Physical geography

• What happens when water is absorbed into rock during freezing?

  It causes the rock to crack and break away
• Why does freezing water in rocks lead to erosion?

  It creates pressure that cracks the rock
• In which areas is freeze-thaw weathering most likely to occur?

  In regions below 0°C, like the UK in winter
• What type of waves are described as destructive?

  High waves with strong backwash
• What is the frequency of destructive waves?

  10-14 waves per minute
• How do destructive waves affect beach sediment?

  They wash sediment away from the beach
• What are the processes involved in wave action on beaches?

  • Strong swash moves water up the beach
  • Backwash pulls sediment back into the sea
  • Creates steep beach profiles
  • Erosion and deposition occur
• What is a wave-cut platform?

  A flat area formed by wave erosion
• What causes the formation of a wave-cut notch?

  Hydraulic action and abrasion at the cliff base
• What happens to a cliff after a wave-cut notch is formed?

  The cliff becomes unstable and collapses
• What are the characteristics of discordant coastlines?

  • Alternate bands of hard and soft rock
  • Waves cause hydraulic action and abrasion
  • Softer rock erodes faster, forming bays
  • Harder rock forms headlands
• What is the result of deposition in sheltered bays?

  Formation of beaches
• What processes contribute to cliff retreat?

  Hydraulic action, abrasion, corrasion, and attrition
• How do headlands and bays form along coastlines?

  Through differential erosion of hard and soft rock
• What is the process of erosion that forms caves?

  Abrasion and hydraulic action
• How do caves form in headlands?

  By erosion creating back-to-back caves
• What happens to an arch over time?

  It is enlarged by erosion and weathering
• What is formed when the roof of an arch collapses?

  A stack of rock
• What occurs after a stack is undercut?

  It collapses to leave a stump
• What is a discordant coastline?

  Coastline with bays and headlands
• What is a concordant coastline?

  Smooth coastline with different erosion rates
• What are the four types of river transportation?

  Suspension, saltation, traction, solution
• What is suspension in river transportation?

  Small particles carried in water
• What is saltation in river transportation?

  Load bounced along the sea bed
• What is traction in river transportation?

  Large sediments dragged along the sea bed
• What is solution in river transportation?

  Materials dissolved in seawater
• What is longshore drift?

  Movement of material along the beach
• What conditions lead to deposition forming landforms?

  Little wind and shallow water
• What are storm beaches?

  Beaches above high tide limit
• What is a spit?

  A narrow finger of sand into the sea
• How do spits form?

  From longshore drift and sediment deposition
• What is a recurved end of a spit?


  When the end of the spit bends towards the coastline
• What forms behind a spit?

  Deposits of mud forming salt marshes
• What is the role of vegetation in dune formation?

  Stabilizes sand and adds organic matter
• What are the stages of dune formation?

  Transport, stabilization, and development
• What is an embryo dune?

  Initial stage of dune formation
• What is a fore dune?

  A developed dune in front of embryo dunes
• What is a yellow dune?

  A mature dune with stabilized vegetation
• How does vegetation contribute to dune stability?

  By binding sand together with roots
• What happens when sand hits an obstacle during saltation?

  Deposition stops and builds up