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Geography A Paper 1 Flashcards > Coastal Landscapes > Flashcards

Coastal Landscapes Flashcards

1
Q

Physical Process 1

A

The coastline is shaped by the interaction of the different physical processes of weathering, mass movement and erosion. You need to understand how each process causes change along coastlines.

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2
Q

Weathering on the Coast

A

Weathering helps wear away but leaves weathered material in situ. There are three types of weathering: chemical, mechanical and biological.

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3
Q

Chemical Weathering

A

Rocks reacting with slightly acidic water, e.g. limestone dissolved by carbonation.

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4
Q

Mechanical Weathering

A

Water falls into the cracks in rocks and freezes, causing it to expand; over time the repeated thawing and freezing causes the rock to break apart.

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5
Q

Biological Weathering

A

Action of plants and animals (e.g. tree roots widen in cracks in rocks), causing the rock to split apart.

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6
Q

Mass Movement on the Coast

A

Mass movement is the downhill movement of material under the influence of gravity. Types of mass movement vary according to:
- Material involved
- Amount of water in the material
- Type of movement, e.g. sliding, slumping.

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7
Q

How Waves Erode the Coast

A

There are four types of erosional processes:
- Abrasion
- Hydraulic Action
- Attrition
- Solution

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8
Q

Abrasion

A

Breaking waves throw sand, pebbles and boulders against the coast, during storms.

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9
Q

Hydraulic Action

A

The sheer weight and impact of water against the coastline, particularly during a storm, erodes the coast. Also waves compress air in joints in rocks, forcing them apart.

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10
Q

Attrition

A

Rocks and pebbles carry by waves rub together and break into smaller pieces.

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11
Q

Solution

A

The chemical action of seawater dissolves some rocks.

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12
Q

Explain how slumping occurs

A

Slumping happens when the rock is saturated. Loose, wet rocks slump down under the pull of gravity along curved slip planes.

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13
Q

Explain how sliding occurs

A

Sliding happens when loosened rocks and soil suddenly slide down the slope. Blocks of material may all slide at once.

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14
Q

Physical Processes 2

A

Waves transport eroded material along the coast and deposit it when they lose the energy to carry it further.

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15
Q

Longshore Drift

A

This is the process by which beach sediment can be transported along the coast by waves.
- Sediment is transported along the beach. This process is called longshore drift (LSD).
- The action of swash forces the sediment up the beach at a 45º angle.
- The action of the backwash will bring the sediment back down the beach at a 90º angle.
- The direction of the prevailing wind will dictate the angle and direction in which beach sediment will move.
- As waves hit the beach, this ‘zigzag’ process continues.

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16
Q

Transportation Methods

A

Waves transport material by:
- Traction
- Saltation
- Suspension
- Solution

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17
Q

Traction

A

Large boulders are rolled along the seabed by waves.

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18
Q

Saltation

A

Smaller stones are bounced along the seabed.

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19
Q

Suspension

A

Sand and small particles are carried along in the flow.

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20
Q

Solution

A

Some minerals are dissolved in seawater and carried along in the flow.

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21
Q

Deposition

A

The load carried by waves is deposited by constructive waves. Different factors influence deposition, for example:
- Sheltered spots (e.g. bays)
- Calm conditions
- Gentle gradient offshore causing friction
All reduce the wave’s energy.

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22
Q

Influence of Geology

A

The geological structure of coasts, rock type and wave action all influence coastal landforms.

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23
Q

Geological Structure

A

Geology affects how fast coastal erosion occurs. Soft rock is eroded much faster than hard rock. Particular landforms are created when soft rocks and hard rocks occur together.

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24
Q

Soft Rock (e.g. clay)

A
  • Soft rock is easily eroded by the sea.
  • Cliffs will be less rugged and less steep than hard rock coasts.
  • Soft rock landscapes include bays.
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25
Q

Hard Rock (e.g. granite)

A
  • Hard rock is resistant to all types of erosion.
  • Cliffs will be high, steep and rugged.
  • Hard rock landscapes include wave-cut platforms and headlands where caves, arches and stacks are formed.
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26
Q

Concordant Coasts

A

Concordant coasts are made up of the same rock type.

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27
Q

Discordant Coasts

A

On discordant coasts, the rock type alternates, forming headlands and bays.

28
Q

Joints and Faults

A
  • Joints are smaller cracks; faults are larger.
  • Both make rock more prone to erosion.
  • Rock with more joints and faults are eroded more quickly.
29
Q

Destructive Waves

A

In a destructive wave, the swash is weak and the backwash is strong. Material is dragged into the sea, eroding the coast. Destructive waves have high energy, and occur in stormy conditions.

