Landforms of deposition

Question 2

When does beach formation usually occur?

Answer 2

In the summer months when the weather is calmer

Question 3

Where do beaches typically form?

Answer 3

In sheltered areas such as bays through deposition via constructive wave movement

Question 4

What is the primary characteristic of constructive wave movement?

Answer 4

The swash is stronger than the backwash

Question 5

What natural feature can be created by blown sand at the backshore of a beach?

Answer 5

Sand dunes

Question 6

What happens when a constructive wave carries sediment up the beach?

Answer 6

The largest material is deposited along the upper reach of the swash

Question 7

What occurs as the backwash moves back down the beach?

Answer 7

It loses water and therefore energy due to the porosity of the sand

Question 8

What is the result of the backwash losing energy as it travels?

Answer 8

The deposition of sediment gets progressively smaller

Question 9

What forms at the top of the beach when a destructive wave occurs due to a storm?

Answer 9

A ridge called a berm

Question 10

Fill in the blank: Beaches form through deposition via _______ wave movement.

Answer 10

constructive

Question 11

True or False: The swash of a destructive wave is stronger than the backwash.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

What are sand dunes?

Answer 12

A dynamic environment with quick changes

Question 13

Where are sand dunes usually found?

Answer 13

At the rear of sandy beaches due to strong onshore winds

Question 14

How are embryo dunes formed?

Answer 14

Sand grains are trapped and deposited against obstacles like rubbish, rocks, or driftwood

Question 15

What causes dune ridges to move inland?

Answer 15

Onshore winds push the seaward side to the leeward side

Question 16

What two factors interact to help form sand dunes?

Answer 16

Winds and vegetation

Question 17

What is the first step in the formation of a sand dune?

Answer 17

Windblown sand is deposited against an obstruction

Question 18

What happens as more sand particles are caught by an obstruction?

Answer 18

The dunes grow in size, forming rows at right angles to the prevailing wind

Question 19

What process helps to stabilise dunes over time?

Answer 19

Colonisation and fixation by vegetation in a process called succession

Question 20

What are pioneer species?

Answer 20

The first plants that colonize and stabilise sand dunes

Question 21

What challenges do pioneer species face?

Answer 21

Salinity, lack of moisture, wind, temporary submergence by wind-blown sand, rising sea levels

Question 22

Fill in the blank: Sand grains are trapped and deposited against any _______.

Answer 22

obstacle

Question 23

True or False: Sand dunes are a stable environment.

Answer 23

False

Question 24

What is a spit?

Answer 24

An extended stretch of sand or shingle that extends out to sea from the shore

Question 25

What causes spits to form?

Answer 25

A change in the shape of the coastline or the mouth of a river that prevents a spit forming across the estuary

Question 26

Do spits always have a hooked end?

Answer 26

No, a spit may or may not have a 'hooked' end depending on opposing winds and currents

Question 27

What is a notable example of a spit?

Answer 27

Spurn Point, which stretches for three and half miles across the Humber Estuary in the northeast of England

Question 28

What is the first stage of spit formation?

Answer 28

Sediment is transported by the action of longshore drift

Question 29

What occurs when the coastline changes direction during spit formation?

Answer 29

A shallow, sheltered area allows for deposition of sediment

Question 30

Why does more deposition occur as a spit forms?

Answer 30

Due to increased friction

Question 31

What happens as a spit builds up to sea level?

Answer 31

It extends in length

Question 32

What happens if the wind changes direction during spit formation?

Answer 32

The wave pattern alters and results in a hooked end

Question 33

What type of environment forms behind a spit?

Answer 33

A sheltered area

Question 34

What is deposited in the sheltered area behind a spit?

Answer 34

Silts to form salt marshes or mud flats

Question 35

What is formed when a spit grows across a bay and joins two headlands together?

Answer 35

A bar of sand (sandbar) ## Footnote A sandbar can affect navigation and coastal ecosystems.

Question 36

What can cause sandbars to form offshore?

Answer 36

The action of breaking waves from a beach ## Footnote Offshore sandbars can influence wave patterns and coastal erosion.