Sediment sources, cells and budgets

Question 1

What are examples of sources of sediment?

Answer 1

• streams/rivers flowing into the sea
• estuaries
• cliff erosion
• offshore sand banks
• material from a biological origin (shells, coral fragments, marine organism skeletons)

Question 2

How many sediment cells are around the coastline of England and Wales?

Answer 2

11

Question 3

How are sediment cells distinguished from one another?

Answer 3

• by boundaries

- e.g. headlands or stretches of deep water

Question 4

What sort of system are sediment cells?

Answer 4

closed system

Question 5

Why would sediment cells not be closed systems in reality?

Answer 5

• fine sediments can easily flow between neighbouring cells

Question 6

What are sub-cells?

Answer 6

• when larger cells are divided into multiple smaller ones

- can be monitored more closely

Question 7

What is a sediment budget?

Answer 7

• balance between sediment being added to and removed from the coastal system (in this case each sediment cell)

Question 8

How can sediment budgets be used?

Answer 8

• to identify sources that deliver sediment to the cell

- find sites where sediment is stored