Unit 1 People and the Physical World: Coasts Key Word Glossary

St Ivo School Geography Department Revision Quiz - Coasts Key Word Glossary

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Constructive wavesThese waves have limited energy and build up beaches (greater swash than backwash)
Destructive wavesThese waves have alot of energy and erode beaches (greater backwash than swash)
The FetchThe distance over which the wind has blown to form a wave
ErosionThe wearing away of the land
Hydraulic ActionThe force of waves compressing air in cracks in cliffs, forcing the cracks open.
SolutionWhen salts and other acids in seawater slowly dissolve rocks
AbrasionWhen large waves hurl beach material against a cliff
SwashWater moving up a beach
AttritionWaves swirling rock fragments about, which collide and break each other down
BackwashWater moving down a beach
Longshore DriftThe movement of material along a coast
BarRidge of sediment reaching across the mouth of a bay
TomboloRidge of sediment joining an island to the mainland
SpitRidge of sediment growing out into the sea (formed by longshore drift)
solid rock platform at the base of a cliffWave-cut platform
StackRock left standing out in the sea having been separated from the mainland by erosion
ArchWave cut passage through a headland
HeadlandArea of hard resistant rock jutting out into the sea
BayAn indent in the coastline where there is soft less resistant rock
BeachA build up of sand, pebbles and the sea where the land meets the sea