distinctive features (the littoral zone) (2.B1)

Question 1

examples of inputs, processes, and outputs (the coast as a system)

Answer 1

1. inputs:
   - marine (waves, tides, storm surges)
   - atmospheric (weather/climate, climate change, solar energy)
   - land (rock type/structure, tectonic activity)
   - people (human activity, coastal management)
2. processes:
   - weathering
   - mass movement
   - erosion
   - transport
   - deposition
3. outputs:
   - erosional landforms
   - depostitional landforms
   - different types of coasts

Question 2

what is the littoral zone?

Answer 2

• boundary between land and sea which stretches out into the sea and onto the shore.
• zone not line because tides and storms effect a band around the coast.

Question 3

why does the littoral zone change?

Answer 3

• because of dynamic interactions between the processes in the seas, oceans and on land: it varies because of:
  
  1. short term factors: such as individual waves, river currents, daily tides and seasonal storms
  2. long term factors: such as changes to sea levels or climate change

Question 4

the four sections of the littoral zone

Answer 4

1. backshore: usually above the influence of the waves
2. foreshore: inner-tidal or surf zone
3. near shore: breaker zone
4. offshore: beyond the influence of waves

backshore and foreshore = areas that concern us most. areas where greatest human activity occurs and where the physical processes of erosion, deposition, transport and mass movement largely operate.

Question 5

resistant rock coastlines

Answer 5

both high and low relief and generally found in high energy environments (Western and Northern Britain)
these environments tend to be:
- where rate of erosion exceeds rate of deposition
- atlantic facing coats where waves are more powerful (longer fetch) eg Cornwall
- rock type is able to withstand the erosive forces of sea, rain and wind

landforms:

• headlands
• cliffs
• shoreline platforms

Question 6

coastal plain landscapes

Answer 6

low relief and generally found in low energy environments (Eastern and Southern Britain)
these environments tend to be:
- where waves are less powerful/ where coast is sheltered from large waves
- where rate of depostion exceeds rate of erosion
- rock type is (mostl) younger weaker sedimentary rock

landforms:

• beaches
• spits
• salt marshes
• lagoons

!! many coasts are a mixture of high and low energy environments EG Holderness Coast: mainly low energy but winter storms can create short high energy erosional features