Coasts KQ3- How do coastal landscapes evolve over time?

Question 1

Give examples of change which occurs over 10s of years

Answer 1

• mass movement
• human impact
• beach sediment moved

Question 2

Give examples of change which occurs over 100s of years

Answer 2

• spits and barrier islands formed
• cliff landslides
• salt marsh development

Question 3

Give examples of change which occurs over 1000s of years

Answer 3

• changing sea level
• arches and stacks
• straightening of coastlines

Question 4

Give examples of change which occurs over millions of years

Answer 4

-change in relative position of land and sea

Question 5

What is Eustatic sea level change?

Answer 5

• worldwide fall or rise of sea level

- absolute change in volume stored in oceans

Question 6

Why might sea levels fall eustatically?

Answer 6

• reduction in temperatures
• more water is stored in solid form
• ice ages

Question 7

Why might sea levels rise eustatically?

Answer 7

-glaciers/ice melt due to increase in global temperatures

Question 8

What is isostatic sea level change?

Answer 8

Local changes in sea level resulting from land falling or rising relative to the sea

Question 9

Why might sea levels fall isostatically?

Answer 9

• melting of ice sheets releases pressure on land underneath

- so land rises (isostatic recovery)

Question 10

Why might sea levels rise isostatically?

Answer 10

• ice sheets thicken

- weight of ice causes land to lower

Question 11

Why is Scotland rising whereas the South of England is sinking?

Answer 11

Scotland had thicker ice sheets than the South so is recovering more than the south of England

Question 12

Why are sea levels rising currently?

Answer 12

1- Air temperature increasing, water in ocean is warmed which results in thermal expansion
2- Ice sheets and glaciers melt