What are the landforms of coastal erosion ?

Question 1

What are landscapes ?

Answer 1

The bigger picture

Question 2

What are landforms ?

Answer 2

The individual components of a landscape.

Question 3

What happens at the bottom of a cliff ?

Answer 3

• Hydraulic action
• Abrasion
• Solution

Question 4

What happens at the top of the cliff ?

Answer 4

• Sub-aerial processes
• Salt crystallisation
• Carbonation
• Oxidation

Question 5

What is an example of a stack ?

Answer 5

Old Harry, Dorset

Question 6

How is a wave-cut platform made ?

Answer 6

• When waves break against the foot of a cliff > erosion occurs > concentrated close to the high tide line > a wave-cut notch is formed. Notch gets bigger, cliff is undercut and rock above becomes unstable and collapses. Erosional processes repeated leaving behind a gently sloping wave-cut platform, exposed at low tide.

Question 7

Give an example of negative feedback ?

Answer 7

• Waves attack the cliff
• A wave-cut platform is created
• Therefore waves break further away from the cliffs
• Therefore cliff recession decreases
  UNTIL
• Sea level rises or storm conditions

Question 8

What is an example of a wave cut platform ?

Answer 8

Watchet, West Somerset
(0.5 km wide)

Question 9

Give an example of discordant coastlines ?

Answer 9

Swanage bay

Question 10

Give an example of concordant coastlines ?

Answer 10

South Dorset Coastline
Lulworth Cove

Question 11

What is a discordant coastline ?

Answer 11

At a right angle to the coastline

Question 12

What is concordant coastline ?

Answer 12

Parallel to the coastline

Question 13

What is lithology ?

Answer 13

The physical properties of rock such as its resistance to erosion > the rock type.

Question 14

What is structure ?

Answer 14

Whether the rocks run parallel or perpendicular, joints and bedding planes.

Question 15

What is geomorphology ?

Answer 15

The shape of the coastline. E.g. refraction.