Coasts Flashcards
Define littoral zone
The wider coastal zone including adjacent land areas and shallow parts of the sea just offshore
(Exposed to the air at low tide and underwater at high tide)
How is Littoral zone divided
The zone is divided into different sections. The back shore and foreshore areas are where the greatest amount of human activity occur
Summer beach features (waves etc)
Summer waves are more gentle, constructive
Has wide berm
Winter beach features (waves etc)
Winter waves more harsh, destructive
Has:
Dune scarp
Steeper profile
Eroded or no berm
Bar
Short term factors
Individual waves, daily tides and seasonal storms
Long term factors
Changes to sea levels or climate change
Types of coastline (littoral zone)
Sandy beaches
Rocky cliffs
Coastal wetlands
Coastal inputs
People- human activity and coastal management
Marine- waves, tides, storm surges
Atmospheric- weather/climate, climate change, solar energy
Land- rock type and structure, tectonic activity
Coastal processes
Mass movement
Weathering
Erosion
Transport
Deposition
Coastal outputs
Erosional landforms
Depositional landforms
Different types of coasts
Classify coasts based on
Geology
Energy
Balance
Sea level
High energy coastline features
Very powerful waves
The rate of erosion is higher than the rate of deposition
High energy coastline erosional landforms
Headlands
Cliffs
Shoreline platforms
Tend to be found here
High energy coastline in uk
UK’s Atlantic facing coastline are powerful for most of the year (Cornwall and
High energy type of coastline
Rocky coasts are generally found in a high energy environment
