Paper 2-Coasts

Question 1

What is the coastal zone?

Answer 1

The changing boundary between land and sea.

Question 2

Explain hard rock coasts.

Answer 2

Consist of resistant rocks.

Question 3

Explain soft rock coasts.

Answer 3

Consist of less resistant rocks which erode easier.

Question 4

What are discordant coasts?

Answer 4

Strata are at right angles to the coast.

Question 5

What are concordant coasts?

Answer 5

Strata parallel to the coastline.

Question 6

What do discordant coasts form?

Answer 6

Headlands and bays.

Question 7

What do concordant coasts form?

Answer 7

Coves and cliffs.

Question 8

What are joints?

Answer 8

Small, usually vertical cracks found in many rocks.

Question 9

What are faults?

Answer 9

Larger cracks caused by past tectonic movements where rocks have moved.

Question 10

Where is old Harry?

Answer 10

East Yorkshire.

Question 11

What was the process of Old Harry forming?

Answer 11

1. Large crack opened up by hydraulic action.
2. The crack grows into a cave by hydraulic action and abrasion.
3. The cave becomes larger.
4. The cave breaks through the headland forming a natural arch
5. The arch is eroded and collapses.
6. This leaves a tall rock stack.
7. The stack is eroded causing a stump.

Question 12

Watch is fetch?

Answer 12

The distance over which the wind has blown and its stength.

Question 13

What are prevailing winds?

Answer 13

Dominant wind direction in an area.

Question 14

Why do waves break?

Answer 14

The bottom of the wave touches the sand and slows it down due to increased friction. The top of the wave becomes higher and steeper until it topples over.

Question 15

What are constructive waves?

Answer 15

Created in calm conditions and builds up beach material as it has a strong swash but a weak backwash. Low frequency.

Question 16

What are destructive waves?

Answer 16

Created in stormy conditions and material is removed from the coast as there is a strong backwash but a weak swash. These have a high frequency.

Question 17

What is hydraulic action?

Answer 17

Water forced into cracks in the rock which compresses the air. When the wave retreats the compressed air blasts out and can force the rock apart.

Question 18

What is abrasion?

Answer 18

Loose rocks called sediment are thrown against the cliff by waves, this wears the cliff away and chips bits of rock off the cliff.

Question 19

What is attrition?

Answer 19

Loose sediment, knocked off the cliff by hydraulic action and abrasion is swirled around by waves. It constantly collides with other sediment and gradually gets smaller and rounder.

Question 20

What is a wave cut platform?

Answer 20

A level area of smooth rock is left where the cliff line once was.

Question 21

What is the main way that sediment is transported?

Answer 21

Longshore drift.

Question 22

What is longshore drift?

Answer 22

When waves break at an angle to the coast rather than parallel to it. It transports sediment along coastlines until it is eventually deposited.

Question 23

What do plants that grow on sand beaches need to be?

Answer 23

Tough, waxy leaves to stop them getting sand blasted.
They need to have long roots to hold them in place in the strong winds.
They can survive being sprayed by salt water.

Question 24

How are salt marshes formed?

Answer 24

Water behind a spit is protected so it is calm.

Question 25

What are spits?

Answer 25

When longshore drift reached a river channel where the sand is deposited forming a long sandy neck that can be hooked/recurved when eroded by each tide. Curves back on itself.

Question 26

What is the effect of development on housing?

Answer 26

Many people who work in London can no longer afford housing there so some coastal towns and cities offer good alternatives for people who commute daily. Good for retiring.

Question 27

What is the effect of development on office development?

Answer 27

High cost of London’s property also affects companies so some of those are moving out to the coast as it is cheaper, has a younger population and universities and companies expand there. This also puts pressure on already crowded coasts.

Question 28

What are the effects of agriculture on the coast?

Answer 28

Price of good farming land has sky-rocketed so now they have to maximise their income by using whatever land they can and is putting pressure on wildlife habitats. Climate change and rising sea levels are likely to lead to flooding by salt water during winter high tides which could threaten the pastures.

Question 29

What are the effects of industry on the coast?

Answer 29

Gas terminals clash with tourists. North Sea gas is piped onshore.

Question 30

How are sea levels changing?

Answer 30

Twice a day due to the moon and high tides.
Twice a month very high tides.
Low air pressure can cause storm surge.

Question 31

What is mass movement?

Answer 31

Movement of materials downslope such as rock falls, landslides or cliff collapses.

Question 32

How does marine cliff foot processes cause cliffs to collapse?

Answer 32

The base of the cliff is eroded by hydraulic action and abrasion making the cliff face steeper.

Question 33

How do sub-aerial cliff face processes cause cliffs to collapse.

Answer 33

Weathering weakens the cliff face, heavy rain saturates the permeable rock at the cliff top. Rainwater may also erode the cliff as it runs down the face or emerged from a spring. The water flows through the permeable rock adding weight to the cliff which is too weak.

Question 34

How do human actions cause cliffs to collapse?

Answer 34

Building on the cliff top adds a load which can weigh down on the weakened cliff.

Question 35

What is hard engineering?

Answer 35

Using concrete and steel structures such as sea walls to stop waves.

Question 36

What is soft engineering?

Answer 36

Using smaller structures built from natural materials to reduce wave energy.

Question 37

What does dissipate mean?

Answer 37

Means to reduce wave energy which is absorbed as waves pass through or over sea defences.

Question 38

What are the negatives of hard engineering?

Answer 38

Costly and can make coasts ugly.

Question 39

Sea wall.

Answer 39

Hard and 2000per metre. Reflects waves back out to sea but can prevent easy access to the sea. Expensive to build and maintain and can block views.

Question 40

Groynes.

Answer 40

Hard and 2000 per metre. Prevents longshore drift but is unattractive. It also shifts the problem to another place.

Question 41

Gabions.

Answer 41

Hard, 350 per metre and are cages of boulders on a cliff face. Cheap and effective but ugly.

Question 42

Revetments.

Answer 42

Hard and 1000 per metre. Ugly, does not give total protection and may need replacing. Breaks up incoming waves. Creates bigger beach.

Question 43

Rock armour.

Answer 43

Hard and 300 per metre. Cheap and easy to look after but can block views. Easy to build.

Question 44

Beach nourishment.

Answer 44

Soft and 3000 per metre. Adding sand to the beach to make it higher, blends in but needs to be maintained constantly.

Question 45

Marsh creation.

Answer 45

Soft and cheap. Allows low lying coastal areas to flood. Creates habitats but land will be lost that could have been used for farming.

Question 46

What is terminal groyne syndrome?

Answer 46

As movement of sediment has been disrupted die to the construction of groynes, the material is stopped from being transported which can lead to down drift retreat rate increase. Can cause rapid erosion further down.

Question 47

What is holistic coastal management?

Answer 47

Looking at the coastline as a whole and taking into account the value, effect, climate change, environment, needs of different people.

Question 48

What is the choice of holding the line?

Answer 48

Use sea defences to stop erosion, and so the coast stays where it is today. This is expensive.

Question 49

What is the choice of advancing the line?

Answer 49

Use sea defences to move the coast further into sea. This is very expensive.

Question 50

What is the choice of strategic realignment?

Answer 50

Gradually let the coast erode and move people and businesses away from areas at risk. This may involve financial compensation for people who’s homes are lost.

Question 51

What is the option of doing nothing?

Answer 51

Take no action at all.