3.1 Coastal System

Question 1

List things that are in coastal systems?

Answer 1

inputs
outputs
flows
stores of sediment and energy

Question 2

Input example

Answer 2

sediment can be brought into the system in various ways

energy inputs come from wind, waves, tides and currents

Question 3

Output example

Answer 3

sediment can be washed out to sea or deposited further along the beach

Question 4

Flows/transfers example

Answer 4

processes such as erosion, weathering, transportation and deposition can move sediment within the system

Question 5

Stores example

Answer 5

landforms such as beaches, dunes and spits are stores of sediment

Question 6

What type of equilibrium are coastal systems usually in?

Answer 6

dynamic

inputs and outputs are balanced

Question 7

Explain negative feedback in a coastal system

Answer 7

when a change in the system causes other changes that have the opposite effect
beach is eroded, cliffs behind it are exposed to wave attack, sediment is eroded from the cliffs is deposited on the beach causing it to grow in size

Question 8

Explain positive feedback in a coastal system

Answer 8

when a change in the system causes other changes that have a similar effect
a beach starts to form it slow down waves, which can cause more sediment to be deposited, increasing the size of the beach

Question 9

How is energy transferred by air?

Answer 9

wind

Question 10

How is energy transferred by water?

Answer 10

waves
tides
currents

Question 11

Explain how wind transfers energy

Answer 11

winds are created by air moving from areas or high pressure to areas of low pressure, during events such as storm the pressure gradient is high and winds can be very strong
strong winds can generate powerful waves, in some areas wind consistently blows from the same direction - this causes higher-energy waves than winds that change direction frequently.