Coastal Zone

Question 1

What are the 4 processes of erosion and explain them

Answer 1

Look in notes

Question 2

What are destructive waves?

Give some characteristics

Answer 2

Waves which carry out erosion all processes
High frequency
Steep/high
Backwash more powerful than swash- material removed from beach

Question 3

How are wave cut platforms created?

Answer 3

Look in notes

Question 4

What is mass movement?

Name 2 different types

Answer 4

Shifting of rocks and loose material down a slope as the coerce of gravity is stronger than the force supporting it. Causes coasts to retreat rapidly, more likely to happen when the material is filled with water
2 types:
slides- material shifts in a straight line
Slumps- material shifts with a rotation

Question 5

How do headlands and bays form?

Answer 5

Look in notes

Question 6

How does headland erosion work?

Old Harry Swanage

Answer 6

Look in notes

Question 7

How does longshore drift work?

Answer 7

Look in notes

Question 8

What are the 4 processes of transportation and explain them

Answer 8

Look in notes

Question 9

What are constructive waves?

Answer 9

Low frequency
Low and long. swash is powerful- builds up coast
Backwash is weak- less material carried to sea

Question 10

What map symbols indicate stacks, shingle/sand beaches, cliffs and wave-cut platforms

Answer 10

Look in notes

Question 11

How do beaches form?

Answer 11

Deposition between high and low water marks

Question 12

How do spits form?

Answer 12

Look in notes

Question 13

What is the difference between mechanical and chemical weathering?

Answer 13

Mechanical- brake down of rock without changing the chemical structure- freeze thaw weathering
Chemical- break down of rock changing the chemical composition- carbonation weathering- rainwater dissolves rocks

Question 14

Give 2 ways sea level rises

Answer 14

Melting ice- stored ice returns to sea

Heating oceans- water gets warmer causing it to expand

Question 15

Give an example of coastal flooding.
What is the population
What are the economic, social, environmental and political impacts?

Answer 15

Look in notes

Question 16

Give an example of coastal erosion

Give impacts on people and the environment

Answer 16

Holderness- spurn head

Look in notes

Question 17

Give examples of hard engineering on coasts and their benefits and disadvantages
Minehead

Answer 17

Sea walls £12 million
+ prevent erosion and flooding
- create a strong backwash which erodes the wall. Expensive
Rock armour boulders weighing 7 tonnes each
+ boulders absorb wave energy, cheap
- ugly, need to be replaced
Groynes
+ create wider beaches, protection from flooding and erosion, cheap
- starve beaches further down from sand

Question 18

Give examples of soft engineering on coasts and benefits/disadvantages
Wallasea

Answer 18

Beach nourishment
+ wider beaches, slows down waves
- taking material from sea beds can kill organisms. Very expensive
Dune regeneration
+ wave energy is absorbed, prevents flooding and erosion
- protection is limited to a small area. Very expensive
Marsh creation
+ creates new habitats. Protects from erosion and flooding
Managed retreat
+ cheap. Land will become marshland, more habitats
- people may disagree what area can be flooded, affects farmers livelihood

Question 19

Give an example of a salt marsh

How is it formed?

Answer 19

Hurst castle- south west coast of England, Keyhaven
SSSI- maintain biodiversity
The spurn head spit helped to accumulate sediment and for eel grass- helps to stabilise the area by trapping more sediment. Grass wort and sea blite help accumulate mudflats. Plants die and trap more sediment helping the salty marsh to grow and the process repeats itself