Which type of wave has a strong swash and a weak backwash?
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Constructive waves

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Which type of wave has a strong swash and a weak backwash?
Identify the type of waves shown below.

Destructive Waves

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Destructive waves

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Identify the type of waves shown below.
What is the fetch of a wave?
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The distance a wave has travelled.

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What is the fetch of a wave?
What is a wave?
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A wave is a disturbance on the surface of the sea or ocean, in the form of a moving ridge or swell.

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What is a wave?
What word describes the movement of a wave down a beach?
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Backwash

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What word describes the movement of a wave down a beach?

Give an outline of what abrasion involves.
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Abrasion occurs as breaking waves, concentrated between the high and low watermarks, which contain sand and larger fragments wear away the base of a cliff or headland. It is commonly known as the sandpaper effect. This process is particularly common in high-energy storm conditions.

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Give an outline of what abrasion involves.
What is coastal erosion?
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Coastal erosion is the wearing away of the land by the sea.

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What is coastal erosion?
What is attrition?
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Attrition is when waves cause rocks and pebbles to bump into each other and break up.

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What is attrition?
Identify the main processes of coastal erosion.
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Corrasion, abrasion, hydraulic action, attrition and corrosion/solution.

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Identify the main processes of coastal erosion.
Give an outline of what corrasion involves.
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Corrasion is when destructive waves pick up beach material (e.g. pebbles) and hurl them at the base of a cliff. Over time this can loosen cliff material forming a wave-cut notch.

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Give an outline of what corrasion involves.
Describe carbonation weathering.
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When rainwater hits rock it decomposes it or eats it away. This is known as carbonation. This occurs when slightly acidic (carbonic) rain or seawater comes into contact with sedimentary rock, such as limestone or chalk, it causes it to dissolve. A chemical reaction occurs between the acidic water and the calcium carbonate and forms calcium bicarbonate. This is soluble and is carried away in solution. Carbonation weathering occurs in warm, wet conditions.

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Describe carbonation weathering.
What is mechanical weathering?
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Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock without changing its chemical structure (composition).

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What is mechanical weathering?
Describe the processes of freeze-thaw weathering.
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Freeze-thaw weathering occurs when rocks are porous (contain holes) or permeable (allow water to pass through). Water enters the rock and freezes. The ice expands by around 9%. This causes pressure on the rock until it cracks. Repeated freeze-thaw can cause the rock to break up.

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Describe the processes of freeze-thaw weathering.
What is salt weathering?
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Salt weathering is when salt spray from the sea gets into a crack in a rock. It may evaporate and crystallise, putting pressure on the surrounding rock and weakening the structure.

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What is salt weathering?
What is weathering?
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Weathering is the breakdown of rock in situ by the action of rainwater, extremes of temperature, and biological activity.

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What is weathering?
What is coastal deposition?
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Coastal transportation involves material being transported by the sea being deposited or dropped.

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What is coastal deposition?
Give three conditions that lead to coastal deposition happening.
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Any three from:

  • Waves enter an area of shallow water/waves enter a sheltered area, eg a cove or bay
  • There is little wind
  • A river or estuary flows into the sea reducing wave energy
  • There is a good supply of material and the amount of material being transported is greater than the wave energy can transport.

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Give three conditions that lead to coastal deposition happening.
What is the zig-zag movement of material along the shore by wave action called?
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Longshore drift

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What is the zig-zag movement of material along the shore by wave action called?
Describe how longshore drift transports material.
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Longshore drift happens when waves approach the beach at an angle. The swash (waves moving up the beach) carries material up and along the beach. The backwash (waves moving back down the beach) carries material back down the beach at right angles. This is the result of gravity. This process slowly moves material along the beach and provides a link between erosion and deposition. The material is transported through suspension, traction, solution and saltation. Longshore drift provides a link between erosion, transportation and deposition.

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Describe how longshore drift transports material.
What is solution?
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Material is dissolved and carried by the water.

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What is solution?