environmental Management

Atmosphere - the layer of gases surrounding the planet.

Anemometer - an instrument used for measuring wind speed.

Backwash - the water that rushes back towards the ocean after a wave has hit the beach.

Biophysical processes - interconnected sequences that form and transform natural environments in a cause-and-effect relationship, e.g., erosion, deposition, soil formation, nutrient cycling.

Biosphere - the area of the Earth where life exists.

Clinometer - an instrument for measuring inclination or slope.

Constructive waves - low energy waves that deposit material onto the beach. The swash has more energy than the backwash.

Deposition - the laying down of sediment which has been transported by wind or water.

Destructive waves - high energy waves that erode material from the beach. The backwash has more energy than the swash.

Erosion - the wearing away and transportation of materials by wind and water.

Field sketch - annotated line drawings created to record features of an environment during fieldwork activities.

Hydrosphere - the total amount of water found on the Earth including all water on, under and above the surface.

Landform - the individual surface features of the Earth identified by their shape, e.g., dunes, plateaus, canyons, beaches, plains, hills, rivers, valleys.

Lithosphere - the rocky outer area of the Earth including the crust and upper layer of the mantle.

Longshore drift - the long term movement of materials along the shore, driven by the direction of incoming waves.

Swash - the water that rushes up the beach from an incoming wave.