Coastal environments - Key Terms

Question	Answer
Arch	A coastal feature formed by the meeting of two caves cut into either side of a headland.
Bar	A ridge-like accumulation of coastal sediments exposed at low tide.
Bay	An accumulation of coastal sediments, most often occurring in sheltered areas along the coast, such as bays.
Biodiversity	The number and variety of living species found in a given area or ecosystem. Headland: an area of land jutting out into the sea.
Cave	A hollow cut by the sea into the base of a cliff.
Cliff	A steep rock slope, usually facing the sea.
Conservation	The protection of aspects of the environment for the future benefit of people.
Deposition	The dropping of material that was being carried by a moving force, such as the waves.
Development	Making use of the coast for a variety of purposes, such as tourism, housing, shipping and industry.
Ecosystem	A community of plants and animals that interact with each other and their physical environment.
Errosion	The wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as the sea
Estuary	The mouth of a river as it enters the sea
Hard engineering	Protecting the coast by building such structures as sea walls and groynes
Longshore drift	The movement of sediments along the coast by wave action
Mass movement	The movement of weathered material down a slope or cliff due to the force of gravity
Raised beach	A former beach now standing above sea level and some metres inland
Soft engineering	Protecting the coast by working with nature
Spit	Material deposited by the sea that grows across a bay or estuary
Stack	A detached column of rock located just off-shore and usually caused by the collapse of an arch
Sub-aerial	Occurring on land, as opposed to underwater or underground.
Wave	A ridge of water formed by the circular movement of water near the surface of the sea
Headland	An area of land jutting out into the sea.

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Coastal environments - Key Terms

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	Created by Noah Swanson over 9 years ago