geog

• fetch


  How far a wave has travelled.
• wave cut notch


  An area of erosion at the base of a cliff formed by the waves
• wave cut platform


  A flat area in front of a cliff, just below the low tide mark. These were formed when the waves eroded the cliff, but left a flat platform behind
• Hydraulic action


  The force of the water breaking rock particles away from the river channel
• abrasion


  When rocks carried by the sea water wear away the landscape
• corrosion/solution


  the breakdown of rocks due to the weak acidity of seawater leading to chemical reactions with rocks, such as limestone
• attrition


  The wearing down of the load as the rocks and pebbles hit the sea bed and each other, breaking into smaller and more rounded pieces.
• storm surge


  A dome of water that sweeps across the coast where a hurricane lands
• headland


  A high area of land that extends out into the sea
• cave


  Recess in a cliff where waves have enlarged a crack in the rock face
• arches


  when a cave forms in a headland and breaks through to the other side
• stacks


  a tall column of rock that forms when to top of the arch collapses
• stumps


  when a stack is attacked by the weather at its base and collapses
• coves


  a sheltered body of water that has a restricted entrance
• bay


  a body of water that is partly surrounded by land
• longshore drift


  the transport of sand and pebbles along the coast
• swash


  The movement of water up the beach after a wave breaks
• backwash


  The backward movement of water down a beach when a wave has broken
• off shore bar

  a long narrow ridge of deposited material which can be found lying away from and parallel to a coast
• spit


  a beach that projects like a finger out into the water
• tombolo


  a ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland
• Hard engineering


  highly visible man-made structures used to stop or disrupt natural processes. These structures are expensive, short-term solutions and often they can have a negative impact on the environment
• soft engineering


  works with nature to protect the coast rather than trying to stop natural processes. It's less expensive to implement and maintain, and creates more long-term, sustainable solutions
• destructive waves


  The backwash is stronger than the swash therefore material is dragged back down the beach
• constructive waves


  The swash is stronger than the backwash therefore the material is moved up the beach
• deposition


  the process in which material is laid down
• erosion


  Water, wind, and other natural forces cause rocks and earth to wear away. These forces also move bits of rock and earth to new places. This movement changes the shape of the land
• sea wall


  (hard engineering) concrete wall along the coast to prevent flooding. ADV: long life span; prevents coastal flooding. D.ADV: expensive; unattractive
• groynes


  (hard engineering) fences built at right angles to the coast to build up the natural defence of the beach. ADV: stops sediments from being washed away; life span of 201-30 years. D.ADV: unattractive; coastlines further down erode faster
• off shore breakwater


  (hard engineering) large concrete blocks placed in sea offshore to cause waves to break sooner. ADV: beaches keep natural appearance. D.ADV: really expensive; difficult to maintain
• managed retreat

  (soft engineering) areas of the coast all allowed to erode naturally and encourage the development of the beach. ADV: beach maintains natural appearance; salt marshes form as a natural defence. D.ADV: people lose homes and farms
• beach nourishment

  (soft engineering) sand added to replace the washed away sand. ADV: beach looks natural; attracts tourists. D.ADV: requires constant maintenance.
• gabions


  (soft engineering) mesh cages filled with rocks to absorb the strength of the wave. ADV: absorbs wave energy; allows beach to be built up. D.ADV: unattractive
• ecosystem

  The living (biotic) organisms in a particular area, together with the non-living (abiotic) components of the environment.
• biomes


  large-scale ecosystems
• nutrients


  Nutrients are the substances in food that biotic species process to enable them to function
• nutrient cycle


  Cyclic movements of nutrients such as calcium, potassium and magnesium within an ecosystem. It occurs between: litter, soil and biomass
• biodiversity


  the variety of animals and plants found on this planet, or in a specific area, including the geographic locations they are found in.
• photosynthesis


  process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches (glucose)
• biomass


  organic material which has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy