Coastal Erosion Landforms

Question 1

What is a landform?

Answer 1

A feature of the landscape that has been formed or sculpted by the processes of erosion, transportation and deposition.

Question 2

What is erosion?

Answer 2

Wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a breaking wave.

Question 3

What is transportation?

Answer 3

The movement of eroded sediment.

Question 4

What is deposition?

Answer 4

When material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy.

Question 5

What is it called when material being transported by the sea is dropped due to the sea losing energy?

Answer 5

Deposition.

Question 6

What is a feature that has been formed by the processes of erosion, transportation and deposition?

Answer 6

A landform.

Question 7

What is the wearing away and removal of material by a moving force, such as a breaking wave.

Answer 7

Erosion.

Question 8

What is the movement of eroded sediment?

Answer 8

Transportation.

Question 9

What factors influence coastal landforms?

Answer 9

Geology and the geological structure.

Question 10

How does geology influence coastal landforms?

Answer 10

Some rocks are tougher and more resistant than others.

Question 11

How does the geological structure influence coastal landforms?

Answer 11

The layers of rock are folded or tilted.

Question 12

What are the features of hard rock?

Answer 12

It is more resistant, impermeable and erodes about 20mm per year.

Question 13

What type of rock is more resistant, impermeable and erodes about 20mm per year?

Answer 13

Hard rock.

Question 14

What are the features of soft rock?

Answer 14

Less resistant, erodes about 20cm per year and is permeable.

Question 15

What type of rock is less resistant, permeable and erodes about 20cm per year?

Answer 15

Soft rock.

Question 16

Name three examples of hard rock.

Answer 16

Granite, chalk and limestone.

Question 17

Name two examples of soft rock.

Answer 17

Clay and sandstone.

Question 18

What type of rock is granite, chalk and limestone?

Answer 18

Hard rock.

Question 19

What type of rock is clay and sandstone?

Answer 19

Soft rock.

Question 20

What are faults?

Answer 20

Horizontal cracks in the rock.

Question 21

What are horizontal cracks in the rock?

Answer 21

Faults.

Question 22

What are joints?

Answer 22

A vertical crack within a layer of rock.

Question 23

What are vertical crack within a layer of rock?

Answer 23

Joints.

Question 24

What is a bedding plane?

Answer 24

The surface between two layers of sedimentary rock.

Question 25

What is the surface between two layers of sedimentary rock?

Answer 25

A bedding plane.

Question 26

Why will rocks with more faults and joints erode faster?

Answer 26

They have more lines of weakness.

Question 27

What are strata?

Answer 27

Layers of rock.

Question 28

Name both types of coastline.

Answer 28

Concordant and discordant coastlines.

Question 29

What are discordant coastlines?

Answer 29

Coastlines where the geology alternates between strata (or bands) of hard rock and soft rock that are perpendicular to the coast.

Question 30

What are concordant coastlines?

Answer 30

The same type of rock along its length that runs parallel to the coast, with a different type of rock behind it.

Question 31

Give an example of a concordant coastline.

Answer 31

Dorset.

Question 32

Give an example of a discordant coastline.

Answer 32

Holderness coastline.

Question 33

Give the first step of the formation of headlands and bays.

Answer 33

Firstly the coastline’s headlands and bays are formed as it is a discordant coastline with alternating bands of harder and softer rock.

Question 34

Give the second step of the formation of headlands and bays.

Answer 34

Both bands of harder and softer rock are eroded by hydraulic action (air is trapped into the cracks and pores, causing pressure to build, breaking the rock) and abrasion (grinding of rock against the base of the cliff).

Question 35

Give the third step of the formation of headlands and bays.

Answer 35

Softer rocks are eroded first because they are less resistant so erode at a faster rate, creating bays.

Question 36

Give the last step of the formation of headlands and bays.

Answer 36

Harder rocks are eroded second, because they are more resistant so erode at a slower rate, creating headlands that are left jutting out in the sea, vulnerable to further erosion.