geography paper 2

Cards (99)

  • longshore drift
    The movement of water and sediment down a beach caused by waves coming into shore at an angle. the uk moves material from west to east
  • how are beaches formed

    when material is transported by longshore drift and deposited by constructive waves.
  • where are sandy beaches found
    sheltered bays, they have shallow gradients
  • where are pebble beaches formed

    areas where cliffs have been eroded by high energy waves, they have a steep gradient
  • spit
    narrow ridge of shingle stretching out into coastline, forms due to longshore drift at a change of coastline. shingle gets deposited
  • bar
    ridge of shingle that extends across a bay/rive mouth. behind it, fresh/saltwater forms a lagoon.
  • settlement affecting the coastline
    20million people live near the coast. 29 villages lost due to coastal erosion
  • tourism affecting the coastline
    13% jobs at Dawlish are tourism. coasts often managed for tourists (with groynes etc)
  • infrastructure affecting the coastline
    roads/railways/shipping ports/oil refineries.
    esso sees 2000 ships dock every year
  • construction affecting the coastline
    dredging the sea to construct ports can have adverse affects on wildlife. they can also adjust the sediment cells
  • agriculture affecting the coastline
    farmland will be impacted due to sea level rise because of increased coastal erosion because it's low economic value and low priority in management
  • bournemouth beach

    tourism, settlement and infrastructure
  • southampton port
    settlement, infrastructure, construction
  • holderness coastline
    agriculture, settlement
  • how was dawlish affected by coastal erosion
    south devon
    roads, railways, homes damaged due to storms in 2014
  • rising sea level uk
    english channel expected to rise 15cm by 2030, caused by thermal expansion and melting ice sheets/glaciers
  • what is a storm/storm surge
    large increase in sea level due to a storm. strong winds drive up the waves, whilst low pressure allows the sea level to rise up 3m above normal.
  • winter UK 2014 storms
    UK hit by a series of low pressure systems, bringing heavy rainfall and extremely strong winds. some areas of the south west had their wettest january since records began
  • hold the line
    maintain the existing coastline with defences
  • managed realignment
    allow the shoreline to change naturally, but manage the process and the impacts
  • advance the line
    build new defences on the seaward side
  • sea wall
    -protects base of cliff. made of resistant concrete that deflects energy
    -expensive and ugly, restricts access
  • groynes
    -maintain a wide beach and attract tourists
    -high maintenance cost, could impact other areas of coastline in sediment starvation
  • beach replenishment
    -looks natural, attracts tourists, cheap
    -material easily eroded and needs constant replenishment
  • slope stabilisation
    -prevents mass movement, safer for people using the beach
    -difficult to install, very expensive
  • waves
    caused by friction that is generated when wind blows across the surface of the sea
  • destructive waves
    strong winds, powerful waves, cause coastal erosion. tall, steep. backwash stronger than swash, so material is carried out to sea
  • constructive waves

    light winds, cause deposition not erosion. stronger swash, so material is deposited on the beach
  • attrition
    small rocks collide with eachother. break up, becoming smaller and rounder, until the rock becomes sand
  • abrasion
    rocks thrown against the coastline. wears the coastline away over time
  • hydraulic action
    large waves break against the cliff. water forced into the faults/cracks causing immense pressure. when it is released, it produces a force that makes the crack wider.
  • solution
    chemicals in the sea react with the rock so it dissolves. occurs mainly with limestone.
  • discordant coastline
    bands of different rock strengths run 90degrees to coastline. in dorset, clay, chalk and limestone form a discordant coastline
  • concordant coastline

    bands of rock run parallel to the coastline
  • headland
    rocks of higher resistance erode slower. as a result, high resistance rocks protrude out producing headlands
  • bays
    formed in the same way as headland. constructive waves often bring sediment to form a beach.
  • cliffs
    made through the process of hydraulic action and abrasion. destructive waves create a wave cut notch. as the notch gets eroded, the cliffs above become unstable, collapse, and are removed by waves
  • wave cut platform
    below a wave cut notch, an area of exposed rock is left, which is not smooth. it continues to get eroded
  • cave
    destructive waves break against the cliff face. hydraulic action widens the crack, eventually widening enough to form a cave
  • arch
    waves erode the cave via abrasion and hydraulic action, which cause them to break through the middle of it forming an arch