Erosion - A general term for the breaking down of sediment in to smaller pieces. , Abrasion - The process of a breaking wave hurling sediment such as pebbles or shingle against a cliff face. This usually "scours" against the cliff, Attrition - Sediment "bumps" in to each other, breaking in to smaller, rounded material , Hydraulic Action - Waves hit against a cliff face so that trapped air is put under great pressure. When the wave retreats, the build up of pressure is released with explosive force. This makes the most impact during storms., Longshore Drift - Swash moves up the beach in the direction of the prevailing wind. The backwash falls down the beach under gravity. Sediment is moved along the coast, Deposition - Material is dropped from the water, because it no longer has enough energy to carry it., Headland - A protruding piece of land in to the sea. Usually a very strong type of rock , Bar - A continuation of a spit to join on to the coast across a bay. Usually where there is a break in coastline with longshore drift operating but without an intervening river current to disrupt continuous deposition., Biological Weathering - This type of weathering occurs when plants or animals break down the rock, Chemical Weathering - The chemistry that makes up coastal rocks can be affected by rain and sea water leading to the gradual disintegration of solid rocks., Freeze-thaw Weathering - Water enters a crack during the day. It might freeze at night, forcing the crack open as it expands. , Solution - This process of erosion occurs when weak carbonic acid in seawater dissolves rock at the coastline and breaks it down, Spit - The deposition of material transported along a coast by longshore drift (littoral movement) at a break in coast orientation and where the dominant current slows and weakens to produce an extended finger of depositional material, Tombolo - Where a spit happens to extend and join to an island, linking it to the mainland by a narrow beach of deposited material., Shoreline Management Plan - A large scale assessment of the risks along a coastline, and plans put in place to manage them and reduce these risks,

Key Terms - Coasts

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