coastal management

Question 1

Outline the two main coastal processes that form coastal land forms.

Answer 1

Erosion and Wind

Question 2

Describe the difference between constructive and destructive waves.

Answer 2

Constructive waves are waves that deposit sediment to form dunes and beaches. Constructive waves are often associated with calm weather.
Destructive waves are more powerful and it cause erosion on coastal landforms. Destructive waves are associated with storm conditions.

Question 3

Explain how long shore drift moves sand along a coastline.

Answer 3

Constructive waves carry sediment to the beach on the angle of the waves. Backwash takes the material down the beach. This process moves in a zig-zag position up along the beach’s coast.

Question 4

Explain why vegetation changes from the front of the fore dune to the back of the back dune.

Answer 4

Constructive waves move sand and sediment onto the shore to create beaches. The wind moves dried-out sediments onshore and inland. This creates dunes. A foreshore will form close to the beach, and further from the shore, a back dune will develop. Dune vegetation becomes larger and more varied at the back of the dune as freshwater and soil conditions improve much further away from the beach. This progression is known as the coastal dune vegetation.