Aquifer

a body of permeable rock below the Earth’s surface that contains water, known as groundwater

Backwash

the movement of water from a broken wave as it runs down a beach, returning to the ocean

billabong

a U-shaped body of water created when a wide meander is cut off from the main channel of a river after it changes its course. Also known as an oxbow lake.

constructive waves

waves that deposit sand on the beach

convection currents

currents created when a fluid is heated, making it less dense and causing it to rise through surrounding fluid and sink if it is cooled; a steady source of heat can start a continuous current flow

converging plates

a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving towards each other

cuspate spit

a pointed landform made of sand or gravel that forms where waves hit the shore from two directions

deposition

the laying down of material carried by rivers, wind, ice and ocean currents

destructive waves

a large powerful storm waves that has a strong backwash

divergent plate

a tectonic boundary where two plates are moving away from each other and new continental crust is forming from magma that rises to the Earth’s surface between the two

9.2 Different types of landscapes

Landscapes are shaped by factors such as climate, geographical features and latitude. Landscapes are continually changing; they are built by tectonic forces. Erosion, deposition and weathering change landscapes, but the rate of change varies. Human activity such as deforestation accelerates erosion.