Coasts - Booklet 2

Question 1

What are the 3 ways a wave can break

Answer 1

1) Spilling waves: steep waves breaking onto a gently sloping beach, water spills gently forwards
2) plunging waves: moderately steep waves breaking onto a steep beach
3) Surging waves

Question 2

Explain how a beach maintains a state of equilibrium

Answer 2

Constructive waves deliver sediment onto the beach, making the build up of material can make the beach steeper which encourages more destructive waves

Question 3

What are some distinctive landforms created by erosion

Answer 3

• Waves cut notches
• Caves, Arches, Stacks and stumps
• Geos and blowholes (lines of weakness + erosion and weathering)

Question 4

Explain the formation of rip currents

Answer 4

Rip currents form when waves break near the shoreline, piling up water between the breaking waves and the beach

Question 5

What are some distinctive landforms created by deposition

Answer 5

• Beaches
• Berms
• Cusps
• Runnels
• Ripples

Question 6

Explain the formation of a storm beach

Answer 6

Is the after math of a storm were materials like pebbles are pushed up the coats during the very highest spring tides

Question 7

Explain the formation of berms

Answer 7

Berms are formed by constructive waves during calm weather, where material is added to the beach. Storms and spring tides can move existing berms up the beach, meaning that a new berm can develop, which changes the beach profile.

Question 8

Explain the formation of cusps

Answer 8

Semi-circular depressions which form when waves break into the beach and where swash over takes back wash

Question 9

Explain the formation of an offshore bar

Answer 9

Is a long ridge of sand and pebbles found a short distance out in the sea, they are formed when destructive waves erode material from the beach and deposit it onto offshore bara

Question 10

Explain the formation of a spit

Answer 10

• Winds come in at an oblique angle
• Material is picked up and is built up
• Spit continues to slowly build outwards, until eventually experiences a change in prevailing wind direction, thus forming a curve

Question 11

What is a double spit

Answer 11

Is a landform that forms when long shore drift is operating in different directions e.g opposite sides of a bay

Question 12

Explain the formation of a tombo

Answer 12

This landform refers to when LSH carries sediment along the coast and continues in open water until it attaches to an island

Question 13

What is meant by a sediment cell

Answer 13

Is a discrete area of a coastline in which all of the material is inputted, transferred or stored. It is also a closed system with very few external inputs

Question 14

What are the 3 types of weathering

Answer 14

• mechanical (weathering breaks down rock due to excretion of pressure or force)
• chemical (involves a chemical reaction)
• Biological (weathering caused by plants)

Question 15

What is meant by carbonisation

Answer 15

Is a form of chemical weathering that involves rainwater combining with dissolved carbon dioxide, producing a weak acid that reacts with rocks rocks such as lime stone

Question 16

What are the 3 types of mass movement

Answer 16

1) rockfall: abrasion initially weakens the cliff and hydraulic action and/or abrasion come to finish the job
2) rotational slumping
3) Block falls