Coastal Landscapes And Systems Flashcards
What are the types of coastlines?
High energy
Low energy
What is a high energy coastline?
Rocky coasts are generally found in high-energy environments:
Stretches of the Atlantic-facing coast (Cornwall).
Where the rate of erosion exceeds the rate of deposition.
What erosional landforms are found at high energy coasts?
Headlands
Cliffs
Wave-cut platforms
What are low energy coastlines?
Sandy estuarine coasts are generally found in low-energy environments:
Stretches of the coast where the waves are less powerful or were it is sheltered (Lincolnshire)
Where the rate of deposition exceeds the rate of erosion
What landforms are found at low energy coasts?
Beaches, spits and coastal plains
What is a coastal plain?
An area of low, flat relief
What are the parts of the coastal system?
Inputs
Processes
Outputs
What are inputs?
Marine - waves, tides, storm surges
Atmospheric - weather/climate, climate change, solar energy
Land - rock type and structure, tectonic activity
People - human activity, coastal management
What are processes?
Weathering Mass movement Erosion Transport Deposition
What are outputs?
Erosional landforms
Depositional landforms
Different types of coasts
What is the littoral zone?
The boundary between land and sea
Why does the littoral zone vary?
Short-term factors - individual waves, daily tides and seasonal storms
Long term - changes to sea levels or climate change
What are the parts of the littoral zone?
Backshore
Foreshore
Nearshore
Offshore
What is the backshore?
Usually above the influence of waves
What is the foreshore?
Inter-tidal or surf-zone
