Geography 1300A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: Cirque Glacier, Longshore Drift, Sea Level Rise
29 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The landscapes where continents meet oceans are dynamic and capable of rapid change. Major processes include waves, sediment transport, sea level rise, and storm surges. Some coastline margins are influenced by plate tectonics. Passive margins: distant from plate boundaries, have wide continental shelves, sandy or pebbly beaches, and barrier islands (e. g. east coast of north america, canadian arctic) Active margins: relatively close to the plate boundaries, have rocky shorelines and sea cliffs (e. g. british columbia coast) Coastal topography is influenced by the type of rock as well as the sediment deposited from rivers or glaciers. Wind blowing over an ocean or a lake transfers energy to the water, producing waves. Waves travel through the water and expand their energy at the shoreline. The size of a wave depends on: velocity of the wind, duration of the wind, fetch (the distance wind blows across the water) Wave height: the difference in height between the crest and a trough.
