3.5

• What is longshore drift?

  Longshore drift is the movement of sand and sediment along the coastline, caused by waves approaching at an angle, transporting sediment along the shore.
• What is traction in marine transport?

  Traction is the process where larger sediment particles are rolled or dragged along the seabed by the force of water or wind.
• What is saltation in marine transport?

  Saltation is the movement of medium-sized sediment particles that are lifted, carried for short distances, and then dropped back onto the seabed in a hopping or bouncing motion.
• What is suspension in marine transport?

  Suspension is the transport of fine sediment particles that are lifted and carried by the water, remaining suspended in the fluid for extended periods.
• What is solution in marine transport?

  Solution is the process where soluble minerals in sediment dissolve in water and are transported in a dissolved form.
• What causes tides?

  Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun. The UK coastline experiences two high tides and two low tides a day.
• What is the tidal range?

  The tidal range is the difference in height between high and low tides. A high tidal range creates powerful tidal currents that are important in transporting sediment.
• How do waves affect sediment transport?

  Waves approach the shore at an angle, causing sediment to move along the coastline in a process called longshore drift. When the coastline changes direction, sediment is deposited, forming features like spits.
• How is a spit formed?

  A spit forms when sediment carried by longshore drift builds up at a change in the coastline direction, extending into the water. If wave action is variable, the spit may curve to form a hook.
• What factors affect the growth of a spit?

  A spit continues to grow as long as sediment supply is available and wave conditions support its extension, gradually extending into the water.
• Where are beaches commonly found?

  Beaches are commonly found in bays, where wave refraction creates a low-energy environment conducive to deposition.
• What types of material can be found on beaches?

  Beaches can be made of sand or shingle, depending on the nature of the sediment and wave power. Beaches can be swash-aligned or drift-aligned.
• What are offshore bars?

  Offshore bars (or sandbars) are submerged or partly exposed ridges of sand or coarse sediment formed when destructive waves erode sand from the beach and deposit it offshore.
• What is a barrier beach or bar?

  A barrier beach or bar forms when a beach or spit extends across a bay, joining two headlands and potentially trapping water behind it to form a lagoon.
• What is a tombolo?

  A tombolo is a beach or ridge of sand and shingle that forms between a small island and the mainland. It may be covered at high tide.
• What is a cuspate foreland?

  A cuspate foreland is a triangular-shaped headland extending from the coastline, formed when longshore drift operates from opposite directions. Sediment is deposited at the point where the two currents meet, forming a triangular shape.
• How do vegetation stabilize depositional landforms?

  Vegetation stabilizes dunes and salt marshes through plant succession. Plants, like halophytes (e.g., eelgrass and cordgrass), slow tidal flow, trap sediment, and help stabilize the landforms.
• What are dunes and how do they form?

  Dunes form where sand is trapped by debris towards the back of a beach. Vegetation helps stabilize them by binding the sand together.
• What are salt marshes?

  Salt marshes are areas of silty sediments that accumulate around estuaries or lagoons. Vegetation, such as halophytes, colonizes these areas and helps stabilize the sediment.
• What is a sediment cell?

  A sediment cell is a section of coastline where sediment moves through processes of erosion, transport, and deposition. The coastline of England and Wales is divided into 11 major sediment cells.
• What is a sediment budget?

  A sediment budget is the amount of sediment available within a sediment cell. It balances sediment sources, transfers, and sinks, and influences depositional features along the coastline.