Coastal Processes

Cards (31)

  • Mechanical weathering

    natural weather events cause rocks to break down
  • Freeze Thaw (Mechanical Weathering)

    water in cracks freezes, causing rock to expand and exerts pressure
  • Pressure Release (Mechanical Weathering)

    top rocks are eroded causing bottom rocks to expand and fracture
  • Thermal Expansion (Mechanical Weathering)

    heat causes rock to expand and contracts when cooled. Frequent changes causes cracks
  • Salt Crystalisation (Mechanical Weathering)

    Salt solution seeps into rock which forms crystals causing rock to disintergrate
  • Chemical weathering

    rock breaks down due to chemical reactions
  • what are 3 examples of chemical weathering?

    oxydisation
    solution
    carbonation
  • Biological weathering

    rock erodes due to plants and animals
  • How do tree root break down rock? (Biological Weathering)

    tree roots grow into cracks in the rock and exerts pressure
  • How do organic acids break down rock? (Biological Weathering)

    Plant and animal litter cause soil to become acidic which reacts with the minerals in the rock
  • Mass Movement
    forces act on materials on a slope causing them to fall
  • Rock Fall (Mass Movement)

    weathering causes cliff rocks to detatch amd fall to the foot of the cliff
  • Rock Slides (Mass Movement)

    undercutting by waves remove support
  • Erosion (Marine Processes)

    breaking waves are able to erode at a coastline
  • Abrasion (Marine Erosion)

    waves throw rocks at cliffs
  • Attrition (Marine Erosion)

    rocks collide when being transported
  • Hydraulic action (Marine Erosion)

    air trapped in rocks and expands
  • Pounding (Marine Erosion)

    breaking waves exert pressure on rocks
  • Solution (Marine Erosion)

    water disolves minerials in the rocks
  • Transport (Marine Processes)

    waves move sediment
  • Solution (Marine Transport)

    sediment disolves
  • Suspention (Marine Transport)

    small sediment carried by current
  • Saltation (Marine Transport)

    heavy sediment gets carried and then dropped... repeats
  • Traction (Marine Transport)

    large sediment rolls along the seafloor
  • Marine deposition when?

    ... loss of energy
    ... no moving water at the top of the swash
    ... low energy environments
  • Erosion (Fluvial Processes)

    similar to waves but includes weathering and mass movement
  • Transport (Fluvial Processes)

    Same as waves
  • Deposition (Fluvial Processes)

    as river enters the sea it loses volacity and energy. Also, when clay particles meet sea water flocculation occurs, causing it to sink.
  • Erosion (Aeolian Processes)

    sand gets picked up by wind and moved away. Dry sand is easier to erode than wet.
  • Transport (Aeolian Processes)

    wind carries sand by saltation or traction
  • Deposition (Aeolian Processes)

    when wind speed falls due to surface friction and deposits sediment. This occurs inland due to vegetation.