Sediments sources, cells and budgets

Question 1

What are inputs into sediment cells?

Answer 1

sediment from rivers, erosion, and offshore sources

Question 1

What is a sediment cell?

Answer 1

a stretch of coastline with a contained movement of sediment flows, which act in dynamic equilibrium

Question 2

Give 3 examples of sediment sources

Answer 2

• cliff erosion
• rivers
• offshore
• wind
• glaciers

Question 3

What are sediment budgets?

Answer 3

they use data to assess gains and losses of sediment within a sediment cell. They are useful when dynamic equilibrium is interupted

Question 4

What are 2 stores in sediment cells?

Answer 4

beach, sand dunes, banks/bars

Question 5

Evaluate the length stores hold sediment for

Answer 5

• quite long (eg Sand dunes)
• however very vulnerable to storm events or the impacts of climate change

Question 6

What could impact dynamic equilibrium in a sediment cell?

Answer 6

events such as storms (which may erode large amounts of sediment) or floods (which may result in large inputs of sediment into the system)

Question 7

How might human factors impact the natural system at the coast?

Answer 7

could lead to disruption of dynamic equilibrium in sediment cells
for example, groynes slow down the process of littoral drift on the coastline, so sediment may be stored in one area whilst further down the coast is being depleted of sediment