1. Chapter 10 Coastal landscapes
Learning objectives and key terms
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2. 10.1 Waves
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3. Key learning The cause of waves
Why some waves are stronger than others
Constructive and destructive waves
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4. AQA key term
Bay – a rocky coastal promontory made of rock that is resistant to erosion; headlands lie between bays of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded back by the sea.
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5. AQA key term
Beach – the zone of deposited material that extends from the low water line to the limit of storm waves. The beach or shore can be divided in the foreshore and the backshore.
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6. AQA key term
Deposition – occurs when material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy.
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7. AQA key term
Erosion – the wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a breaking wave.
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8. AQA key term
Headland – headlands lie between bays of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded back by the sea.
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9. AQA key term
Waves – ripples in the sea caused by the transfer of energy from the wind blowing over the surface of the sea. The largest waves are formed when winds are very strong, blow for lengthy periods and cross large expanses of water.
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10. 10.2 Weathering and mass movement
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11. Key learning How weathering weakens a cliff face
How mass movement happens on cliff faces
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12. AQA key term
Chemical weathering – the decomposition (or rotting) of rock caused by a chemical change within that rock; sea water can cause chemical weathering of cliffs.
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13. AQA key term
Freeze-thaw weathering (also called frost-shattering) – it occurs in cold climates when temperatures are often around freezing point and where exposed rocks contain many cracks. Water enters the cracks during the warmer day and freezes during the colder night. As the water turns into ice it expands and exerts pressure on the surrounding rock, causing pieces to break off.
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14. AQA key term
Mass movement – the downhill movement of weathered material under the force of gravity. The speed can vary considerably.
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15. AQA key term
Mechanical weathering – weathering processes that cause physical disintegration or break up of exposed rock without any change in the chemical composition of the rock, for instance freeze thaw.
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16. AQA key term
Precipitation – moisture falling from the atmosphere as rain, hail, sleet or snow.
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17. AQA key term
Sliding – occurs after periods of heavy rain when loose surface material becomes saturated and the extra weight causes the material to become unstable and move rapidly downhill, sometimes in an almost fluid state.
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18. AQA key term
Slumping – rapid mass movement which involves a whole segment of the cliff moving down-slope along a saturated shear-plane or line of weakness.
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19. AQA key term Weathering – when rock is broken down in one place.
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20. 10.3 Marine processes
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21. Key learning The processes of coastal erosion
How material is transported by waves
Causes of deposition
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22. AQA key term
Abrasion (or corrasion) – the wearing away of cliffs by sediment flung by breaking waves.
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23. AQA key term
Attrition – erosion caused when rocks and boulders transported by waves bump into each other and break up into smaller pieces.
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24. AQA key term
Deposition – occurs when material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy.
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25. AQA key term
Hydraulic action – the process by which breaking waves compress pockets of air in cracks in a cliff. The pressure may cause the crack to widen, breaking off rock.
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26. AQA key term
Longshore drift – the zigzag movement of sediment along a shore caused by waves going up the beach at an oblique angle (wash) and returning at right angles (backwash). This results in the gradual movement of beach materials along the coast.
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27. AQA key term
Prevailing wind – the direction from which the wind usually blows. In the UK it is the southwest.
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28. AQA key term
Sediment – naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion.
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29. AQA key term
Spit – a depositional landform formed when a finger of sediment extends from the shore out to sea, often at a river mouth. It usually has a curved end because of opposing winds and currents.
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30. 10.4 Geology and rock structure on the Dorset coast
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31. Key learning How landforms are affected by hardness of rock
How rock structure affects landforms
The location of major landforms on the Dorset coast
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32. 10.5 Headlands and bays
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33. Key learning The characteristics of headlands
The characteristics of bays
How headlands and bays are formed
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34. AQA key term
Bay – a rocky coastal promontory made of rock that is resistant to erosion; headlands lie between bays of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded back by the sea.
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35. AQA key term
Cliff – a steep high rock face formed by weathering and erosion along the coastline.
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36. AQA key term
Headland – headlands lie between bays of less resistant rock where the land has been eroded back by the sea.
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37. 10.6 Cliffs and wave cut platforms
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38. Key learning The characteristics of cliffs
The characteristics of wave cut platforms
How cliffs and wave cut platforms are formed
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39. AQA key term
Cliff – a steep high rock face formed by weathering and erosion along the coastline.
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40. AQA key term
Wave cut platform – a rocky, level shelf at or around sea level representing the base of old, retreated cliffs.
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41. 10.7 Caves, arches and stacks
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42. Key learning How caves, arches and stacks are formed
The characteristics of caves, arches and stacks
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43. AQA key term
Arch – a wave-eroded passage through a small headland. This begins as a cave formed in the headland, which is gradually widened and deepened until it cuts through.