30
Q

Constructive Waves

A

In a constructive wave, material is deposited, building up the coast. Constructive waves have lower energy and occur in calm conditions.

31
Q

UK Weather and Climate

A

The unpredictability of the UK’s weather and climate affects rates of coastal erosion and coastal retreat, impacting on landforms and landscapes.

32
Q

Seasonality

A

The four seasons have different impacts on coastal erosion. For example, cold temperatures in winter lead to freeze-thaw weathering in cliffs.

33
Q

The Effects of Stormy Weather

A

Storm frequency is high in many parts of the UK.
- Coasts are often subject to strong winds, increasing the eroding power of the waves, and heavy rainfall contributes to mass movement.
- Frequent storms can damage coastal landforms like spits. Spurn Head along the Holderness coast is at risk of being cut off from the mainland.
- Beach sediment can be removed from a section of coastline.
- Sand dunes can be removed by storms.

34
Q

Prevailing Winds

A

Prevailing winds in the UK are from the south-west. This brings warm, moist air from the Atlantic and frequent rainfall, which contributes to weathering and mass movement on the coast.

35
Q

Coastal Erosion

A

The breaking down and removal of material along the coast.

36
Q

Coastal Retreat

A

When coastal erosion causes the coastline to move further inland.

37
Q

Explain how the UK climate contributes to coastal erosion.

A

The UK’s climate is temperate maritime, which means winters are mild and wet and summers are warm and wet. The prevailing winds from the south-west often bring rainfall to the country. The large amount of rainfall causes coastlines to be eroded through weathering, and can lead to mass movement and cliff collapse, which lead to coastal retreat. Storm frequency is high, which brings heavy rainfall and strong winds that increase the erosional power of waves. The seasonal nature of the climate means that rocks on the coast are subject to freeze-thaw weathering in winter, which adds to erosion.

38
Q

Erosional Landforms

A

There are distinctive landforms caused by coastal erosion, including headlands and bays, headland features and wave-cut platforms.

39
Q

Headlands and Bays

A

These develop on coastlines with a mix of hard and soft rock. They often occur where cliffs have fault lines or joints.
- Hard rocks like chalk are often left jutting out in the sea, forming headlands.
- Soft rocks such as sands are eroded more quickly, forming bays.

40
Q

Cliffs

A

Cliffs are common coastal features. Cliffs are shaped through weathering and erosion.
- Soft rock erodes easily to create gently sloping cliffs.
- Hard rock erodes more slowly to create steep cliffs.

41
Q

Caves, Arches and Stacks

A
  • Cave - formed when the waves erode a weakness in the rock such as a joint or a fault.
  • Arch - formed when two caves erode back from either side of a headland and meet in the middle.
  • Stack - formed when an arch collapses.
42
Q

Wave-cut Platforms

A

The erosion of cliffs can create wave-cut platforms - areas of flat rock at the base of the cliff.
- Rock face overhangs
- Wave-cut notch showing undercutting by the waves
- Cliff retreats inland overhanging rock has collapsed
- Wave-cut platform is formed

43
Q

Depositional Landforms

A

The process of deposition causes the formation of distinctive landforms including beaches, spits and bars.

44
Q

Beaches

A

Beaches are accumulations of sand and shingle formed by deposition and shaped by erosion, transportation and deposition.
- Beaches can be straight or curved.
- Curved beaches are formed by waves refracting, or bending, as they enter a bay.
Beaches can be sandy or pebbly (shingle). Shingle beaches are usually found where cliffs are being eroded and where waves are powerful. Ridges in a beach parallel to the sea are called berms and the one highest up the beach shows where the highest tide reaches.

45
Q

Spits

A

Spits are narrow beaches of sand or shingle that are attached to the land at one end. They extend across a bay or estuary or where the coastline changes direction. They are formed by longshore drift powered by a strong prevailing wind.
- Prevailing winds bring waves in at an angle
- Material moved along beach in a zigzag way by longshore drift
- Material deposited in shallow, calm water, to form a spit
- Spit curved with change of wind direction

46
Q

Explain how a bar is formed.

A

A bar forms in the same way as a spit, with longshore drift depositing material away from the coast, until a long ridge is built up. But, unlike a spit, a bar then grows all the way across a bay, so that a stretch of water is cut off and dammed to form a lagoon.

