2 - Coasts (Coastal geomorphological processes, coastlines))

Question 1

What are the 2 sets of geomorphological processes?

Answer 1

Marine processes and sub-aerial processes

Question 2

What are marine processes?

Answer 2

Those that operate upon a coastline and are connected with the sea, such as waves, tides and longshore drift.

Question 3

What are sub-aerial processes?

Answer 3

Processes that break down the coastline, weaken the underlying rocks and allow sudden movements of erosion to happen more easily, such as mass movement and weathering.

Question 4

Name the erosional marine processes.

Answer 4

Hydraulics action
Wave quarrying
Abrasion
Attrition
Solution

Question 5

What factors affect the rate of erosion of marine processes?

Answer 5

Wave steepness
Fetch
Sea depth
Coastal configuration
Beach presence
Human activity

Question 6

How do the factors:
Wave steepness
Fetch
Sea depth
Coastal configuration
Beach presence
Human activity
…affect the rate of erosion of marine processes?

Answer 6

Wave steepness - steeper=more erosion
Fetch - longer=more erosion
Sea depth - steeply shelving=more erosion
Coastal configuration - headlands=wave refraction=more erosion
Beach presence - absorb energy=limit erosion
Human activity - increase and decrease erosion…remove material and add coastal management.

Question 7

What is lithology?

Answer 7

Characteristics of rocks, especially referencing resistance to erosion and permeability.

Question 8

How does lithology affect the rate of erosion?

Answer 8

Very resistant rocks are eroded less.
Well-jointed, which means that the sea can penetrate a long line of weakness, making them more vulnerable to erosion.

Question 9

What are concordant coastlines?

Answer 9

Rock lies parallel to the coast…tend to get cliffs.

Question 10

What are discordant coastlines?

Answer 10

Where the rock lies perpendicular to the coast…tend to get headlands and bays.