Theme B: Coastal Environments

Question 1

What is the main reason fot coastlines changing?

Answer 1

Waves

Question 2

How are waves created?

Answer 2

By wind blowing over the surface of the sea

Question 3

How does the water move up and down on the surface?

Answer 3

In deep water the wave makes a circular movement

Question 4

What is the wave breaking?

Answer 4

When the top part of the wave keeps moving forward and falls over

Question 5

What is a swash?

Answer 5

When the wave breaks and water runs up the beach

Question 6

What can the swash do?

Answer 6

Carry sand and stones from the seas and deposit them on the beach

Question 7

What is the backwash?

Answer 7

When the wave runs back down into the sea

Question 8

What can the backwash do?

Answer 8

Carry sand or stones out to sea

Question 9

How are destructive waves made?

Answer 9

From big, strong waves when the wind is powerful and been blowing for a long time.

Question 10

What do destructive waves tend to do?

Answer 10

Erode the coast

Question 11

Describe destructive waves

Answer 11

Short wave length, high and steep

Question 12

Describe the backwash and swash in a destructive wave

Answer 12

Stronger backwash than swash

Question 13

Describe the frequency of destructive waves

Answer 13

Frequent - 10-14 waves per min

Question 14

How do constructive waves build beaches?

Answer 14

They break on shore and deposit material

Question 15

Describe the swash and backwash in a constructive wave

Answer 15

Swash is stronger than backwash

Question 16

Describe a constructive wave

Answer 16

Long wavelength, short in height

Question 17

Describe the frequency of constructive waves

Answer 17

Less frequent : 6-9 waves per minute

Question 18

Describe long shore drift.

Answer 18

Waves come in at an angle, causing long shore drift which is a method of transportation. The waves coming in at an angle can be caused by the direction of prevailing wind. The swash of the waves carries material at an angle and then the backwash flows back to sea in a straight line. This causes material to move along in a zig zag movement.

Question 19

How is a wave cut platform formed?

Answer 19

It is caused when a notch in a cliff created by erosion such as abrasion and hydraulic action, is further eroded undercutting the cliffs.
The upper cliff is repeatedly undercut and eventually collapses causing the cliff to retreat creating a wave-cut platform/a flat area of rock at the base of the cliff

Question 20

How is a stack formed?

Answer 20

Caves are formed on either side of a headland because a notch is eroded by hydraulic pressure/corrasion/abrasion. The caves are eroded right through the headland to make an arch; the roof of the arch becomes unstable and collapses, leaving a stack or pinnacle of rock.

Question 21

What is the cross section of a beach called?

Answer 21

A beach profile

Question 22

How is a hooked spit formed?

Answer 22

A spit is a depositional feature made of sand that extends out from the mainland into the sea. They are formed where the coastline has a sudden change in direction in shallow seas where longshore drift is in operation. There also needs to be a constant supply of sand from further up the coast. Sand is carried along the beach (in a sawtooth manner) by longshore drift (whereby the sand goes up the beach at an angle in the swash and then moves straight back down the beach in the backwash). When this material being moved along the beach reaches a natural change of direction in the coastline the sand continues on forming a spit attached to the headland. If the angle of the waves changes as the spit extends into an estuary or if it grows far enough into the sea to meet more powerful waves, the tip may curve to form a hooked spit.

Question 23

What is a spit and how is it formed?

Answer 23

A spit is a depositional feature made of sand that extends out from the mainland into the sea. They are formed where the coastline has a sudden change in direction in shallow seas where longshore drift is in operation. There also needs to be a constant supply of sand from further up the coast. Sand is carried along the beach (in a sawtooth manner) by longshore drift (whereby the sand goes up the beach at an angle in the swash and then moves straight back down the beach in the backwash). When this material being moved along the beach reaches a natural change of direction in the coastline the sand continues on forming a spit attached to the headland.