Can you coasts?
Define
 Constructive waves
 Destructive waves
Define
 Erosion
 Corrasion
 Attrition
 Solution
 Hydraulic action.
 Long shore drift
 Deposition
Explain the formation of
 Wave cut platform
 Caves, arches and stacks
 Beaches and spits
State the difference between hard and soft engineering
in tackling coastal erosion.
Give examples of soft engineering solutions to tackle
erosion
 Beach nourishment
Give examples of hard engineering solutions to tackle
erosion
 Sea walls
 Gabions
 Groynes
Name a case study of sustainable coastal erosion
management in the UK and evaluate its impact.
Name:
Weaker winds
Classify the statement according to whether they would be
associated with constructive or destructive waves.
Strong winds
Swash stronger than Backwash
High waves
High energy
Low energy
Deposition greater
Short wave length
Long wave length
Long fetch
Short fetch
Backwash stronger than Swash
Wave frequency: 11-15 per
minute.
Erosion greater
Low waves
Wave frequency: 6-9 per minute.
Define these terms.
Erosion
Weathering
Corrasion
Attrition
Hydraulic Action
Solution
How do the deposits of erosion and weathering differ?
Erosion
Weathering
Using the labels below, draw a fully labelled diagram to show
the formation of a wave cut platform.
High tide
Low tide
Between high and low tide rocks are
hurled at the base of the cliff- called
corrasion.
This creates a wave cut notch, the cliff
has been undercut.
The top of the cliff becomes unstable.
This overhang will collapse into sea
providing more material for corrosion.
The cliff has now retreated. The process
of corrasion will continue.
Because there can be no erosion below
low tide a rock platform is left- called a
wave cut platform- this is exposed at
low tide.
Wave cut platform
Illustrate your understanding of the following terms, by drawing
diagrams and writing brief explanations for each.
Transport
Solution
Suspension
Saltation
Traction
Deposition
Swash and Backwash
Long shore Drift
Annotate the diagram to illustrate how material is moved along
the coastline.
Annotate the diagram to illustrate how a coastal spit is formed.
Annotate this diagram to explain how a coastal stack forms.
Can you define these following terms?
Cover the term and try to define it. If you can’t, write it
out.
THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE - COASTS
Abrasion /
corrasion
Attrition
Backwash
Beach
replenishment
Constructive
wave
Corrosion /
solution
Deposition
Destructive wave
Differential
erosion
Erosion
Gabion
Groynes
Hard engineering
Hydraulic action
Long-shore drift
Load
Revetements
Roll-back
Saltation
Sea walls
A process of erosion – waves hit the coast and throw pebbles
against the cliff face. These knock off small parts of the cliff causing
undercutting
A process of erosion – transported particles hit against one another
making the particles smaller and rounder
The movement back down the beach of water from a breaking
wave, powered by gravity, at right angles to the shore
A hard engineering flood / erosion control whereby material is
taken from somewhere and dumped on a beach to maintain it.
Material often dredged from off-shore
A wave with strong SWASH and weak BACKWASH which contributes
deposition to a beach
The process by which water (river or sea) reacts chemically with
soluble minerals in rock (eg chalk and limestone) and dissolves them
The dropping of material
A wave with a strong BACKWASH and a weak SWASH which erodes
a coast
Waves will erode hard rock less fast than softer rock, resulting in
uneven cliff faces and coastlines (headlands and bays)
Wearing away of landscape by action of wind, water, ice
Cages of stones on a beach; a hard engineering solution to cliff
erosion, designed to absorb wave energy
Wooden or concrete walls, built perpendicular to shoreline down
the beach, designed to trap material carried by long shore drift and
thus maintain a wide beach. A hard engineering solution to cliff
erosion and coastal flooding
A strategy to control a natural hazard (flooding) involving man made
structures
A process of erosion – soft rocks are washed away by the sea; air
trapped in cracks by the force of water expands as wave slips away.
The resulting ‘mini explosion’ weakens the rocks over time, causing
cracks to widen and sections of cliff to break away
Process whereby beach material moves along a coastline, caused by
waves hitting the coast at an angle
Material transported by the sea (or a river)
Ladder structures built against cliff base. Hard engineering, designed
to absorb wave energy and protect cliff from erosion.
A version of ‘managed retreat’ where rather than protect the
coastline from erosion, installations such as caravan sites
(Holderness) are moved further inland
The hopping of medium sized load along the sea bed (or river bed)
A large, expensive concrete structure, built at the back of a beach,
to protect high value land from floods. Usually recurved to direct
/ or x
Soft engineering
Solution /
corrosion
Spit
Stack
Sub-aerial erosion
/ weathering
Suspension
Sustainable
Swash
Traction
Transportation
Wave cut notch
Weathering
waves downwards. A wider base than top gives firmer foundations.
They deflect wave energy, and thus tend to undermine their own
foundations. Hard engineering.
A strategy to control a natural flood / cliff erosion hazard which uses
and blends into the environment, thus making it often sustainable
The process by which water (river or sea) reacts chemically with
soluble minerals in rock (eg chalk and limestone) and dissolves them
A tongue of deposited material, stretching out to sea parallel to the
coastline and attached to it at one end. Formed due to long shore
drift.
An isolated pillar of hard rock standing off a headland, surrounded
by water. Was once part of the headland. Will eventually erode to
form a stump. An erosion feature.
