The coastal zone

Abrasion - Erosion caused by the rubbing and scouring action of rock fragments carried by waves

Attrition - Erosion caused when rocks and boulders, transported by waves, bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces.

Bar - A barrier of sand that stretching across a sheltered bay.

Backwash - Water from waves returning down a beach.

Beach - A deposit of sand or shingle at the coast, often found at the head of a bay.

Constructive wave - A small, gentle wave that slowly moves material up a beach.

Crest- The top of a wave.

Destructive wave - A large, powerful wave that moves material down a beach.

Erosion - The wearing away of material by waves.

Fetch - The distance of open water over which the wind can blow.

Hydraulic Action - Erosion caused by the sheer force of water breaking off small pieces of rock.

Longshore Drift - The movement of material along a coast by breaking waves.

Prevailing wind - The direction from which the wind usually comes.

Solution - Where water dissolves minerals in a rock.

Spit - An extended beach that grows by deposition across a bay or river mouth.

Stack - An isolated pillar of rock detached from the mainland by wave erosion.

Swash -The movement of material up a beach after a wave breaks.

Traction - Heavy particles rolled along the seabed.

Saltation - A hopping movement of pebbles along the seabed.

Suspension - Lighter particles carried within the water.

Headland - An area of coastline jutting out into the sea.

Wave cut platform- A wide gently sloping rocky surface at the foot of a cliff.

Cave- A hollowed out feature at the base of an eroding cliff.

Arch - A headland that has been partly broken through by the sea to from a thin roofed arch.

Stack- An isolated pinnacle of rock sticking out of the sea.

Salt marsh- Low lying coastal wetland mostly extending between high and low tide.

Shoreline management plan (SMP)- An integrated coastal management plan for a stretch of coastline in England and Wales.

Hard engineering - Building artificial structures such as sea walls aimed at controlling natural processes.

Soft engineering- A sustainable approach to managing the coast without using artificial structures.

Managed retreat- Allowing controlled flooding of low lying coastal areas or cliff collapse in areas where the value of land is low.

Pioneer plant- The first plant species to colonise an area that is well adapted to living in a harsh environment.

Vegetation succession- A sequence of vegetation species colonising an environment.