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geography

Term	Definition
abrasion	wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves
arch	wave-eroded passage through a small headland. This begins as a cave formed in the headland, which is gradually widened and deepened until it cuts through
attrition	erosion caused when rocks and boulders transported by waves bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces.
backwash	the return of water to the sea after waves break on a beach
bar	where a spit grows across a bay. A bar can eventually enclose the bay to create a lagoon
beach	the temporary deposition of sand and shingle along the coastline. Without its beach a coast is vulnerable to erosion
beach replenishment	the addition of new material to a beach naturally, through the action of longshore drift or artificially, through the dumping of large amounts of material
Biological Weathering	the breakdown of rock through the action of plants and animals.
Breakwaters	offshore coastal defence structures built of stone parallel to the coastline; they help absorb the energy of breaking waves. Deposition occurs in the calmer water created behind the breakwater.
Cave	found in coasts formed of resistant rock. Corrasion, Corrosion and Hydraulic action widen any weakness within the rock e.g. joint, bedding plane or fault, to form a cave.
Cliffs	hard, resistant rocks form steep cliffs; soft rocks such as clay create low, gentle cliffs.
Cliff Collapse	steep cliffs made of hard, resistant rock, fall down when there is a loss of supporting rock underneath caused by wave attack.
Constructive Waves	found on low-angled beaches and mainly responsible for coastal deposition. They are gently breaking, with a much stronger swash than backwash.
Corrasion	wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves. See Abrasion.
Destructive Waves	found on steep beaches, are steeply breaking and mainly responsible for coastal erosion. Their backwash is much stronger than their swash.
Erosion	the wearing away of the land by rivers, ice sheets, waves and wind.
Estuary	the tidal mouth of a river where it meets the sea; wide banks of deposited mud are exposed at low-tide.
Fetch	the maximum distance of water over which winds can blow. In the case of south-west England the maximum fetch is from the south-west (5000 miles). This also coincides with the direction of the prevailing wind and leads to large storm waves attacking Barton
Freeze-Thaw Weathering	also called frost-shattering as it occurs in cold climates when temperatures are often around freezing point and where exposed rocks contain many cracks. Water enters the cracks during the warmer day and freezes during the colder night. As the water turns
Gabions	steel wire mesh filled with boulders used in coastal defences.
Groyne	a wooden barrier built out into the sea to stop the longshore drift of sand and shingle, and so cause the beach to grow. It is used to build beaches to protect against cliff erosion and provide an important tourist amenity. However, by trapping sediment i
Headlands	areas of land protruding out to sea formed of resistant (harder) rock. They help protect the bay which forms between them from wave attack..
Hydraulic Action	the process by which breaking waves compress pockets of air in cracks in a cliff. The pressure may cause the crack to widen, breaking off rock.
Lagoon	a former bay cut off from the sea by a bar.
Longshore Drift	waves approaching the coast at an angle result in the gradual zig-zag movement of beach materials along the coast.
Managed Retreat	allowing cliff erosion to occur as nature taking its course
Wave Cut Notch	an undercut part of the cliff base where wave attack concentrates erosion.
Prevailing Wind	the direction from which the wind usually blows.
Revetments	wooden, steel, or concrete fence-like structures that allow sea water and sediment to pass through, but the structures absorb wave energy. A beach can build up behind the revetment and provide further protection for the cliff. These are used as part of co
Rip-Rap	large boulders dumped on the beach as part as part of coastal defences.
Sea Level Changes	changes in the level of the sea against the land are caused by either the building up of melting of polar ice caps, or by rising and falling land levels.
Sea Defences	measures taken to defend the coast from erosion, cliff collapse and flooding.
Sea Walls	aim to prevent erosion of the coast by providing a barrier which reflects wave energy.
Sediment	material originating from rock weathering and erosion. Shingle and sand are examples found along the coast.
Sediment Cell	Sediment moved along the coast by longshore drift appears to form part of a circular cell which leads to it eventually returning updrift. Dredging of offshore shingle banks can therefore contribute to beach depletion.
Spit	a long, narrow accumulation of sand and shingle formed by longshore drift and deposited where the coastline abruptly changes direction. One end of the spit is connected to the land and the other end projects out to the sea, often with a curved (hooked) en
Stack	rock left standing out at sea after wave erosion has separated it from the mainland. This is the next stage from an arch. Waves will continue to erode the foot of the arch until its roof becomes too heavy to be supported. When the roof collapses, it will
Storm Surge	a rapid rise in sea level caused by storms forcing water into a narrowing sea area. Low air pressure at the centre of the storm also causes sea levels to rise.
Stump	formed by continuing wave action attacking a stack until it collapses.
Swash	forward movement of a wave up a beach.
Tombolo	a spit joining an island to the mainland.
Tourist Developments	beaches such as West Wittering wish to build their beaches to attract tourists who are an important source of income to the area.
Vegetation	a ground cover of bushes and grass on a cliff face helps prevent cliff erosion; their roots hold and trap (stabilise) soil and prevent it being lost by mass movement.
Waves	caused by the transfer of energy from the wind blowing over the surface of the sea. The largest waves are formed when winds are very strong, blow for lengthy periods and cross large expanses of water.
Wave Attack Zone	the area between low and high tide where wave erosion is most effective.
Wave Cut Platform	a gently sloping, rocky platform found at the foot of an eroding cliff and exposed at low tide.
Wave Erosion	the power of the wave is generated by the fetch. Waves erode cliffs by abrasion/corrasion and hydraulic pressure.
Weathering	the break-down of rock by physical or chemical processes.

Created by: matttrusoe89

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