Coastal Landforms

Question 1

Describe headland formation?

Answer 1

The less resistant rock is eroded faster , forming a bay with a gentle slope.

Because the resistant rock erodes more slowly, it juts out, forming a headland with steep sides

Question 2

Describe where headlands and bays form?

Answer 2

Where there are alternating bands of resistant and less resistant rock along the coast

Question 3

How do caves form?

Answer 3

Waves crash into headlands and emerge cracks, repeated erosion and enlargement of the cracks cause the cave to form

Question 4

How are arches formed?

Answer 4

Continued erosion deepens the cave until it breaks through the headland to form an arch.

Question 5

How is a stack formed?

Answer 5

Erosion continues to wear away the rock supporting the arch, until it eventually collapses. This forms a stack.

Question 6

What are discordant coastline made up of?

Answer 6

Alternating band of hard and soft rock at right angles to the coast

Question 7

What are concordant coastlines made up of?

Answer 7

Alternating bands of soft and hard rock that are parallel to the coast

Question 8

How is a wave cut platform formed?

Answer 8

Waves - erosion at the foot of a cliff forming a wave cut notch which is enlarged over time. Repeated erosion causes the rock above the notch to become unstable and it will eventually collapses . The collapsed material is washed away and a new wave cut north starts to form. After repeated collapses the cliff retreats, leaving a wave cut platform

Question 9

How are beaches formed?

Answer 9

By constructive waves depositing material

Question 10

Name the 2 types of beach?

Answer 10

Sand
Shingle

Question 11

Describe a sand beach?

Answer 11

Created by low energy waves and are flat and wide - sand particles are small so the weak backwash can move them back down the beach, creating a long gentle slope

Question 12

Describe a shingle beach?

Answer 12

Created by high energy waves and are steep and narrow - sand particles are washed away but larger single is left behind. These shingle particles build up to create a steep slope

Question 13

Characteristics and formation of a spit?

Answer 13

Spits form at sharp bends in the coastline

Longshore drift transports send and shingle past the bend and deposits it in the sea

Strong winds and waves can curve the end of a spit

Question 14

Characteristics and formation of a sand dunes?

Answer 14

Formed when sand deposited by longshore drift is moved up the beach by the wind

Obstacles like driftwood decrease wind speed so sand is deposited, forming small embryo dunes which are colonised by plants. The roots of vegetation stabilise the sand, encouraging more sand to accumulate there . This forms fordunes and eventually mature dunes

Question 15

Characteristics and formation of bars?

Answer 15

A bar forms when a spit joins two headlands together

The bay between the headlands gets cut off from the sea

This means a lagoon can behind the bar