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44. AQA key term
Cave – a large hole in the cliff caused by waves forcing their way into cracks in the cliff face.
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45. AQA key term
Stack – an isolated pillar of rock left when the top of an arch has collapsed. Over time further erosion reduces the stack to a smaller, lower stump.
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46. AQA key term Stump – the base of a collapsed stack.
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47. 10.8 Beaches
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48. Key learning How beaches are formed The characteristics of beaches
Beach profiles
Why beach profiles change
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49. AQA key term
Bar – where a spit grows across a bay, a bay bar can eventually enclose the bay to create a lagoon. Bars can also form offshore due to the action of breaking waves.
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50. AQA key term
Beach – the zone of deposited material that extends from the low water line to the limit of storm waves. The beach or shore can be divided in the foreshore and the backshore.
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51. AQA key term
Offshore bar – where a bar forms offshore due to the action of breaking waves.
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52. 10.9 Sand dunes
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53. Key learning How sand dunes are formed
The characteristics of sand dunes
Dune succession
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54. AQA key term
Sand dune – coastal sand hill above the high tide mark, shaped by wind action and covered with grasses and shrubs.
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55. AQA key term
Water table – the level below which rock is saturated with water.
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56. 10.10 Spits and bars
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57. Key learning How spits are formed The characteristics of spits
How bars are formed
The characteristics of bars
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58. AQA key term
Bar – where a spit grows across a bay, a bay bar can eventually enclose the bay to create a lagoon. Bars can also form offshore due to the action of breaking waves.
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59. AQA key term
Offshore bar – where a bar forms offshore due to the action of breaking waves.
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60. AQA key term
Spit – a depositional landform formed when a finger of sediment extends from the shore out to sea, often at a river mouth. It usually has a curved end because of opposing winds and currents.
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61. 10.11 Coastal management: hard engineering
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62. Key learning
How sea walls, rock armour, gabions and groynes reduce erosion
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63. AQA key term
Beach nourishment – the addition of new material to a beach artificially, through the dumping of large amounts of sand or shingle.
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64. AQA key term
Hard engineering – the use of concrete and large artificial structures by civil engineers to defend land against natural erosion processes.
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65. AQA key term
Gabion – steel wire mesh filled with boulders used in coastal defences.
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66. AQA key term
Groyne – a wooden barrier built out into the sea to stop the longshore drift of sand and shingle, and so cause the beach to grow. It is used to build beaches to protect against cliff erosion and provide an important tourist amenity. However, by trapping sediment it deprives another area, down-drift, of new beach material.
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67. AQA key term
Rock armour – large boulders dumped on the beach as part of the coastal defences.
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68. AQA key term
Sea wall – a concrete wall which aims to prevent erosion of the coast by providing a barrier which reflects wave energy.
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69. 10.12 Benefits and costs of hard engineering
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70. Key learning The benefits and costs of hard engineering
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71. 10.13 Coastal management: soft engineering
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72. Key learning
Beach nourishment, beach reprofiling and sand dune regeneration
The benefits and costs of soft engineering
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73. AQA key term
Beach nourishment – the addition of new material to a beach artificially, through the dumping of large amounts of sand or shingle.
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74. AQA key term
Beach reprofiling – changing the profile or shape of the beach. It usually refers to the direct transfer of material from the lower to the upper beach or, occasionally, the transfer of sand down the dune face from crest to toe.
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75. AQA key term
Dune regeneration – action taken to build up dunes and increase vegetation to strengthen the dunes and prevent excessive coastal retreat. This includes the re-planting of marram grass to stabilise the dunes, as well as planting trees and providing boardwalks.
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76. AQA key term
Soft engineering – managing erosion by working with natural processes to help restore beaches and coastal ecosystems.
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77. 10.14 Coastal realignment
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78. Key learning Managed retreat The benefits and costs of managed retreat
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79. AQA key term
Managed retreat – allowing cliff erosion to occur as nature taking its course: erosion in some areas, deposition in others. Benefits include less money spent and the creation of natural environments. It may involve setting back or realigning the shoreline and allowing the sea to flood areas that were previously protected by embankments and seawalls.
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80. 10.15 Coastal realignment in Medmerry
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81. Key learning Why the scheme was needed What the strategy was
Constructive and destructive waves
Positive effects
Conflicts
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82. AQA key term
Intertidal – the area between the high tide and low tide mark.
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83. AQA key term
Environment Agency (EA) – the organisation responsible for tackling environmental threats like pollution and flooding in the UK. It is directly funded by the government.
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