1.a Coastal landscapes can be viewed as systems

Question 1

What type of system is the coast?

Answer 1

• Coast is an open system
  ○ Energy and matter can cross the boundary of the system to surrounding environment

Question 2

What is an open system?

Answer 2

Both energy and sediment can enter and leave the system

Question 3

What is a closed sytem?

Answer 3

• Energy can enter and leave system but retains sediment

Question 4

inputs

Answer 4

• Energy like:
  ○ Kinetic energy from waves and wind
  ○ Thermal energy from the heat of the sun
  ○ Potential energy from material on slopes and material from processes of weathering, mass movement, erosion and deposition

Question 5

Processes:

Answer 5

• Breakdown of material
  ○ Weathering
  ○ Mass Movement
  ○ Erosion
  
  • Adds material back to landscape
    ○ Deposition

Question 6

Transfers:

Answer 6

• E.g. longshore drift moving sediment along the coastline

Question 7

Stores:

Answer 7

• Sediment on a beach
  
  • Nearshore sediment accumulation

Question 8

Outputs:

Answer 8

• Marine and wind erosion as well as evaporation
  
  • Landforms of erosion = cracks, caves, stacks, stumps, wave-cut platforms, blowholes
  • Landforms of deposition = beaches, spits, tombolo, sand dunes, salt marshes

Question 9

Dynamic Equilibrium

Answer 9

• Inputs and outputs = equilibrium
  
  • If something happens to break this equilibrium, e.g. landslides, storms, or human activity, the system will change to restore the equilibrium = dynamic equilibrium (constantly changing)
  • Response is a negative feedback loop

Question 10

Feedback loops

Answer 10

• When changes occur to upset the balance of a system. The system adjusts by process of feedback
  ○ Positive feedback = an initial change brining about further change in the same direction
  ○ Negative feedback = system is returned to it’s normal function (dynamic equilibrium)

Question 11

what is a cell?

Answer 11

• A stretch of coastline which the movement of sediment, sand and shingle is largely self contained
  
  • If part of a larger cell they are called sub-cells
    ○ E.g. Flamborough Head - Humber Estuary sub-cell is part of larger Flamborough Head - The Wash cell.

Question 12

Sediment cells

Answer 12

• Sediment cells are closed systems.
  
  • However, they are open cells within the cells (sub-cells)
  • Although sediment stays largely within the cell
  • 11 cells within England and Wales