landscape
the visible features (landforms) of an area on the Earth's surface
system
a group of objects and the relationship between them
millenia
a timescale of thousands of years
kinetic energy
the capacity to do work as a result of motion
potential energy
the capacity to do work that a body posesses by virtue of its position and that is potentially transferrable into another form of energy
thermal energy
the capacity to do work as a result of heat
geomorphic processes
processes resulting in the formation and shaping of lanforms and landscapes
nearshore zone
the area of coastal environment between mean high tide and mean low tide.
open systems
a type of system whose boundaries are open to both inputs and outputs of energy and matter
input
the addition of energy or materials to a system
output
the transfer of energy and/or materials out of a system
deposition
the laying down of sediment transported by rivers, waves, glaciers and wind, as energy levels decline
weathering
the in situ breakdown of rocks at, or near, the land surface by physical, chemical and biological processes.
mass movement
the downslope transportation of material under gravity.
erosion
the wearing away and/or removal of rock and other material by a moving force.
evaporation
the process by which liquid water is converted into a gaseous state
stores
the parts of a system in which material and/or energy accumulates.
longshore drift
the movement of sediment by waves and currents along a coastline.
equilibrium
a long-term balance between inputs and outputs in a system.
dynamic equilibrium
a system displaying unrepeated average states through time.
negative feedback
an automatic response to change in a system that restores equilibrium.
sediment cell
a stretch of coastline and its associated nearshore area within which the movement of coarse sediment, sand and shingle is largely self-contained.
closed system
a system with inputs and outputs of energy, but wiothout any movement of materials across system boundaries.
fetch
the distance of open water in one direction from a coastline, over which the wind can blow.
aeolian processes
erosional, transportational and depositional processes by the wind
wave period
the time period between successive wave crests arriving at a given point
swell waves
a relatively smooth ocean wave that travels some distance from the area of its generation.
storm waves
a wave generated locally by high wind energy
crest
the highest point of a wave
trough
the lowest point of a wave
wave height
the vertical distance between trough and crest
wavelength
horizontal distance between the crests or between the troughs of two adjacent waves
spilling waves
Waves fomed over a long gently sloping sea bed.
plunging waves
Waves formed over a moderately sloping sea bed.
surging waves
waves formed over a steeply sloping sea bed.
swash
the movement of water up a beach after a wave has broken
backwash
flow of water down a beach after a wave has broken
constructive waves
waves in which the swash is more powerful than the backwash
destructive waves
waves in which the backwash is more powerful than the swash
inshore
Area between the LWM (low water mark) and the point where waves cease to have an influence on the land
foreshore
the area exposed when the tide is out (low tide) and submerged when the tide is in (high tide).
backshore
the areas of the shore which is submerged only during the highest tides and severest storms
breaker zone
near shore area where waves first begin to break
surf zone
the region between the breaking waves and the beach
swash zone
the part of the beach dominated by swash and backwash
foredune
the closest dune to the ocean or the first dune in a sand dune system
tide
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
tidal range
the vertical difference in height between consecutive high and low waters over a tidal cycle
geology
the study of the earth, specifically rocks and the planet's crust
lithology
the chemical and physical characteristics of rock types
structure
the physical characteristics of rocks, including their jointing, bedding, faulting, angle of dip etc.
discordant
a coastline with bands of different geologies lying perpendicular to the coastline
concordant
a coastline with bands of different geologies lying parallel to the coastline
planform
the shape of a landscape as viewed from above
rip currents
strong and relatively narrow currents of water that flow seaward against breaking waves
cusps
a pointed and regular arc pattern of sediment on a beach
ocean currents
the large scale horizontal flow of ocean water (at the surface and at depth) driven by planetary winds and contrasts in water temperature and salinity.
sub-aerial processes
a collective term for weathering and mass movement processes
sediment budget
the balance of sediment volume entering and exiting a particular section of the coast
mechanical weathering
disintegration of rocks by physical forces, like pressure release, ice wedging, freezing and thawing, exfoliation
freeze-thaw
a mechanical weathering process caused by water, confined in rock joints, expanding as it freezes, and as a result breaking rocks into smaller particles
pressure release
the disintegration of rocks caused by a release of pressure by the removal of overlying mass.
thermal expansion
increase in volume of water due to its rise in temperature
salt crystallisation
a mechanical weathering process whereby formation of salt crystals leads to disintegration of rocks
chemical weathering
decomposition of rocks by chemical processes leading to the creation of new chemical componds.
oxidation
a chemical process that weathers certain types of rock and involves the absorption of oxygen from either the atmosphere or water by rock minerals
carbonation
a chemical weathering process whereby carbon
solution
the chemical weathering process by which rock minerals are dissolved
hydrolysis
A chemical reaction that leads to decomposition of rocks by the addition of water.
hydration
the breakdown of rocks by cycles of wetting (expansion) and drying (contraction)
biological weathering
the breakdown of rocks through the chemical and physical action of living organisms e.g. burrowing, tree roots etc.
root action
the biological weathering process by which rock is broken apart as roots grow and expand
burrowing
the biological weathering process caused by animals digging.
chelation
a type of chemical weathering caused by acids derived from rainwater and organic material
regolith
a loose layer of rocky material overlying bedrock
rockfall
a mass movement process affecting steep slopes over 70 degrees in angle
slide
a mass movement process where cohesive material moves downslope along a straight slip plane.
slump
a mass movement process where material moves downslope along a curved slip plane
abrasion
an erosion process whereby material being transported rubs against surfaces leading to smoothed surfaces
attrition
the erosion of sediment transported by rivers, glaciers, waves and winds leading to smaller rounder particles
hydraulic action
the erosion process by which water forces air into cracks in the rock leading to disintegration
pounding
The erosion process where the sheer force of the water crashing into a surface leads to disintegration.
corrosion
The decomposition of rock due to a chemical reaction with water
traction
the transport process by which large material is rolled along the river or sea bed.
saltation
the transport process by which material is hopped or bounced along the bed
suspension
the transport process by which fine material is carried by the energy of the water
solution transport
the transport process by which minerals are dissolved and carried by the water
settling velocity
the speed required for suspended particles of a given size, transported by rivers, the wind, tidal currents, to be deposited.
marine processes
processes operating upon a coastline that are connected with the sea, such as waves, tides and longshore drift.
fluvial processes
processes involving the work of running water on the surface of Earth
flocculation
a process by which salt causes the aggregation (clumping) of minute clay particles into larger masses that are too heavy to remain suspended in water
deflation
erosion caused by wind that blows away small sediment.
surface creep
the slow movement of particles on the surface caused by being struck by particles in transport
erosional landforms
the category of landforms shaped predominantly by erosion processes
cliffs
rugged steep or vertical landforms found on coastlines.
shore platforms
A smooth erosional surface that develop in the surf zone adjacent to coast lines.
strata
layers of rock
bay
an inlet along a coastline, usually between two headlands
headland
a promontory extending out from the coastline
wave refraction
the process by which waves slow down and wave crests bend towards due to the uneven shallowing of water.