Introduction

Question 1

Why are coastal processes important?

Answer 1

They determine where the
shoreline is, where it was, and where it will be using a vast range of spatial and temporal scales.

Question 2

Why is understanding coastal processes important?

Answer 2

1. Tourism
2. Lifestyle, e.g. surfing, fishing
3. As a critical habitat, e.g. sea birds, marine plants and animals
4. Coastal protection, e.g. beaches provide natural protection against attack from waves.

Question 3

Who needs to know about coastal
processes?

Answer 3

Coastal managers (i.e. working for councils, State gov., or NGOs)
* Consultants- quite a few consulting companies specialise in coastal work.
* Planners- should that house really be allowed to be built there?
* Marine operations (shipping, ports, fishing)
* Coastal engineers
* Marine management
* Insurance companies

Question 4

Identify the 3 main categories of coastal hazards

Answer 4

Beach safety
Coastal erosion and flooding
Stability and life-expectancy of coastal infrastructure

Question 5

What are physical coastal processes?

Answer 5

• sea level
• weather
• climate
• waves, tides, currents, etc.
• sediment transport, geomorphology
• sediment supply
• geology/tectonics

Question 6

What are chemical coastal processes?

Answer 6

• nutrient and carbon cycles
• water quality

Question 7

What are biological coastal processes?

Answer 7

• ecosystem dynamics
• carbonate production

Question 8

Why is sea level important?

Answer 8

Sea level determines the position of the shoreline- higher sea levels will move the
shoreline position inland without any change in the beach.

Question 9

What determines coastal sea level?

Answer 9

-Tides- cause sea level changes over hours to decades
-Geologic activity- e.g. tectonic uplift
-Storm surge- an increase in the sea level due to strong winds, low atmospheric
pressure, and large waves.
-Waves- large waves cause “set up”
-Ocean currents- in WA the sea level is impacted by the Leeuwin Current
- Global sea level rise- ~3 mm/yr

Question 10

What does weather cause?

Answer 10

-Waves- are generated by wind, both locally (e.g. summer sea breeze) or in
storms that may be >1000 km away.
- Storm surge

Question 11

What is storm surge?

Answer 11

an increase in the sea level due to strong winds, low
atmospheric pressure, and large waves

Question 12

Why are waves important?

Answer 12

Waves provide the energy needed to
change the coast.
* Waves transmit energy across the ocean which is then dissipated at beaches.
* Waves cause currents that move sediment

Question 13

What are beaches?

Answer 13

Beaches are accumulations of sediment (sand often) at the interface between dry
land and an ocean, lake, or river. They form a buffer between water and land.

Question 14

Why are beaches important?

Answer 14

Protect inland areas from
waves.
* Provide habitat for many
types of plants and animals.
* Act as a center for
recreation and leisure.
* Provide economic value to
adjacent communities

Question 15

What does the morphology of a beach represent?

Answer 15

-Sand size and supply
-average energy input
-underlying geology
-previous conditions
-present conditions