Coasts

Question 1

mass movement

Answer 1

the movement of material down a slope due to gravity

Question 2

sliding

Answer 2

large volumes of material moves downhill very rapidly, in a straight line, along a joint in the rock

Question 3

slumping

Answer 3

saturated soil or rock, collapses in a rotational movement, down a curved slope

Question 4

factors that affect mass movement

Answer 4

Slope angle
Vegetation cover
Water content
Rock type
Human activity
Climate

Question 5

types of erosion

Answer 5

abrasion
hydraulic action
attrition
solution

Question 6

hydraulic action

Answer 6

the sheer power of the waves as they smash against the cliff. air becomes trapped in the cracks in the rock and causes the rock to break apart from the pressure.

Question 7

attrition

Answer 7

rocks in the water knock against each other. they break apart to become smaller and rounder

Question 8

abrasion

Answer 8

pebbles grind along a rock platform, like sandpaper. over time, the rock becomes smooth

Question 9

solution (erosion)

Answer 9

sea water dissolves certain types of rocks and breaks down some rock. in the UK, chalk and limestone cliffs are prone to this.

Question 10

how are headlands and bays formed on a discordant coastline?

Answer 10

On a discordant coastline, Alternating bands of hard and soft rocks run perpendicular to oncoming waves The soft rock (e.g. clay) is eroded backward, forming an inlet As the inlet continues to erode it curves inward, and a bay is formed, usually with a beach The hard rock (e.g. limestone) is left protruding out to sea as a headland.

Question 11

concordant coastline

Answer 11

coastline with bands of more and less resistant rocks that run parallel to the coastline e.g. Lulworth Cove

Question 12

discordant coastline

Answer 12

coastline with bands of more and less resistant rock running perpendicular to the coastline. headlands and bays form here e.g. Swanage Bays

Question 13

features formed on a discordant coastline

Answer 13

alternating bands of hard and soft rock form headlands and bays

Question 14

how do concordant coastlines affect coastal landforms

Question 15

how do discordant coastlines affect coastal landforms

Question 16

deposition

Answer 16

a physical process where rocks and material are dropped by the waves that carry them

Question 17

how does deposition work

Answer 17

when the sea loses energy, the waves drop the material it has been carrying. it can occur on coastlines that have
constructive waves

Question 18

factors leading to deposition

Answer 18

waves starting to slow down and lose energy
shallow water
sheltered areas, eg bays
little or no wind

Question 19

spit

Answer 19

a ridge of sand or shingle deposited by the sea. it’s attached to the land at one end, the other extended into the sea

Question 20

bar

Answer 20

a ridge of sand or shingle deposited by the sea, across the entrance of a bay or river mouth

Question 21

tombolo

Answer 21

a spit connecting an island to the mainland

Question 22

bay

Answer 22

an area of sea, curved in shape which has been eroded between two headlands

Question 23

saltmarsh

Answer 23

coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides

Question 24

headland

Answer 24

a steep sided cliff area of more resistant rock jutting out into the sea

Question 25

lagoon

Answer 25

a shallow body of water protected from a larger body of water (usually the ocean) by (often) sandbars

Question 26

wave cut platform

Answer 26

a flat area of rock at the base of a cliff seen at a low tide, where the cliff used to be

Question 27

wave cut notch

Answer 27

a small indentation at the base of a cliff formed where wave action is greatest

Question 28

cave

Answer 28

a hollow at the base of a cliff which has been eroded by the waves

Question 29

arch

Answer 29

a rock bridge formed when the sea erodes a hole all the way through a headland

Question 30

stack

Answer 30

an isolated column of rock, found at the end of a headland

Question 31

stump

Answer 31

a short piece of rock found at the end of a headland formed after a stack has collapsed

Question 32

formation of a stack/stump

Answer 32

1. cracks and faults are widened in the headland through the erosional processes of hydraulic action and abrasion.
2. As the waves continue to grind away at the crack, it begins to open up to form a cave.
   3.The cave becomes larger and eventually breaks through the headland to form an arch.
   4.The base of the arch continually becomes wider through further erosion,
   until its roof becomes too heavy and collapses into the sea.
   5.This leaves a stack (an isolated column of rock).
3. The stack is undercut at the base until it collapses to form a stump.

Question 33

formation of a wave cut platform+notch

Answer 33

1. the sea attacks the base of the cliff between the high and low water mark.
2. a wave cut notch is formed by erosional processes such as abrasion and hydraulic action - this is a dent in the cliff usually at the level of high tide
3. as the notch increases in size, the cliff becomes unstable and collapses, leading to the retreat of the cliff face
4. the backwash carries away the eroded material, leaving a wave cut platform
5. this process repeats and the cliff continues to retreat

Question 34

formation of bar

Answer 34

1. Sediment is carried by longshore drift.
2. When there is a change in the shape of the coastline, deposition occurs.
3. A long thin ridge of material is deposited. This is the spit.
4. material is further deposited
5. once it reaches the other headland the spit becomes a bar
6. The area behind the newly formed bar is known as a lagoon.

Question 35

formation of spit

Answer 35

1. Sediment is carried by longshore drift.
2. When there is a change in the shape of the coastline, deposition occurs.
3. A long thin ridge of material is deposited. This is the spit.
4. A hooked end can form if there is a change in wind direction.
5. Waves cannot get past a spit, therefore the water behind a spit is very sheltered. Silts are deposited here to form a salt marsh.

Question 36

formation of headlands and bays

Answer 36

Headlands and bays form along discordant coastlines. The less resistant rock (e.g. clay) is eroded quickly and this forms a bay. The more resistant rock (e.g. chalk) is eroded slower and sticks out into the sea, forming a headland.

Question 37

berm

Answer 37

a ridge of shingle and sand that marks the normal high tide level on a beach

Question 38

factors related to weather and climate that affect coastal erosion

Answer 38

Storm frequency
Prevailing winds
Seasonality

Question 39

how does prevailing wind in the uk affect coastal erosion and retreat

Answer 39

Prevailing winds in the UK are from the south-west. This brings warm,
moist air from the Atlantic and frequent rainfall, which contributes to
weathering and mass movement on the coast.

Question 40

how does seasonality in the uk affect coastal erosion and retreat

Answer 40

The four seasons have different impacts on coastal erosion. e.g. cold temperatures in winter
lead to freeze-thaw weathering in cliffs

Question 41

how does stormy weather in the uk affect coastal erosion and retreat

Answer 41

1. Coasts are often subject to strong winds, increasing the eroding power of the waves, and heavy rainfall contributes to mass movement
2. Frequent storms can damage coastal landforms like spits. e.g. Spurn Head along the Holderness coast is at risk of being cut off from the mainland
3. Beach sediment can be removed from a section of coastline.
4. Sand dunes can be removed by storms.