Key terms

• Constructive wave


  A wave which constructs beaches
• Destructive wave 


  A wave that destroys beaches
• Erosion


  Wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a wave
• Weathering


  The wearing away of a rock in its original place
• Solution


  The dissolving of rocks into the water which are then carried along
• Abrasion


  When rocks are thrown against the cliff, causing them to become smaller
• Attrition


  Sediment hitting together causing it to become smaller and more rounded
• Hydraulic action


  The power of the waves as smashing against the cliff causing air to get trapped into rocks. The pressure builds and it released causing the rocks to split apart
• Suspension


  Small sediment is carried along in the water
• Traction


  Large sediment is rolled along the seabed
• Saltation


  Medium sized sediment bouncing along the seabed
• Mass Movement


  The downward movement of rock under the influence of gravity eg. rockfall and landslides
• Slumping


  when a mass of sediment moves down a slope progressively
• mudslide


  Mudslides occur when saturated soil and weak rock flows down a slope. These typically occur where cliffs are made up of boulder clay
• Rockfall


  A rockfall involves fragments of rock breaking away from the cliff face
• Longshore Drift


  The movement of sediment along a coastline
• Spit


  An extended stretch of sediment that projects out to sea, with a hooked end
• Bar


  A stretch of sediment that connects two headlands together
• Tombolo


  A stretch of sediment that attached the mainland to an island
• Sand dunes


  Masses of wind-blown sand found towards the back of a beach
• Soft engineering


  Natural methods to protect coastlines (eg. managed retreat)
• Hard engineering


  Manmade methods to protect coastlines (eg, sea walls)
• Wave cut notch


  A dent in the cliff formed by erosional processes
• Wave cut platform


  A flat area of sediment found at the base of a cliff