TOPIC 1A: coastal landscapes and processes 🏝️

Question 1

What are the two types of waves ?

Answer 1

• constructive
• and, destructive

Question 2

What are the four processes of erosion? [4]

Hint: attrition

Answer 2

• hydraulic action
• abrasion
• attrition
• solution

Question 3

What’s hydraulic action ?

Hints: faults

Answer 3

• hydaulic action, is when water enter faults in the coastline, and compress the air within the crack

Question 4

What is abrasion ?

Hint: scrape and rub

Answer 4

• abrasion, is when particles in the water scrape and rub against rock, removing small pieces

Question 5

What is attrition ?

Hint: smash and break into

Answer 5

• attrition, is when particles in the water smash into each other, and break into smaller fragments.
• [;Their edges also get rounded off as they rub together]

Question 6

What is solution ?

Hint: dissolve

Answer 6

• solution, is when acids in the salt water dissolve rocks on the coasts.

Question 7

What are some characteristics of destructive waves

Answer 7

• high frequency
• high and steep
• their backwash [when the water from the waves retreats back into the sea] is more powerful than their swash. [the water flowing towards a beach when a wave breaks]

Question 8

• Fill in the gaps: transportation, is the ________ of material

Answer 8

• transportation, is the movement of material

Question 9

What is longshore drift ?

Hint: across a coastline

Answer 9

• longshore drift, is the movement of sand and pebbles across a coastline

Question 10

What are the four processes of transportation ?

Answer 10

• traction
• suspension
• saltation
• solution

Question 11

What is the difference between traction 🆚 suspension ?

Hint: pushed along

Answer 11

• traction, is when large particles [like boulders] are pushed along the sea bed, by the force of the water
• ; suspension, is when small particles [like silt and clay] are carried along in the water

Question 12

What is the difference between saltation 🆚 solution ?

Hint: bounced along, carried

Answer 12

• saltation, is when pebble-sized particles are bounced along the sea bed, by the force of the water
• ; solution, is when soluble materials dissolve in the water, and are carried along

Question 13

What is deposition ?

Hint: laying down

Answer 13

• deposition, is the laying down of materials which is then transported by the sea

Question 14

What are some characteristics of constructive waves ?

Answer 14

• low frequency
• low and long
• swash is powerful than backwash because it carries material up the coast

Question 15

What is the difference between concordant 🆚 discordant coastlines

Answer 15

• concordant coastlines, have the same type of rock along its length, and they also tend to have fewer bays and headlands.
• ; discordant coastlines, have alternating bands of hard and soft rock

Question 16

How is a wave cut platform, formed ?

Hint: foot of cliff, form, unstable, washed away, retreats, left behind

Answer 16

1) waves cause most erosion at the foot of a cliff

2) this forms a wave-cut notch (enlarged as erosion contuines).

3) rock above the notch becomes unstable and eventually collapses

4) collapsed material washed away and new wave-cut notch platform starts to form

5) cliff retreats because of repeated collapsing

6) a wave-cut platform, is the platform that left behind as the cliff retreats.

Question 17

• Fill in the gaps: soft rocks, or rocks with lots of joints have a _____________ resistance to erosion
• ; hard rocks with a solid structure have a ____________ resistance to erosion.

Answer 17

• soft rocks, or rock with lots of joints have a low resistance to erosion
• ; hard rocks with a solid structure have a high resistance to erosion.

Question 18

What type of rocks are headlands usually made from?

Answer 18

• headlands are usually made from resistant rocks that have weaknesses (e.g- cracks).

Question 19

Explain how caves, arches and stacks formed

Hint: crash into the headlands, cave, deepens the cave, wear away

Answer 19

1) Because headlands are usually made of resistant rocks that have weaknesses, waves crash into the headlands and enlarge the cracks. (Normally by abrasion and hydraulic action).

2) repeated erosion and enlargement of cracks, cause a cave to form.

3) contuined erosion deepens cave until it breaks through the headland- which forms an arch

4) erosion contuines to wear away rock which supporting arch, until it collapses- this forms a stack.

Question 20

What is a stack ?

Hint: isolated rock

Answer 20

• a stack, is a isolated rock that’s separate from the headland.

Question 21

How are beaches formed?

Answer 21

• beaches are formed by deposition

Question 22

What are the characteristics of sand and shingle beaches ?

Answer 22

• sand beaches are flat and wide- because, sand particles are small and the weak backwash of constructive waves can move them down the beach, which creates a long and gentle slope.

Question 23

What is a spit ?

Answer 23

• a spit, is a long and narrow stretch of pebbles and sand that is attached to the land [but only at one end]

Question 24

How are spits formed ?

Answer 24

1) longshore drift sound and shingle past the bend and deposits in sea

2) strong waves aims winds can curve the end of the spit.

[ 3) sheltered area behind spit is low energy environment and protected by waves. Plants can grow here because lots of material accumulates in this area.

4) over time, sheltered are can become salt marsh or a mud flat.]

Question 25

How is a bar formed ?

Answer 25

1) When a spit joins two headlands together

[2) bar cuts off bay between headlands from the sea.

3) This then means that a lagoon is formed behind the bar.]

Question 26

What are the characteristics of shingle beaches ?

Answer 26

• shingle beaches are steep and narrow because, shingle particles are large and the weak backwash of constructive waves can’t move shingle particles down the beach.
• this means, these shingle particles will then build up to create a steep slope.

Question 27

Why do constructive waves deposit material on coasts ?

Answer 27

• Because the backwash is weaker, it doesn’t take a lot of material back down the coast- meaning that material is deposited on the coast