47
Q

Human Activity

A

The ways in which humans use coastal environments can change landscapes, affecting people and the environment.

48
Q

Benefits of Urbanisation

A
  • Raises interest in protecting coastal landscapes
49
Q

Drawbacks of Urbanisation

A
  • Weight of buildings makes cliffs more vulnerable
  • Changes to drainage increase soil saturation
50
Q

Benefits of Agriculture

A
  • Creates wildlife habitats
51
Q

Drawbacks of Agriculture

A
  • Increases soil erosion
  • Increases sedimentation
52
Q

Benefits of Industry

A
  • Brings wealth and jobs to an area
53
Q

Drawbacks of Industry

A
  • Increases air, noise and visual pollution
  • Can destroy habitats for birds, animals and sea life.
54
Q

Effects of Coastal Recession and Flooding

A
  • Wildlife habitats destroyed
  • Cliffs become dangerous for walkers
  • Disruption to communication networks - roads and railway lines - creating difficulties for commuters
  • Decreasing value of properties and difficulties in obtaining home insurance
  • Loss of businesses (caravan parks, cafes, golf courses) from disappearing cliffs
  • Increased deposition further along the coast
  • Loss of people’s homes
55
Q

Explain how coastal recession and flooding can affect people.

A

One of the wats coastal recession can affect people is through the loss of homes. Many of the villages on the edge of the UK coastline are disappearing, losing homes to the power of the sea. Transport systems can be disrupted and damaged, especially important railways that run along coastlines. This prevents people from making journeys or means long detours are needed, which cost time and money. Farmers lose valuable farmland due to coastal recession, which means they lose income. In areas where homes have been flooded, people may have to pay more for home insurance, making it more expensive to live there.

56
Q

Coastal Management

A

There are advantages and disadvantages to different coastal management techniques and these need to be given careful consideration because of the changes that can happen to the landscape.
Soft or hard techniques can alter wave patterns, resulting in increased erosion further along the coast.

57
Q

Hard Engineering

A

Many hard engineering techniques can spoil the visual landscape.

58
Q

Sea Wall

A

Benefit: - Protects cliffs and buildings
Drawback: - More expensive - £5000 - £10 000 /m

59
Q

Groynes

A

Benefits: - Prevent sea removing sand
- Cheaper - £2000/m of timber
Drawback: - Exposes other coastal areas

60
Q

Rip-rap defences

A

Benefits: - Rocks absorb wave energy
- Cheaper - £1000 - £3000 /m

61
Q

Soft Engineering

A

This approach aims to work with nature to help maintain the coastline.

62
Q

Beach Replenishment

A

Benefits: - Sand reduces wave energy
- Maintains tourism
- Cheaper - £2000 /m

63
Q

Offshore Reef

A

Benefit: - Waves break on reef and lose power
Drawbacks: - May interfere with fishing
- More expensive - £5000 /m

64
Q

Explain how rip raps protects the coastine.

A

Rip raps prevent damage to the sea wall by absorbing wave power and trapping beach sand.

65
Q

Holderness Coast, East Yorkshire Coastline

A

Significance of location
- Soft boulder clay is easily eroded, susceptible to slumping after heavy rainfall; chalk is more resistant (Flamborough Head).
- Exposed to strong waves (fetch) from North Sea.

Physical Processes at Work
- Coastal erosion - a combination of strong waves (especially during storms) and rock type ensure the coast is eroded rapidly.
- Mass movement - clay frequently slumps from the cliffs after rainfall.
- Transport - strong waves move the eroded material away from the coastline; deposition happens further south (Spurn Head).

Human Processes at Work
- Hard engineering on parts of coast (e.g. rip rap and groynes at Mappleton) have protected areas from erosion and cliff collapse.
- Hard engineering in some places has prevented transport, making erosion worse in other places.

Changes Caused
- Some parts are undergoing coastal retreat at a rate of nearly 2 m/year.
- Farmland, property and settlements have been lost to the sea, changing the landscape permanently.

66
Q

Using one named example, explain two ways in which human processes and physical processes have worked together to change a coastal landscape.

A

On the Holderness coast in East Yorkshire, hard engineering methods including rip rap and groynes have slowed down the rate of coastal erosion and cliff collapse, which would otherwise have been fairly rapid. However, the rip rap and groynes in some places, such as Mappleton, have prevented the transport of material further along the coast, leaving other areas more exposed to erosion by the sea than they would have been and therefore speeding up the rate of coastal retreat.

Geography A Paper 1 Flashcards (4 decks)

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