Topic 1-Coasts

Question 1

What does coastal erosion involve?

Answer 1

It involves waves wearing away the rocks on the coastline and removing the coastal sediments.

Question 2

What are the four types of deposition?

Answer 2

Traction: this is where large rocks are rolled across the riverbed.

Saltation: medium sized rocks are bounced on the riverbed

Solution: this is whee minerals are dissolved in the water and carried along with it.

Suspension: this is where small rocks and pebbles are suspended in the water and are carried along with it

Question 3

Define faults?

Answer 3

an extended break in the rock formation, marked by the relative displacement and discontinuity of the layers of rock.

Question 4

What is the difference between more resistant rock and less resistant rock?

Answer 4

More resistant rock erodes less quickly than less resistant rock.

Question 5

What is the difference between swash and backwash?

Answer 5

Swash is the rush of sea water up a beach after a breaking of a wave in a forward movement.

Backwash is the motion of the waves reseeding.

Question 6

What are joints?

Answer 6

Small cracks in layers of rocks created during the earths movements.

Question 7

What is the difference between Concordant by the by and discordant areas?

Answer 7

Concordant:
Corresponding in direction with the planes of adjacent layers of rock.

Discordant:
Occurs where bands of different rock rock types run perpendicular to the coasts.

Question 8

Define Wind Strength

Answer 8

The stronger the wind, the greater the friction on the surface of the sea, the bigger the wave.

Question 9

Name the 3 types of weathering:

Answer 9

hemical weathering such as, acid rain.

Biological Weathering such as, plants growing into rock cracks.

Mechanical Weathering such as, freeze-thaw weathering.

Question 10

What are the four types of erosion?

Answer 10

Attrition: rocks and stones knock each other and seat each other away.

Abrasion: sand and stones scrap the banks and bed of a river which wears them away.

Solution: water dissolves solvable minerals so slowly the bed and banks are worn away.

Hydraulic Action: water is forced into cracks in the bank which breaks up the bank

Question 11

What is mass movement?

Answer 11

Mass movement: this is the movement of rocks and soil down the slope due to gravity. There are a few types: soil creep which is where individual particles of soil move slowly down the slope, sliding and slumping where material moves rapidly down the slope in one go ( landslide). In a slump material often rotates as it moves.

Flows: masses of soil or rock usually mix with water flow like liquid down the side.

Question 12

Define Wind Duration

Answer 12

The length of time the wind has been blowing

Question 13

Define Fetch

Answer 13

The distance of open water over which the wind is blowing: longer the fetch the more powerful the wave.

Question 14

Location, Location

Isle of Purbeck

Answer 14

South-East, South England to Southampton and to the south of the English channel.

Question 15

What is the geology of the Isle of Purbeck?

Answer 15

The softer or weaker rock, such as mud-stone and flint-stone is found in Swanage, are eroded more quickly to form bays. ( Swanage Bay).

Whereas,chalk outcrops form headlands as they are more resistant rock. Over time even resistant rock is eroded away, but it takes a far longer time period than Less-Resistant rocks, such as mud-stone.

South-Concordant coast
East-Discordant Coast

Question 16

How do sea cliffs help form wave cut platforms?

Answer 16

Sea cliffs are the most widespread landform of coastal erosion. Cliffs begin to form when destructive waves attack the bottom of the rock face, between high and low water marks.

Through hydraulic action and abrasion, the waves undercut the cliff, forming a wave cut notch.

The waves then continue to undercut the cliff until it collapses and the debris is eroded to form a wave-cut platform.

Question 17

The formation of a Headland

Answer 17

Fault- Small cracks appear on the headland.

Arch- The cracks are widened through erosion to form a arch.

Cave- Through the process of backwash arches collapse to form a cave.

Stack- An isolated column of rock, standing just off the coast that was once attached to land.

Stump- A short piece of rock is found at the end of a headland formed after a stack has collapsed, as a result of erosion and weathering.

Case Study: Old Harry

Question 18

Destructive Waves

Answer 18

Destructive waves are created by storm conditions. They erode away the coastline, as they have a weak Swash and a strong backwash.

Question 19

Constructive Waves

Answer 19

Constructive waves can normally happen.They deposit sediment onto the coastline, as they have a strong Swash and a weak backwash.

Question 20

How wind speed can explain determine the height and energy of the waves?

Answer 20

The wind speed gives more energy to the waves, therefore increasing the height of the waves. If wind speed is slow there will be smaller waves.

Question 21

How wind duration can explain determine the height and energy of the waves?

Answer 21

If strong winds blow over a long period of time the there is more energy that can be given to the waves to increase their height.

Question 22

How fetch can explain determine the height and energy of the waves?

Answer 22

If there is a large fetch more longer waves are able to be formed.

Question 23

Holderness Coast

• Seasonality
• Storm frequency
• Prevailing Wind

Answer 23

The land area of the Holderness Coast is made of soft boulder clay which can easily be eroded and is susceptible to mass movement such as, slumping when there is heavy rainfall.

> There us also areas of chalk which is more resistant to erosion and is found in places such as, Flamborough Head.

Physical Processes At Work
>Coastal Erosion has ensured that the cliffs have eroded rapidly thanks to the geology of the area,as well.
>Mass Movement-The clay can be affected by slumping in the area.
>The strong waves move material through erosion and then through deposition transport them further south in places such as, Spurn’s Head.

Human Processes at Work
>Hard engineering such as, rip-rap at Mappleton has protected areas from serious amounts of erosion.
>Hard engineering in some places has prevented transport, making erosion worse.

Causes
> Coastal retreat has reached 2 meters every year.
>Farmland, Property and settlement have been lost, changing the layout of the landscapes.
>Some people have been displaced from their homes.

Question 24

UK’s weather and climate

Answer 24

The Seasonality of different seasons can have different effects on the erosion of a region. For example the winter mechanical freeze-thaw weathering is more likely to happen than in the summer.

The effects of stormy weather can mean the coast are subjected to strong winds, increasing eroding power of waves and heavy rainfall that can contribute to the mass movement of slumping.

Question 25

UK’s weather and climate

Answer 25

The Seasonality of different seasons can have different effects on the erosion of a region. For example the winter mechanical freeze-thaw weathering is more likely to happen than in the summer.

The effects of stormy weather can mean the coast are subjected to strong winds, increasing eroding power of waves and heavy rainfall that can contribute to the mass movement of slumping.

Frequency storms can damage coastal land-forms like spits.Spurn’s head at the Holderness coast for example is at risk of being cut off the mainland.

Beach settlement can be removed from a section of the coastline.

Sand Dunes can be removed by storms causing the natural barrier with the cliffs to be used up.

Prevailing wind from the south-west of the UK brings warm, moist air from the Atlantic and constant rainfall, has lead to a rise in mass movement and weathering on the coastline.

Question 26

Location, Location

Holderness Coast

Answer 26

Holderness coast is found in East Yorkshire.