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where sediment moves up and down the beach with little
lateral transfer
swash aligned
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waves originating from the mid-ocean which appear as larger
waves amongst smaller, locally-generated waves
swell waves
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a slope of small rocks caused by freeze thaw weathering
scree slope
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when higher rates of erosion occur immediately after a set of
coastal defences have finished
terminal groyne syndrome
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ridge of beach material that has formed between an island
and the mainland
tombolo
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a notch in the rock created by erosion as waves break
against the foot of a cliff. The notch will get bigger causing
the cliff to be undercut
wave cut notch
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

the gradual wearing down of rock particles by impact and
abrasion leading to a reduced particle size and rounder,
smoother stones

Back

attrition

Card 3

Front

where a beach or spit extends across a bay to join two
headlands

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

an area of weaker rock that has been eroded between
headlands of more-resistant rock. When waves enter a bay,
their energy is dissipated leading to deposition and the
formation of a beach

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

the breakdown of rocks by organic activity

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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