Coastal environments

• What is a wave?

  movement of energy through a body of water
• Why do most waves form?

  when winds blowing across the waters surface transmit their energy to the water (friction and pressure) - causing some parts of the wave to move up and others down causing a spinning motion which can get bigger with more wind - creating a larger wave
• Why do tsunamis form?

  displacement of water caused by e.g volcanic eruptions under water or earthquakes (geographical disturbances)
• What is the wave peak/crest?

  the highest point in a wave
• What is the waves trough?

  lowest point of the wave
• What is the wave height?

  the vertical distance between peak and trough
• What is wave period?

  the amount of time between each wave at a given point
• Wave frequency?

  • number of waves passing a point each second
• Wave steepness?

  ratio of wave height to wavelength
• Wave energy?

  how much energy a wave has
• Wavelength?

  distance from peak to peak
• 4 factors that wave size depends on?

  • the wind speed
  • the fetch
  • how long wind has been blowing for
  • The bathymetry
• What is fetch?

  distance of open sea the wave has traveled
• What is bathymetry?

  The shape of the sea Bed
• Outline processes of mass movement at the coastline

  Mass movement - Mass movement is the gradual or sudden movement of sediment downhill under the force of gravity

  This movement can occur due to processes such as weathering causing the gradual breakdown of rock through e.g roots growing in cracks, this can cause slumping or sliding.
• 
  

  Mud and silt are deposited along a sheltered part of the coastline.

  1. Rates of deposition are greater than transportation due to the lack of energy in the waves.
  2. The build-up of fine sediment becomes a mudflat.
  3. Over time, the mudflat grows in size and elevation.
  4. Flooding of the area becomes less intense, allowing plants to colonize it.