Processes of erosion and weathering taking place on cliff tops (eg
freeze thaw, rain, wind)
Transportation of the smallest load eg fine clays and silts which is
held up continuously within a river or seawater
A way of using resources so that they are not destroyed but remain
available for others to use in the future. Sustainable flood
protection should be EFFECTIVE, FAIR, AFFORDABLE and PROTECT
THE ENVIRONMENT
The movement of a breaking wave up the beach, powered by the
momentum of the breaking wave. Direction dictated by prevailing
wind / wave direction
The rolling of large rocks along a river or sea bed
The movement of material across the earth’s surface
Area of erosion at base of headland between HTL and LTL.
The BREAKDOWN of rocks IN SITU
Question- With the aid of a labelled diagram, explain the formation of a wave cut
platform. (6)
Question- With the aid of a labelled diagram, explain the formation of a coastal
stack. (6)
Question- With the aid of a labelled diagram, explain the formation of a coastal
spit. (6)
Answer these questions and return them to your teacher for feedback.
Defence
Groyne
Diagram
Hard or soft?
Hard
Disadvantages
Unattractive
Prevents access to the
beach
Health and safety
hazard
Also provide a flood
defence
Long-term
Some areas of the
coast allowed to be
eroded or flooded
Managed retreat
Beach
nourishment
Advantages
Beaches develop
Good for tourism
Also provide a flood
defence
Long-term
Power of waves
reduced
Rocks eroded instead
of coastline
Gabion
Sea Wall
How it works?
Hard
Soft
Complete the table to help explain how these protection strategies
work and their advantages and disadvantages.
£100/m
£4,000/m
Economic loss potential
farmland, homes,
industry etc.
Looks natural
Access to beach
maintained
Relatively cheap
Cost
£7000 each
?
£20/cu.m
For an area of coastline you have studied, explain WHY it
needs to be protected and HOW this could be done (in a
MEDC). Area of coastline =
____________________________
Reasons WHY this area needs to be protected
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
How this area could be protected
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________ (9)
Case study of sustainable coastal management: Holderness Coast.
Why is coastal management needed?
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The coastline is made of soft glacial till called
boulder clay. This was deposited in the area
during the last glacial advance- 12,000 years ago.
There are no wide sandy beaches to protect the
cliffs, because the cliffs are made of fine clay. This
is transported away or held in suspension.
The coast has little protection from waves from
the North-East. These have a long-fetch and are
powerful.
Between Flamborough and Spurn Head an
average of two metres of coast is lost each year.
Needed to protect important settlements reliant
upon the tourist economy and key infrastructure,
such as gas terminals.
Strategies used.
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Bridlington has 3.6 km of sea wall and groynes to
stabilise the beaches. Bridlington is a popular tourism
destination, and has a popular of 34,000.
Hornsea has 1.6 km of sea wall, groynes and rock
armour.
Mappleton was only allowed defences after an
economic case was made. There is a road that links
many of the coastal villages, this was threatened by the
cliff retreat. 450 metres of cliff are protected at
Mappleton, using 61,500 tons of rock armour, two
groynes and a sloping revetment.
Withernsea has 2.3 km of sea wall, groynes and rock
armour. A small offshore rock armour defence has also
been developed.
Major North Sea gas terminals are located to the north
of the village of Easington. The Easington defences
needed carefully consideration, as there are two
Environmentally Sensitive Areas nearby. At Easington a
1km revetment was built along the base of the cliff near
the gas terminal, using 133,000 tonnes of rock. To
ensure that beach material is not maintained, the
defences hug tightly to the cliff at Easington- allowing
material to be transported to the ESAs.
10 The local district councils have a roll-back policy
when considering new development. This means that
existing caravan sites will be closed, and then moved
400 metres from the coast. It is hoped that the policy of
roll back will help maintain the local economy.
New developments need to justify a coastal location.
They must also be 30 to 200 metres from the present
coast.
How sustainable is the management?
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Limiting erosion along the Holderness coast
would mean less material travelling south to
the Humber estuary and coast of
Lincolnshire. Nearly 50,000 people live
around the Humber estuary. Material from
Holderness is deposited on the mudflats and
salt marshes of the Humber estuary and the
coast of Lincolnshire- protecting the areas
from flooding.
Most of the land at risk is farmland, this has
limited value and makes protection hard to
justify.
The policy of protection is to defend larger
settlements but to do nothing to prevent
erosion elsewhere.
Preventing erosion along the entire coastline
would be highly expensive, hence decision
for the roll-back policy.
Physical
Beach nourishment
Biological
Chemical
Nature of the n
deposits
Weathering
Solution
Erosion
Attrition
Suspension
Hard
Types
Long Shore Drift
Deposition
features
Wave Cut Platform
Swash
Factors
influencing
waves
Backwash
Destructive
Definition
Flow
Slide
Solution
Transport
Constructive
Fall
Soft
Saltation
Waves
Mass movement
Gabion
Type
Types
Erosion
features
Stack
Groyne
Protection
Corrasion
Definition
Rock armour
Hydraulic action
Types
Definition
Headland
Nature of the
deposits
Sea Wall
Slump
Bay
Spit
Estuary
ManagementHolderness
Causes
Strategies- Mappleton
Make an A3 copy of this mindmap. Illustrate and annotate it.
Sustainable